Hong-Chih Kuo says he’s fine after rough outing against Colorado

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Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo threw just 17 pitches Monday, but few of them were any good.

He entered the game in the ninth inning with a seven-run lead at his back against Colorado.

Here’s how it went: single to the first batter, then he air-mailed a wild pitch to the backtstop against the next, then a walk, then the Rockies scored on a ground-out, then he walked another batter.

He only threw five strikes, after which, Kuo, who went on the disabled list in May with an “anxiety disorder,” was pulled.

“I walked a couple guys, I feel good,” he said after the Dodgers’ 8-5 win. “I just didn’t have command today.”

Does he think his problems are still related to the “yips,” or sudden loss of control, that cost him three months of the 2009 season?

“I feel bad I didn’t get guys out, but I go out there and I feel good,” he said.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly didn’t seem to be worried about Kuo, who returned from the DL on June 19.

“You can always be worried about it, but I don’t know how much good it’s going to do,” he said. “You can be worried about everybody and you’re concerned always about different situatoins, but the guy has a single outing and doesn’t have good command.

“Since he’s been back, he’s been throwing the ball good and we’re going to look at it like that.”

Entering Monday, Kuo had given up eight runs in 11 appearances.

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