Southern Cali Sports

With Chad Billingsley and Hong-Chih Kuo now occupying the 4th and 5th spots for your Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation, it may just be demoted starters Mark Hendrickson and Brett Tomko that save the Dodgers season…

Billingsley went 3 2/3 innings last night while being limited to 70 pitches by LA Dodgers skipper Grady Little. Billingsley will most likely be pitching with a pitch count for a few more games and Hong-Chih Kuo, well let’s face it, Kuo just hasn’t figured out how to pitch deep into games yet due to his sometimes erratic control.

With these 2 guys at the bottom of your rotation, you’re going to need some good-quality long relievers (I know it’s an oxymoron - quality and long reliever) to bridge the gap between them (Billingsley and Kuo) and Broxton and Saito who normally pitch the 8th and 9th innings.

Look I get that Tomko and Hendrickson didn’t cut it as starters but they’re “quality” pitchers that shouldn’t have too many problems going through the opposing teams lineup just once. Notice I said “too” many problems…

You have to give Kuo and Billingsley a chance to start for you now (since Tomko and Hendrickson just weren’t going to cut it as starters) and with Hendrickson and Tomko in the bullpen you don’t necesarrily run the risk of wearing out your bullpen since they’re both converted starters.

Once again it looks like Ned Colletti has built a team that is not only talented but DEEP.

Los Angeles Dodgers will play at Tampa Bay today at 4 PM PST. Derek Lowe will make the start.