NZ, what time of the day is it by you when you normally watch them...a 7:10 start in LA , for instance?
Ryu's first rainout gives LA chance to tweak rotationLefty will start Saturday matinee as part of day-night doubleheader vs. O's By Ken Gurnick | MLB.com Friday, April 19, 2013 | 10:25 P.M. ET BALTIMORE -- Hyun-Jin Ryu experienced another one of those Major League firsts Friday night: his first Major League rainout. After 90 wet minutes, the Orioles gave up and rescheduled the unstarted game as a day-night doubleheader for Saturday. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Ryu would start the day game, and Josh Beckett would start the night game, as originally planned. Ryu spent the rain delay learning American card games from his teammates. He promised to be a quick study. In his native Korea, teams wait only 30 minutes before postponing a game for rain. After the game was called, Ryu threw a 30-pitch bullpen session in the batting cage. Ryu, who doesn't throw traditional bullpen sessions between starts, said he threw because, having had a day off Thursday, he didn't want to go two days without throwing. "It shouldn't be a big deal," he said. Mattingly, who said he spent most of the rain delay watching coverage of the capture of the Boston bombing suspect, said because the season is young, and because this series is sandwiched by days off, there shouldn't be much stress put on his club by the unscheduled doubleheader. He said it might also give him a chance to flop Ryu and Beckett in the rotation next time around to split up lefties Clayton Kershaw and Ryu. Mattingly also said he might revisit his lineup, which Friday night had Carl Crawford as designated hitter, Skip Schumaker in left field and Ramon Hernandez catching (he's 9-for-19 against Baltimore starter Jason Hammel). Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. __
Matchups remain same for weekend doubleheader By Cash Kruth | MLB.com Friday, April 19, 2013 10:12 PM ET The Orioles and Dodgers are ready to play two. Rain postponed Friday's game, but the two clubs will try again Saturday as part of a day-night doubleheader at Camden Yards. Both teams' scheduled starters for Friday -- Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu and Orioles righty Jason Hammel -- will start the opener at 1:05 p.m. ET. Los Angeles' Josh Beckett and Baltimore's Wei-Yin Chen square off in the nightcap as scheduled at 7:05 p.m. The Orioles took the first regular-season matchup between the two squads on June 7, 2002, but have since dropped five straight to the Dodgers. Los Angeles enters Saturday having lost four in a row, however, so one of those streaks will end in Saturday's opener. Ryu is set to make his fourth start of the season for the struggling Dodgers, who turn to a rookie who has won two consecutive starts entering his first taste of Interleague Play. Coming off a disheartening three-game sweep at the hands of San Diego, Los Angeles will need Ryu to continue to be a reliable part of its rotation. His slider has seen considerable improvement since Spring Training, allowing Ryu to use his out pitch -- the changeup -- a bit more frequently. "It's improved over the last couple of games," Ryu said of the slider. "I'm utilizing it more, especially against righties. I'm just getting into shape the way I would in Korea, back to my normal form." Hammel, the Orioles' Opening Day starter who threw six solid innings against the Yankees on Saturday, opposes Ryu. Hammel will look to go deeper in the game, an area where the Orioles' starters have struggled over the past few contests. Prior to the season, Hammel said his goal was to reach 200 innings as a starter. He threw at least six in each of his first three starts. "I feel great," Hammel said. "I'm doing the same routine and just making sure I stay on top of the smaller things with a little more treatment or icing when necessary." WORTH NOTING Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is hitting just .207 in his career against Hammel with six strikeouts. Matt Kemp has seen similar struggles with a .227 average and five K's. Catcher Ramon Hernandez, however, is 9-for-19 against Hammel. The Dodgers are 1-for-19 with the bases loaded this season. Although Los Angeles has dominated Baltimore in regular-season play, the Orioles won the matchup that really matters, sweeping the Dodgers to win the 1966 World Series. Gonzalez's .386 career average against the Orioles is the highest all-time among players with at least 150 plate appearances. Cash Kruth is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. __
