Kuroda Gets 11 Kills in Complete Game Shutout Against Cubs
iroki Kuroda allowed four hits and struck out a career-high 11 in his first complete game, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Kuroda (3-5) did not walk a batter in his 13th big league start, induced two double plays and allowed only one baserunner as far as third _ the result of his own throwing error.
The Cubs, who lead the majors with 346 runs and a 39-23 record, were shut out for the third time this season. Kuroda's gem was the first complete game pitched against Chicago this season.
Danny Ardoin got one of his two RBIs with a suicide squeeze and Jeff Kent had an RBI double for Los Angeles.
Sean Gallagher (3-2) gave up two runs and three hits over five innings, striking out six and walking three before he was lifted for a pinch hitter.
Kent, who homered twice in Thursday night's 5-4 loss to the Cubs, was ejected for the second time in a span of six weeks after arguing with umpire Marty Foster over a called third strike that ended the fifth inning. Kent tossed the bat away after a 3-2 pitch that was low and inside, then headed toward first base before getting the news.
Kent grinned at Foster, then got closer to plead his case. All the while, first base coach Mariano Duncan stood next to Kent instead of trying to lead him away from Foster _ who ejected Kent just as manager Joe Torre started out of the dugout.
Kent also was ejected on April 24 at Dodger Stadium after a heated argument with second base umpire Andy Fletcher, who ruled during the previous inning that Kent had taken Nomar Garciaparra's throw off the bag while trying to sidestep baserunner Conor Jackson.
Trailing 1-0 on Kent's RBI double in the first inning, the Cubs were the victims of a blown call in the fourth by first base umpire Derryl Cousins with runners at the corners and one out. Shortstop Chin-lung Hu turned Kosuke Fukudome's grounder into a double play, but replays showed Fukudome was safe at first on the relay from Kent to James Loney.
The Dodgers got their second run after they loaded the bases with none out in the fourth. Ardoin, making his third start behind the plate while Russell Martin got the day off, drove in Loney with a groundout. Manager Lou Piniella came out for a chat with Gallagher, who minimized the damage by striking out Hu and Kuroda.
For the second time in five games, Torre called for a suicide squeeze following pitcher Derek Lowe's successful attempt in Monday night's 8-2 win over Colorado.
Loney led off the sixth with an infield hit against Kevin Hart, Matt Kemp walked, and Blake DeWitt's fielder's choice grounder put runners at the corners. Ardoin laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate with Loney coming down the line, and ended up with a single as Hart held onto the ball.
The Dodgers made a bid to break it open in the seventh, but Scott Eyre struck out Loney and Kemp with runners at the corners after relieving Hart with one out.
Notes:@ The Dodgers are 4-25 when scoring fewer than four runs. ... The Dodgers obtained SS Angel Berroa from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor league INF Juan Rivera. The deal was made exactly a year to the day that Berroa, the 2003 AL Rookie of the Year, was designated for assignment by the Royals. He had been in the minors since then.
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06/07/2008 01:29 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda delivers to home plate during the seventh inning of his complete game shutout victory over the Chicago Cubs in a Major League Baseball game in Los Angeles, Friday, June 6, 2008.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
iroki Kuroda allowed four hits and struck out a career-high 11 in his first complete game, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
