Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Daniel Hudson (37), who spent 15 seasons in the Major League, is facing a new era.
Hudson said in an interview ahead of Game 2 of the Championship Series against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 15th (Korea time), “What if someone said they would play a bullpen game even though they had a starter in the postseason in 2009, when they were in their debut season?”
“I talked to someone else yesterday and talked about whether we would play a bullpen game today,” he said, adding that he had questions about the plan for the second game.
The Dodgers’ choice is a bullpen game. Ryan Brazier will take the mound as an opener in Game 2. Walker Buehler has been pushed back to Game 3 on the road.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “Buehler is an experienced player. He didn’t play well on the road in Atlanta when he was a rookie, but he gained experience after that. It was not a matter of concern for us. It was also influenced by the fact that he could use it when needed in the second half of the series,” when asked why he chose Buehler as the starting pitcher for Game 3 instead of Game 2.
This postseason bullpen game is spreading like a trend. The Detroit Tigers used this strategy to beat the Houston Astros to advance to the Division Series. The Dodgers also won Game 4 of the last Division Series by playing a bullpen game.
Hudson said, “It has changed a lot since I first came to the big leagues. But I think it’s pretty cool that bullpen pitchers are getting used to things like this.”
He said, “Fans may be expecting the team’s flagship pitcher to throw as many balls as possible. However, I am a fan of good pitching regardless of my role. I grew up watching the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s. They won 1-0 and 2-0 in many playoff games. I’m a person who enjoys low-scoring postseason games where small things determine the outcome,” he said, stressing that bullpen games can be fun if people throw good pitches.
In 2019, when he belonged to the Washington Nationals, he had a completely different style of game management. The rotation led the game around two aces, Max Scherzer and Steven Strasburg.
When asked about how he compares it to now, Hudson said, “I think it’s a change based on the roster situation. We’ve had a lot of injuries to our starting pitchers this year. Young players who were called up in the minor leagues played a big role in bullpen and starting. In 2019, five starting pitchers led the season in good health for the Nationals. If the starting lineup is strong, we have to trust them. I think we have to do it according to the current team situation. If the bullpen is our team’s fourth starter at this point, then we have to go.”
As he said, Dodgers’ starting pitchers were sidelined consecutively due to injuries. Nevertheless, Dodgers is setting a record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings, which is its tie for the Major League postseason.
Hudson said, “We all feel a little bit proud here. Our team relied heavily on the bullpen during the regular season and it’s great to see this success continue into the postseason.” 스포츠토토
