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Vicente Padilla will have neck surgery on Thursday and be out an "extended period of time," the Dodgers announced before Monday's game with the Reds. It will be the second surgery this season for Padilla, who underwent arm surgery in February to free up an entrapped nerve. He began the season on the disabled list before getting activated on April 22.
Padilla pitched nine games in relief for the Dodgers, collecting three saves and putting up a 4.15 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. However, he was placed on the DL again retroactive to May 14 with irritation in the same right radial nerve that required surgery. Padilla was set to return from the DL on June 3 in Cincinnati but he reported the same neck pain that caused him to miss most of the last two months of 2010.
Padilla signed an incentive-laden deal for 2011 that will pay him a $2 million base salary, plus incentives of up to $6.8 million in incentives for relief appearances or up to $8 million in incentives for starting. However, it appears Padilla will hit none of those incentives now.
Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more news and information about the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.
The Dodgers open a 12-game homestand Monday night against the Reds at Dodger Stadium. Hiroki Kuroda gets the start for the Dodgers against Bronson Arroyo of Cincinnati. Here are tonight's starting lineups:
Stubbs CF
Phillips 2B
Votto 1B
Bruce RF
Heisey LF
Cairo 3B
Hanigan C
Janish SS
Arroyo P
Gordon SS
Miles 2B
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Loney 1B
Uribe 3B
Navarro C
Gwynn LF
Kuroda P
Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more news and information about the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.
The Dodgers open their longest homestand of the season on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Hiroki Kuroda gets the call for for the Dodgers, starting against Bronson Arroyo of the Reds. The Dodgers are home beginning tonight for two straight weeks, a total of 12 games.
Kuroda is 5-7 with a 3.35 ERA this season, but has lost four straight starts thanks in part to the Dodgers scoring five runs in those four games. Kuroda and Arroyo faced off 10 days ago in Cincinnati, with the Reds taking home a 2-1 victory. Arroyo is 4-6 with a 5.28 ERA on the season.
Matt Kemp returns home after a phenomenal road trip, and leads the National League with 20 home runs, a .641 slugging percentage, and 1.052 OPS. During the 10-game road trip, Kemp hit .472/.568/1.194 with seven home runs, 16 RBI, and 11 runs scored. With 20 home runs through 67 team games, Kemp is the second-fastest Los Angeles Dodger to hit home runs, tied with Eric Karros (2000) and Shawn Green (2002). Only Gary Sheffield, who hit 20 home runs in 66 team games in 2000, was quicker.
Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more news and information about the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.
Votto Home Run Leads Reds Over Dodgers, 6-4
A big seventh inning, capped by a three-run home run by Joey Votto, broke the tie and gave the Reds a 6-4 win over the Dodgers Monday night in the opener of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium. It was the fifth straight loss for Kuroda, who was done in by a pair of errors to begin the top of the seventh inning. Rookie Dee Gordon, making his first ever start at Dodger Stadium, figured prominently in several facets of tonight's game.
Gordon made two dazzling defensive plays in the third inning, robbing Brandon Phillips of a hit up the middle, then robbing Joey Votto on a ball that caromed off Kuroda. However, Gordon also made his first major league error on a ground ball to lead off the fateful seventh inning. At the plate, Gordon hit an RBI triple in the eighth inning, which snapped an 0-for-9 skid and was also the first extra-base hit and first RBI of his career.
Bronson Arroyo pitched 7 2/3 innings for the win, allowing four runs. It was the second victory for Arroyo over the Dodgers in 11 days. Kuroda allowed four runs (two earned) in his 6 1/3 innings for the loss. It was the fifth straight loss for Kuroda; the last Dodger pitcher to lose five straight starts was Brad Penny in 2008.
For more news and information about the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.
Jun 13 10:24p by Eric Stephen