Game 58: Dodgers vs New York Mets 1:4

This definitely wasn't a remake of Spring Training, where the Dodgers lit up Alay Soler for four runs in one-and-two- thirds innings on March 5, in Vero Beach, Florida. The Dodgers struck out nine times in a futile effort against a pitcher who had yet to win a game. Thanks to what seemed like little league at bats and batting practice being pitched in the first inning, the Mets pitcher has won his first game.

Brett Tomko seems to have finally shown his true colors. For the second year in a row he has taken a good start and fizzled fast. He has now lost three consecutive starts, and doesn't appear to have improved in any of those starts. After just 17 batting practice pitches thrown by Tomko, the Dodgers trailed 3-0. He has allowed 15 earned runs and four homers in thirteen innings over his last three outings. In this game, he gave up a homer to Jose Reyes and another to Carlos Delgado.

"The pitch to Delgado was a mistake," Tomko said.
"He's the kind of hitter that if you make a mistake to him,
he'll punish you for it."

And putting Tomko on the mound was a bigger mistake. He's the kind of pitcher that if a manager makes a mistake by putting him on the mound, he'll punish you for it.

Nomar Garciaparra singled in his first at bat, stretching his streak to 29 straight games he has reached base safely. That was one of only four hits coming off the little league caliber bats of the Dodgers until the sixth inning when Willy Aybar hit his second homer of the season, extending his hitting streak to eleven games.

Some questions:

1) Who should the Dodgers replace Tomko with in the rotation, now that it seems more and more likely that he has reverted back to his disasterous ways?

2) Is there any chance of trading a package of players, including Odalis Perez and Tomko to a team looking for a LHP to start and a RHP for long relief?