Tyler Anderson turned in another strong start for the Los Angeles Dodgers to help them bounce back from a loss and eliminate the San Francisco Giants from National League West contention.
Anderson allowed a first-pitch home run to Lewis Brinson, which he called a mistake because it was the same pitch the rookie hit the previous night for a homer, but then got three consecutive flyouts.
In the second inning, the Giants picked up two more hits before Joey Gallo made a diving catch to get the Dodgers out of the inning. Following that point, Anderson made some in-game adjustments to help him pitch more effectively against the Giants’ lineup.
“I think tonight was one of those ones where they just came out swinging, they were super aggressive,” Anderson said. “So kind of flipped the gameplan from there and just tried to force them to make that early contact and hopefully limit it as much as you can.”
Anderson spoke with Will Smith to find a new plan that would work better against the aggressive lineup. “You go out there and you kind of feel what’s going on,” Anderson said.
“You say, ‘Hey, let’s start trying this instead or let’s work to get to whatever one makes sense.’ It’s one of those things that’s kind of fluid throughout the game and just kind of feel out what their approaches might be.”
After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Anderson for being able to make the in-game adjustment that allowed him to pitch seven innings, which reset the bullpen moving forward.
“There’s something about Tyler in the sense of you want a player to be stubborn and convicted with certain things, but you also got to be able to appreciate what a hitter is trying to do and be able to adjust, and that is what he does,” Roberts said.
“And sometimes pitchers want to say, I’m going to beat you with my stuff no matter what, and I’m not going to deviate. But he’s smart enough and puts his ego aside to get the hitter out because that’s still the most important thing. So yeah, Brinson hit a first-pitch heater, he’s beat us on some heaters this series, so we flipped the script a little bit, and that’s a credit to Tyler.”
Tyler Anderson not focused on postseason role
The Dodgers have five deserving starters for four rotation spots once the NL Division Series begins, and possibly a sixth if Tony Gonsolin returns from the 15-day injured list.
Anderson has arguably been one of the Dodgers’ top starters all season, but he may still find himself in the bullpen for the playoffs, and that isn’t something he’s worried about.
“You know, honestly, I started here in the bullpen, I don’t care if I end up there,” Anderson said. “For me, when I came here, all I wanted to do is be a part of a team that was going to win. So whatever I need to do to help us in any way it doesn’t bother me. It’s not a thought.”
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