New Era: Dodgers leading trend toward shorter starts for pitchers

LOS ANGELES >> Starting pitching sure ain't what it used to be.Once dinosaurs such as Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan roamed the earth, snarling at anyone who dared to approach the pitcher's mound before the ninth inning. "Five and fly" was an insult, dripping with disdain, aimed at starting pitchers who weren't stout-hearted enough to do a man's job and finish what he started.