After opening up the season against Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, today the Pirates head out to LA to face Clayton Kershaw in the Dodgers’ home opener. Kershaw is easily one of the best pitchers the Pirates will see this year and he’s pretty much in a class with only Halladay and Justin Verlander in terms of every single pitcher the Pirates will face this year. The one saving grace for the Pirates is that he’s been battling the flu this week and maybe he won’t be quite at the top of his game. I wouldn’t count on it, though.
For the Bucs, Kevin Correia gets the ball. He’s got maybe three starts to prove that he belongs on the roster before AJ Burnett is ready, and he’s drawn a tough assignment in start #1. The Dodgers are a sneaky-good team ths year; their financial problems have caused a lot of people to write them off, but their lineup can hit and when Kershaw’s on the mound, that makes them about as good as anyone.
First pitch today is at 4:10. I teach recitation from 3-6 on Tuesdays, so I probably won’t be around in the comments for much of the game. I’ll do my best to peak in in between classes, though.
