Scott Kazmir got ahead in the count 0-2 against Charlie Blackmon in the first inning on Saturday night, only to plunk the Colorado Rockies’ leadoff man four pitches later. Any typical frustration that comes with putting the game’s first batter on base was magnified, given Kazmir’s ongoing troubles.
He entered the start with a 9.00 ERA in the first inning and opponents batting .342/.429/.479 in the opening frame. However, Kazmir bounced back to strikeout DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado, and induced Carlos Gonzalez into a groundout to complete a scoreless inning.
In hindsight, it was a sign of what was to come. Kazmir finished his night of work with 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings. “Kaz was good tonight. He got through that first inning and really was in control that whole game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after his club’s 6-1 victory.
“Got the punchouts when he needed them, threw up six zeroes. He was solid. The stuff was really good, changeup was really good. That’s the Kazmir we know.”
Kazmir carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, losing it on a LeMahieu leadoff single. It appears the primary reason behind his effectiveness in the first inning is because of a pregame adjustment made.
“I threw kind of a simulated inning after my warmup and it seemed to kind of lock me in a little bit and get me more prepared for that first inning,” Kazmir explained. “It was the normal 25 warmup pitches, then the (national) anthem comes, and have a hitter in there doing three at-bats.”
It wasn’t the first time in Kazmir’s career where he resorted to such a routine. It was, however, one he admitted to getting away from. The specific benefit in throwing a simulated inning is for the southpaw to hone in on his mechanics.
“On certain pitches you get that release point on where you want to start pitches. And you just get better feel when you see hitters out there,” Kazmir said. “I felt like it made me a little more comfortable.”
Kazmir’s fastball hovered in the mid-90s throughout much of the night, which he attributed to a more compact delivery that kept his momentum going through the ball. While the start was a fresh break from what’s become commonplace, Kazmir stopped short of calling it his best of the season.
“I do like the one I threw against St. Louis,” he said. “This one is right up there.” In the outing against the Cardinals that Kazmir referenced, he allowed three runs (two earned) and had seven strikeouts over 8.2 innings.
