Brandon McCarthy might throw a second bullpen session this week on the Dodgers’ off-day Thursday. (Associated Press photo)

Brandon McCarthy found his release point Tuesday.

He found it in the Dodger Stadium bullpen, which doesn’t count the same as finding it in a game. On Sunday, McCarthy’s four-seam fastball was “a disappearing mess,” and he walked five batters in only 3 ⅔ innings against the Boston Red Sox.

But the veteran right-hander was encouraged enough by his bullpen session to keep his name penciled in for Saturday’s starting assignment against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt watched McCarthy throw. Even though McCarthy threw comfortably, they still haven’t diagnosed the root of his release-point issue.

“It’s something within the throw there at the end that has been hit or miss,” Honeycutt said. “Just got to figure that part out and hope it’s not nerve-related or something.”

McCarthy might end up throwing another bullpen Thursday at Dodger Stadium, an off-day for the club.
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