John Soo Hoo/Dodgers
Beanballs occupy an odd place in Japanese baseball. Pitchers will brush a guy back, but rarely with intent to hit him—if they do, it's largely viewed as the batter's fault, for not getting out of the way in time. Charging the mound is rare—and mostly restricted to the gaijin (foreigners) who don't understand the etiquette of the game. Players that do charge the pitcher receive an automatic ten-game suspension. Pitchers who throw at an opponent's head can receive an automatic ejection and suspension under the 2006 Dangerous Pitch Rule. Pitchers who do hit a batter will often doff their caps slightly, as an apology.
Hiroki Kuroda might have conformed to those written and unwritten rules when he pitched for the HIroshima Carp, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are in a different league. In MLB, when the opposing pitcher buzzes your best hitter, you do the same to his. It's acknowledged as support for the player who was thrown at, the same way as players are virtually required to empty the bench in the event of a brawl.
Kuroda did his part last night against the Phillies, and the near-brawl that resulted energized his Dodgers enough to beat Philadelphia, 7-2, making the series competitive once again. Kuroda has turned into the Dodgers go-to moundman in the postseason, winning this vital Game 3, as well as the clinching Game 3 against the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS.
Last night's exchange of plunked batters goes back to Game 2, when Phillies starter Brett Myers threw a pitch behind Manny Ramirez. This is considered one of the most dangerous kinds of beanballs, since a batter will tend to bail out and step into the pitch. Manny held his ground at the plate, but had words for Myers after the at-bat. Myers responded by rubbing his fingers together, indicating the pitch had slipped.
Down 2-0 in the series, the Dodgers needed a spark to get them going in Game 3, and Kuroda gave them that by responding in kind. The Dodgers jumped on starter Jamie Moyer early, scoring five runs off of him in the first. One of the batters, catcher Russell Martin, reached base after being plunked by soft-tossing Moyer. Now, a Moyer fastball is unlikely to raise much of a welt, but when Philies reliever Clay Condrey threw inside to Martin in the second, tempers began to rise, and it was time for Kuroda to respond.
With the Dodgers leading 6-1 in the third, Kuroda faced Shane Victorino with two outs and nobody on, and Kuroda threw a pitch about a foot over Victorino's head. The benches, aware of the signals going back and forth between the two teams, cleared, and Manny had to be visibly restrained from telling the Phillies his side of the story.
Kuroda, for his part, didn't tip his cap or make any apologies.
After the game, the Phillies Victorino said "Someone was bound to get hit. The situation called for it. Just don't throw at my head." Kuroda, perhaps inspired by Myers, claimed that the pitch had slipped out of his hands.
With Kuroda's brushback to inspire them, the Dodgers added another run, while helping Kuroda hold the Phillies to only one more run. After allowing three consecutive hits to start the seventh, Kuroda was pulled in favor of Cory Wade, who combined with Jonathan Broxton to finish off the Phillies.
It's hard either to quantify or underestimate the effect of Kuroda's pitch on the series. The Dodgers were already well ahead when he buzzed Victorino, but the gesture has an incredibly galvanizing effect on the team. The real measure may come in Game 4 tonight, when Derek Lowe faces off against Joe Blanton. Lowe has the edge in the pitching matchup and that, combined with the fiery Dodgers, may mean the series will be even 2-2.
If they do win, Kuroda will return to the mound for Game 6, which could be vital in this tight series. And now the Dodgers know that Kuroda's not afraid to go against his Japanese baseball roots.
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