06/13/2007 2:47 AM ET By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- It’s taken Hong-Chih Kuo nine professional seasons, but he now has as many Major League victories as Tommy John operations (two).
If pitching the Dodgers to a 4-1 win over the slumping Mets with seven strong innings Tuesday night wasn’t milestone enough to celebrate for the star-crossed left-hander, you should have seen Kuo’s bat flip while admiring his first Major League home run -- and first homer by any Taiwanese-born player.
The theatrics were right out of the Reggie Jackson playbook, the bat traveling only a few hundred feet short of the tape-measure blast that completed back-to-back-to-back homers on consecutive pitches by the bottom of the Dodgers batting order in the second inning.
”I didn’t mean to do that,” Kuo said apologetically about the hot-dogging. ”I hit it, I know I hit it hard.”
Wilson Betemit and Matt Kemp, inserted into the lineup by manager Grady Little, slugged the first two off John Maine. Kemp’s landed in the sliver of fair loge seats, the first homer there since Olmedo Saenz did it in 2005. Kemp added a second RBI on an infield single in the sixth inning.
”It won’t match the four home runs we hit last year, but this was pretty exciting,” said Kemp, referring to the September game against San Diego.
Pretty exciting for sure for Kuo, who must like pitching against the Mets because he’s never beaten anyone else. His maiden victory was last Sept. 8, a gutsy six scoreless innings in raucous Shea Stadium against a powerhouse team. That was the win that convinced management Kuo’s elbow could withstand the rigors of starting. Until that emergency start, he had been overprotected and forced to pitch in relief, where he has said he’s not comfortable.
He tried to duplicate that win in Game 2 of the National League Division Series at Shea and was the losing pitcher, charged with two runs in 4 1/3 innings while the Dodgers were scratching out only one run off Tom Glavine in a 4-1 defeat.
Kuo made history that night for starting a postseason game with the fewest Major League wins, but nothing about his career has been ordinary. He was signed out of Taiwan for $1.25 million as a teenager, blew out his elbow in his first professional game after striking out seven of the 10 batters he faced and it’s been a nightmare ride ever since, including the five years he spent trying to get healthy.
He’s nothing if not persistent. He signed in 1999, meaning he’s been in the organization longer than any current active Dodger. That year, Kevin Malone was general manager, Davey Johnson the field manager and Gary Sheffield and Eric Karros hit 34 homers. Each.
His journey to the Major Leagues hit one pothole after another. He was taken off the Major League roster at one point and could have been taken by any club in the Rule 5 Draft. When his rehab stalled for the umpteenth time, he had to be talked out of quitting the game. He’s often credited Darren Dreifort (two Tommy John surgeries) and Eric Gagne (one) for their advice and counsel to keep him going.
Even this spring, when Little had Kuo penciled in as his fifth starter, a shoulder strain derailed him. He allowed the Padres only one run in six innings while dueling Jake Peavy last week, but Kuo wasn’t satisfied with four walks, and in a bullpen session over the weekend, scrapped his windup and went exclusively out of the stretch.
”I felt more comfortable that way,” said Kuo, who walked only one while scattering five hits. ”Sometimes I can’t put it together with the windup and I overthrow.”
Kuo’s fastball topped out at 91 mph, several ticks below his best last year, and he made it through the seven innings with 89 pitches.
”I don’t look at that,” he said. ”I got outs. I got ahead in counts and that was important.”
The home-run derby was pretty important for a club that ranked 15th of 16 in the league for home runs. It started with Betemit, getting his second start in three games at third base after essentially losing his starting job a month ago.
His opposite-field shot to left-center traveled 408 feet and was his sixth of the year. Next up was Kemp, in only his second start since being recalled from Triple-A, pulling one 447 feet and just tucking it inside the left-field foul pole in the second deck.
”They gave us good pitches to hit and we took advantage of it,” Kemp said. ”A first-pitch fastball and it was right there. I didn’t know it went that far, I was just running the bases. Kuo really got a hold of one. It was a pretty good swing. He hit it pretty hard. He can hit. I’ve seen him hit balls really far in batting practice.”
The Dodgers had 10 hits, including two by Juan Pierre and a line single by Nomar Garciaparra, back in the lineup after sitting out two games. Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito finished up, each strikng out a pair, Saito earning his 18th save.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
大盟首 盔手套具史意 郭董登名人堂
更新日期:2007/06/14 04:39 者: 特者李琢／洛杉
就在郭泓志出台手在大盟史上的第一支全打，美媒把焦在「小小郭」棒後的甩棒作，似乎有弄及手之嫌，企模糊具有史意的一刻。
後，地媒於郭泓志下的似乎不太心，只是不追他的甩棒作。郭泓志解，他在棒後只是很自然的棒出，任何弄之意。至於教利托也力「小小郭」：「我有看到什不一的作啊。」
神一棒 自己都感意外
郭泓志神一棒，不利托感到不可思，就「小小郭」自己都十分意外。「我想在大盟出全打。」高中期曾打出全打的郭泓志，回想起忘的一刻，不冒出汗水。
就在郭泓志接受大批媒束後，一位工作人突然拿了郭泓志的盔他名，面有一手套。「我把它送到州古柏的棒球名人堂，因是第一位在大盟出全打的台球所戴的盔。至於球，按定於郭泓志的，球棒他要打，所以我只把盔和手套送到名人堂。」
和郭泓志同道奇友的曹，「小小郭」的全打不感意外，他甚至表示曾出感，小曹：「友出支全打，接著到小小郭上，我都猜他打第一球，也有感可能是全打，想到他真的把球打出外，大家乎都了。」
最快月底 小曹肩作
去在科拉多洛曾出二安打的曹又：「郭泓志全打最大的意是，台球早下的於出了。」小曹的肩目前已痊，他下周或下下周便可上投手丘投。
「入兵名好像度日如年，我希望始投球，我真的很不想再待在（兵名）。」如意外，郭泓志和曹可望在月底肩作，在同一比先後以先及中角色登，再台手在大盟。
Wang and Kuo make them proud in Taiwan
Tuesday was a big night for Taiwan.
In New York, Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees allowed one run in seven innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is 6-4 with a 3.49 ERA.
In Los Angeles, Hong-Chih Kuo of the Dodgers allowed one run in seven innings against the Mets. He improved to 1-1 and dropped his ERA to 3.60. He also homered as the Dodgers beat the struggling Mets.
Wang and Kuo are friends, having grown up in the same area in Taiwan. Kuo was considered the better prospect when they were younger because he threw harder. But he had a long history of injuries and did not emerge until last season.
Many fans from Taiwan have e-mailed about Wang and I’ve gotten to know several Taiwanese journalists. The New York chapter of the BBWAA even welcomed its first Taiwanese member this season, Joseph Liao of the World Journal. It’s great that MLB is making such inroads there.
Trust me when I tell you, Wang and Kuo will be big news there today.
老／建仔、郭董喜相投 美大盟
2007/06/13 19:18 昭雄／球
台旅美棒史上首度名投手同一天先出，果都有超水演出，相得投，其中郭泓志出台旅美史上大盟的不，震全，13日是王建民取得3投佳作，目前累到6（4），郭泓志是得今年球季首投，十分光。
13日同一天洋基迎尾蛇、道奇出大都都是主客的比，巧合的是王、郭名先投手都是投7局完成投手任退；比都是4比1金收兵，同各有1分失分而得投；而且名先投手伯及思都是63，要比王、郭成，但都同吞下投手；更巧妙的是役都是使用小34分，比程奏相快，是台旅美棒史上最值得傲、的一天。
洋基、尾蛇之入51577名人，乎是座球迷捧，今年球季第10度的王建民，投得是相健冷，整先前七局除了例常在第一局上半出浪略微之外，其六局似乎有洋基球迷提心吊，四局上半被尾蛇第五棒崔西敲出春，惟因一下洋基第三棒阿布瑞尤的天地3分不板，乎不到氛，然主要是王建民整比投得太的，即使尾蛇先投手伯是去年角色，也王建民一擅於伸卡球威力之的投手，但是球速、配球、或是定性以及表，王建民都比伯略一，同伯投七局被敲出5支安打的成正打率（25支5），其中阿布瑞尤的3分具力，王建民也投七局但被多出6支安打，被打率2成22，不除了崔西的春，其5支都是安打，生不了得分效益，平心而，此役洋基的一手卡及游手基特有3次美技守，的也助王建民洋基打比。
洋基了此役後取得最近7的煌成，改去年最多6，由於13日也以1分洛山，目前榜首有95差，尚努力。值得一提的是，王建民人投手防率已步到349，在美投手防率排行榜身在第15前茅，比75日本籍松坂大的452第31名多，此役王建民唯一憾的是中了9比使手出打的。
至於今年首投入袋的郭泓志，在比投得有不紊，七局程大都只有度在得圈有跑者，其中二上掉全有的1分，主要是他有6成63好球率表（投89球，好球59球），比去累5成96有著步，全也只有1次四球，去令人心的四球繁，此役完全消失了。
平心而，今後郭泓志如果在控球能力方面再予以加的，他的球速尾在很令人捉摸。此役被打率只有成正（25支5），他去累被打率2成69大有步，尤其被出的5支安打全部都是安打，大都起不了得分作用，同此役也有4次三振，只投出1次四球，最令人的是，郭泓志居然敲出台旅美在大盟的首不，而支天地的全打是接在第七、八棒特密、坎普之後的「3」十分可，而二下3支串的不竟也把方投手曼恩信心打掉，曼恩此役被打率高3成04（23支7），去他的累被打率只有成21而已，尤其此役7支安打之中包括有3支全打及1支三打，於是他的防率278，退到305，非之罪。
同，身的大都在3道奇後下今年第二度4厄，但仍居榜首，反看，道奇了此役後已同榜首地牙哥教士零差，而尾蛇列第2名。之，郭泓志的演出值得、鼓！
郭泓志史一 了125.5公尺
三全打不稀奇，三全打其中一支是投手敲出去的就不常了，洛杉道奇今天就完成「」，而那位的投手就是我旅美好手郭泓志，力量十足的小小郭，出全打的距可是比特米的要，道奇教利托都，看投手把球得。
那到底有多呢？今天道奇在2局下由特米、坎普郭泓志成的全打三，後估，小小郭的不有412英（125.5公尺），比「」打者特米的408英（124.3公尺）要，而坎普的全打是最一支，行了447英（136.2公尺），上似乎也看得出，郭泓志的力量爆力的人。
挨的大都投手曼恩很，因被敲三支全打不是被中心打者狙，把球打出外的是道奇的7、8、9棒，尤其第9棒是投手，大概更曼恩吐血。
不如此，不三是三球就解。特米是在一好球有球的情下，把投手投出的第二球就敲出去，接下的坎普郭泓志都是瞄第一球就攻，而上一次有球用精的球敲出三支全打，其就是道奇自己，在去年地牙哥教士一敲出「神奇」四，後面的三全打就曾成。
敲出台球在大盟的第一支全打，郭泓志表示，「我不是故意要做，但我敲得很用力。」，者小小郭上一次出不是什候，郭泓志回答：「大概是高中吧！」，小小郭自己敲出全打很意外，但友坎普可一都不，「真的不我很。我跟他（郭泓志）在3A打球，我看他的打，他就打出一些球。
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