Padres pitcher Glendon Rusch was offered a minor-league contract by the Dodgers in the offseason, but signed a similar deal with San Diego and was able to begin the resurrection of his career right out of spring training.

Rusch, 33, pitched against the Dodgers the previous night in his first game since being diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that sidelined him for the entire 2007 season. The left-hander is currently coming out of the bullpen for the Padres.

"I felt like they were pretty loaded up," Rusch, who had scouts watch him during offseason workouts, said of the Dodgers. "It was nice to be wanted."

That Rusch's debut was marred by the Dodgers scoring two earned runs off him in 1 2/3 innings was understandable.

"It was a long journey," Rusch said. "I was over-amped up."

***

Juan Pierre started again in left field, as Manager Joe Torre wanted to give Matt Kemp (.133) a day off. But Torre reiterated that Kemp would get most of the playing time along with Andre Ethier, leaving Pierre on the bench.

Count Mark Sweeney, who is second on the all-time list in pinch hits, as someone who believes Pierre can be successful in pinch hitting.

"He was aggressive," Sweeney said of Pierre, who on Friday notched his first pinch hit since 2005. "Obviously Juan doesn't want to be a pinch hitter, but he has a perfect approach. He puts the barrel on the ball."

The pinch hit, however, is Pierre's only hit of the season thus far after he went 0 for 3 against Jake Peavy.

***

As thrilled as the Dodgers were with Hiroki Kuroda's major league debut the previous night, they were freaked by his bunting technique. The had team made $35.3 million investment, and Kuroda was dangerously wrapping his hand around the bat while squaring to bunt.

"Larry (Bowa) was having a fit watching it," said Torre, who watched a television replay after the game from the hotel. "It even scared me then."

Kuroda had worked with instructor Maury Wills during spring training and could get some more tutorials in the future. Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt spoke with him about the matter.

***

Nomar Garciaparra (wrist) did some light hitting, but Torre said he was still feeling discomfort and is not sure when the third baseman will resume taking regular batting practice.

---