When the Los Angeles Dodgers were running short on healthy starting pitchers earlier this season, it was a factor in Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller facing the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. On Saturday, Emmet Sheehan received an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his fellow rookies.
The Dodgers added Sheehan to their roster, along with Kolten Wong, to get to 28 players. He had last pitched out of the bullpen for L.A. but was coming off a start with Triple-A Oklahoma City and remained in his traditional role for the third game against the Braves.
Sheehan pitched just four innings but held a potent Braves lineup to one run despite allowing three hits and also issuing three walks. He set a career high with six strikeouts.
“Changeup was good. I felt like my execution was good,” Sheehan said after the Dodgers’ 4-2 loss in extra innings. “Just trying to put us in a place to win the game, which overall pretty happy with how I did.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts cited Sheehan getting ahead in the count as one of the keys heading into the outing, and the right-hander excelled at doing so, which further aided his changeup.
“Establishing the fastball early is always important and then playing the changeup off that just works a lot better once you get in the zone,” Sheehan noted.
Along with the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, the Braves became the fourth postseason team Sheehan has faced this season. They easily are the best opponent the 23-year-old has toed the rubber against.
“It’s great experience, I think, to be able to face a lineup like that and get some big outs,” Sheehan said. “I was really happy with that. But yeah, obviously would have loved to win. … I feel good about a lot of pitches I made tonight and I wish I could have had one back, but I think it was a good experience for sure.”
Emmet Sheehan impressed by Ronald Acuña Jr.’s home run
National League MVP candidate — and perhaps frontrunner — Ronald Acuña Jr. put the lone blemish on Sheehan with a solo home run in the third inning. Acuña’s line-drive homer to center field had a 121.2 mph exit velocity, which is the hardest-hit ball in the Majors this season.
“He’s an unbelievable hitter and it’s just a matter of getting ahead on a guy like that, I think,” Sheehan said. “That’s been something that’s really big for my development, just getting strike one, getting strike two on those type of guys.
“And yeah, fell behind 3-0 and that’s not someone you can do that to.”
As for Acuña’s exit velocity, Sheehan compared it to a jet engine flying by.
“I saw the number,” he added.
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