Brewers 9, Dodgers 5

How long can the club keep riding Brett Tomko? That was the question, exact wording, that I asked Grady Little after the game. The answer was short, vague and in no way a ringing endorsement. ``We'll see,'' he said. I kept waiting for the elaboration. but there wasn't any. Tomko clearly is in trouble, and well he should be at 1-5 with a 6.28 ERA. And while it's clear that Chad Billingsley isn't ready to take Tomko's spot -- he gave up hits to four of the six batters he faced, allowed two of Tomko's runners to score and gave up a run of his own -- don't forget about D.J. Houlton. This guy isn't the same, inconsistent, not-ready-for-prime-time rookie the Dodgers suffered through as a Rule 5 pick in 2005. He overhauled his mechanics in spring training, taking a side mound almost every morning while pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, bullpen coach Dan Warthen and a varied host of minor-league pitching coaches like Ken Howell, Marty Reed, Danny Darwin, Charlie Hough all watched intently. It had to be somewhat embarrassing for the kid, having all those coaches standing around him every morning. But it worked. Houlton is 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA at Las Vegas, and the Dodgers are in desperate need of another reliable starter. ... Funny thing about Furcal's Pals, this program Rafael Furcal has started this season where he brings kids out to the ballpark. The correct pronunciation of Furcal's last name, from what I have been told, is Fur-CAHL. That doesn't rhyme with ``pals.'' But when the program was referenced by the Dodger Stadium PA guy tonight, it was pronounced Fur-CAL's pals. Conveniently, that does rhyme. ... Kudos to Dodgers clubhouse manager Mitch Poole, who a couple of days ago changed the ring tone on his cell phone. The new one is Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. If, like Mitch and myself, you were a teenager during the 1980s, I don't have to tell you why that is simply OUTSTANDING.