Chad Billingsley Goes For Second Win Back Home

Chad Billingsley (1-0, 0.00) vs. Erik Bedard (0-1, 1.29)

Lineup:

Gordon SS

Mark Ellis 2B

Kemp CF

Rivera 1B

Ethier RF

Hairston LF

Uribe 3B

A.J. Ellis C

Billingsley P

Mr. Vin Scully is unfortuntely still ill with a bad cold, and he will be unable to announce the game tonight. When we heard Vin was sick yesterday at Opening Day we were very concerned. Let’s all keep him in our thoughts and hope that he has a speedy recovery. Dodger baseball is just not the same without him. Charley Steiner, Steve Lyons, and Rick Monday will cover the television and radio broadcasts in his absence.

The Dodgers look for their second series win in as many with a victory in game two against the Pirates this evening. Chad Billingsley wowed in his debut start of the 2012 season down in San Diego. He pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings, and he struck out 11 Padres. He only allowed three hits and one walk. Chad’s still using his cutter, but less frequently and more to the right side of the plate while he uses his slider to the left. Bills has a 5-1 record against the Bucs with a 4.19 ERA in six starts and four relief appearances. Clint Barmes is 4 for 11 against Bills in his career, but he is 0 for 12 so far this season.

Erik Bedard, left-handed pitcher, picked up the loss on Opening Day when the Pirates couldn’t give him enough run support. Bedard pitched very well, and he only allowed one run in seven innings. In the Pirates’ defense, they were up against Roy Halladay who shut them down. Bedard, who used to pitch in the American League, has only made one career start against the Dodgers back in June 2004. He allowed one run in five innings. The Dodgers beat the Orioles 4-3.

The Dodgers now are 4-1 on the season, and they are right up at the top of the NL West heap alongside Arizona who remains un-defeated (4-0).

To watch for: James Loney is now 0 for 14, and we will be looking for him to find his first hit of the season which will hopefully come soon. Andre Ethier is hitting .316 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homeruns, and 9 RBI in the first 5 games of the season. Matt Kemp is hitting .333 with 2 homeruns and 9 RBI as well. Javy Guerra has three saves on the season.

The Pirates are 2-2 on the season and sit in fourth place in the Central. The Pirates have not won a season set against the Dodgers since 2000. The Dodgers have dominated the Bucs, and they have won 51 of 72 games against Pittsburgh since 2002.

The game will start at 7:10 pm, and it will be televised on Prime Ticket. Go Blue!

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