When Trevor Bauer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers it immediately raised questions over clubhouse chemistry and his fit on the team due to an outspoken, if not provocative and aggressive, personality.
Bauer said during an introductory press conference that he was working on better understanding the opinions of others and remained focused on being a good teammate and positive member of the local community.
That appears to have made little difference as Bauer’s brutal honesty rankled Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais. During a response to discuss his team’s recent improvement at the plate, Servais mocked Bauer’s explanation for allowing three home runs in the fifth inning, via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com:
“Certainly, Bauer was on top of his game early,” Servais said. “I just wanted everybody to know our guys weren’t trying the first four innings. We decided to try in the fifth inning last night, and it worked out. Our guys started trying.
“I know he had said maybe he wasn’t trying in the fifth, but our guys were trying in the fifth. We just didn’t take it seriously the first three or four innings.”
Servais also incorporated Bauer’s penchant to pitch with one eye closed when asked if Mariners batters hit that way:
“No, our guys were hitting with one eye shut for the first four innings. We were also trying to breathe through our eyelids as we are focusing on different things that will help us throughout the years. I just want to make [sure] everybody understood they weren’t trying the first four innings.”
One of the instances Bauer pitched with his right eye shut came on a breaking ball that hit Ty France when the teams met at Camelback Ranch.
Bauer was in the midst of a dominant start against the Mariners on Monday, until he reached the fifth inning and allowed three home runs in what ended as a 7-3 loss for the Dodgers. Bauer struck out four of the first six batters faced and retired 11 in a row before Seattle turned the tide.
Two of the homers they hit were back-to-back and erased what had been a 2-0 Dodgers’ lead.
Bauer: ‘Got what I wanted’
While explaining how the game got away from him, Bauer also noted that by pitching into the fifth inning the overall goal was accomplished.
“Third time through the order, some new guys came in and I was just out there throwing pitches to get my pitch count up,” Bauer explained. “Felt really good the first three or four, felt like I executed really well. Just behind in the count a little bit and they hit some pitches. …
“I got exactly what I wanted out of tonight. I was really good the first couple innings, was sharp, landed curveballs for strikes, slider was good, felt like I commanded the ball pretty well, so I got what I wanted.
“The fifth inning, like I said, I was throwing pitches. There really wasn’t any thought of sequencing or whatever. I was just kind of out there throwing pitches. That’s never a good mind frame to be in when you’re trying to get guys out, but just finishing off getting my pitch count up.”
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