Brandon McCarthy pitched 5 1/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies in his first start since Aug. 13. (Getty Images)
When Brandon McCarthy took the mound for the Dodgers on July 27, he began the day with a sparkling 2.39 earned-run average. He’d only pitched four games, but they were encouraging. It appeared the veteran right-hander could pick up where he left off before the Tommy John surgery that wiped out 14 months of his career.
That day, McCarthy threw 83 pitches in four innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Only 51 were strikes. His control betrayed him a little more with each successive start: 85 pitches and 48 strikes against the Rockies; 65 pitches and 31 strikes against the Red Sox; 51 pitches and 22 strikes against the Pirates. That was on Aug. 21. His ERA after that game: 3.63.
McCarthy then went on the disabled list with stiffness in his right hip. As it turns, his most pressing problem was much worse.
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