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Dodgers-Pirates Preview

Apr 4, 2010 - 8:57 PM By ALAN ROBINSON AP Sports Writer

Los Angeles (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0), 1:35 p.m. EDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers got a big surprise upon arriving in Pittsburgh for their season opener, one they probably felt not long ago might require mittens, dugout heaters and heavy jackets.

Break out the SPF 40 lotion and the sunglasses.

Weathermen are calling for Southern California-like partly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s for the Monday afternoon opener, or better conditions than are being forecast for Los Angeles.

The unseasonable weather is creating a much warmer reception than the Dodgers received upon their last visit in September. Then, they probably felt like they'd never get out of Pittsburgh before the three rivers iced up.

With a chance to clinch the NL West during the season's next-to-last weekend, the Dodgers lost three out of four to the last-place Pirates, who had previously dropped 23 of 26 games and were long since assured of a record 17th consecutive losing season.

Pirates left-hander Zach Duke took a shutout into the ninth inning of the final game, an 11-1 Pirates victory, only to be inexplicably pulled one out away from a complete game. Six-plus months later, Duke will be on the mound again for the Pirates, opposing Dodgers right-hander Vicente Padilla.

The Dodgers recovered from their Pittsburgh slip-up to win the NL West, only to lose to the NL champion Phillies in the playoffs. They've undergone a few cosmetic changes since then, but the core of their 95-win team returns.

"It's always exciting to be done with spring training and to start playing some higher intensity baseball," catcher Russell Martin said. "We know what to expect of ourselves going in, and we know what our goals are - to make it deeper into the postseason."

The Pirates return their core players, too, and that might be cause for worry. Their opening day lineup looks to be weaker than it was last season, when they went on to lose 99 games. And they don't expect some of their top prospects, such as former No. 2 draft pick Pedro Alvarez, to arrive for a few more months.

Curiously, manager John Russell said during spring training that the Pirates, much like the Dodgers, need to start thinking about the playoffs, saying it's time to put losing behind them.

"We're very much looking forward to a successful season," Russell said.

The Pirates' 7-21-1 record, .247 batting average and 5.30 ERA in spring training suggest they won't just yet.

Padilla, an unexpected find who went 4-0 for Los Angeles after being cast off by Texas last season, is starting mostly because the Dodgers currently lack a true No. 1 starter. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw (8-8, 2.79) appears to have the talent and variety of pitches to be an ace, but he won't go until Wednesday.

"You could have taken any one of the first four guys," manager Joe Torre said. "You had to pick somebody, and we decided to go with Padilla. You can reach into a hat and take out a name with those guys."

The key to the Dodgers' season figures to be - who else? - left fielder Manny Ramirez, who is in the second season of a $45 million, two-year contract. His production slipped following his 50-game suspension for using a banned substance, and he hit .269 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 260 at-bats after his July 3 return.

"We had some guys who had some down years last year offensively, and we still managed to put up 95 wins," closer Jonathan Broxton said. "So if they can help out a little more and Manny has a good year, there's no telling what we can do."

Ramirez "never really got back" after returning, according to Torre.

"I think he's pretty determined to get that feeling out of himself that he came back with last year," Torre said. "He put a lot of pressure on himself, I think, because he was away for all those games."

This spring, Ramirez has mostly kept away from reporters, declining to give interviews.

The Pirates are feeling a different kind of pressure as they begin their 10th season in PNC Park, one of the majors' most picturesque ballparks but one that has yet to play host to a winning hometown ballclub. Unless the Pirates undergo a 19-game turnaround from last season, when they were 62-99, they will stretch their streak of consecutive losing seasons to 18.

"Our fans have heard for a long time that we expect to win, that we're young, that we're talented," pitcher Paul Maholm said. "We just have to do it. It's been disappointing. It hasn't been fun."

No matter the weather, location, opponent or the circumstances surrounding each team, Torre said opening day is special.

"It's exciting. It's the start of a marathon," he said. "You want to make sure you have your good sneakers on."