21.   And, on top of that, Kevin Foster, their starting pitcher against the Mets, was plain awful, lacking velocity and command.

22.   Another game their starting pitcher deserved to win?

23.   Are they a talented team whose starting pitchers will eventually perform better and push them into post-season contention?

24.   Around here, you can never tell your starting pitchers without a scorecard.

25.   As a starting pitcher, Dwight Gooden is an appreciative beneficiary of the Alomar-Vizquel defensive deployment.

26.   Any manager naturally would like to see his starting pitchers last many innings, give up few runs and earn many victories.

27.   As for the starting pitcher, however, not many could have foreseen Bobby Jones opening the season like this.

28.   As defined back in July by Johnny Oates, that means overcoming poor work from a starting pitcher.

29.   As late as Thursday afternoon, manager Jimy Williams insisted that as far as he was concerned, Lowe was still his starting pitcher Saturday.

30.   As they often do, the Dodgers will look for their starting pitchers to lead the way.