The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their road trip with a 4-2 comeback win in the opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
James Paxton was effective in his second start of the season, giving up just two runs on three hits over six innings of work. The left-hander’s only blemish on the night was allowing a two-run homer to Manuel Margot in the third inning.
More importantly, Paxton showed improved command as he walked only one batter after issuing five free passes in his Dodgers debut against the San Francisco Giants.
Paxton said he went into the outing with a focus on throwing more strikes, via SportsNet LA:
“Just trying to get in the strike zone more. They were really aggressive, putting the bat on the ball early and putting the ball in play.”
Paxton had his curveball working and credited it for his success against the Twins:
“The curveball was just feeling good. It was a pitch I was able to throw for a strike, got it below the zone for a few swings and misses. It was working, so we used it more.”
Paxton has been a pleasant surprise for the Dodgers’ pitching staff through two starts as he owns a 1.64 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with nine strikeouts in 11 innings.
The Dodgers signed Paxton to a one-year, $7 million contract that can go up to $13 million with incentives. He received a $2 million bonus by virtue of being on their Opening Day roster.
Dave Roberts: James Paxton ‘very valuable’
While Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow received most of the attention during the Dodgers’ historic offseason, manager Dave Roberts believes the signings of Paxton and Teoscar Hernández could prove to be just as important.
“I think for me, it was two guys that really wanted to be here. I think Teoscar left money on the table to be a Dodger, and James did the same thing. So when you have players like that, that are accomplished, it shows they want to be here and they’ve already bought in,” Roberts recently said.
“I think for some people, they’re sneaky moves. But people in the baseball industry really understand the value of those two players. I just value those guys so much. You know what you’re going to get from both guys. Dependable players and very valuable.”
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