KUO WANTS TO PERFORM LIKE WANG By BRIAN LEWIS October 5, 2006 -- Tom Glavine will take 290 career wins into tonight's NLDS Game 2 start. Hong-Chih Kuo brings in a grand total of one. But the Dodgers rookie can take heart in the fact his one came against the Mets, and in the knowledge youth can be served in the playoffs. Just ask high school teammate Chien-Ming Wang. Both played for the same school in Tainan City, Taiwan; Wang the ace and Kuo primarily an outfielder. Now, three elbow injuries, a position switch, and one long, winding road later, Kuo, a 25-year-old lefty, will find himself starting at Shea Stadium tonight, two days after Wang won ALDS Game 1 for the Yankees across town. "We're pretty good friends. I talked to him three days ago; just tell him good luck, and he tells me the same thing," Kuo said. "He's one year older than me. We're pretty close. When I was in the minor leagues, we've been talking a lot, about the rehab stuff, I asked him how to throw the sinker, a lot of stuff." Oh, and there's been plenty of rehab stuff. Hard-throwing Kuo signed in 1999 and got off to an auspicious start, fanning seven of 10 batters in his Single-A debut the next April. Then he blew out his elbow, needing Tommy John surgery. Two more injuries and another Tommy John surgery convinced the Dodgers that Kuo was too brittle to start, so he was converted to a reliever and finally reached the majors last September. After going 0-4 with a 5.79 ERA, L.A. gave up and sent him back to the minors to convert him back to a starter. It worked brilliantly, allowing him the 20 minutes Kuo said he needs to warm up, and the use of secondary pitches, his changeup and curveball. After being recalled Aug. 30, he was 1-1 with a 3.07 ERA. His first start came Sept. 8 against the Mets, and he fanned seven in six shutout innings for a 5-0 win. "He showed us the same thing he showed the whole world: He's not scared of anyone," Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "He's got good stuff, he challenges the hitters, he works fast. That's all we're looking for." Kuo said, "I just try to help the team, pitch like last time. They probably didn't know how I throw. I was lucky. And I threw strikes; that's the key." Being a lefty also is a key: The Mets' .254 average vs. lefties was the second-worst in baseball. [email protected] -- 我的可愛女兒們 http://www.flickr.com/photos/xiecollen/ --

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