The Los Angeles Dodgers were stymied by Dakota Hudson in their series opener with the Colorado Rockies, suffering a 4-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
The Dodgers’ offense was held in check over seven-plus innings from the Rockies’ starter, who used a strong mix of sinkers and curveballs to keep hitters off balance.
Hudson went into the start with a 5.54 ERA, 5.16 FIP and 1.59 WHIP. His longest outing of the season came against one of baseball’s top offensive teams, as the right-hander worked around seven hard-hit balls.
Hudson also made a bit of history against the Dodgers and their big three of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani by holding the trio hitless.
Per @EliasSports, #Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson became the second pitcher in the last 30 years to face three former MVPs in a game (Betts, Ohtani, Freeman) and hold them to a combined 0-for-9 while also not issuing them a walk or HBP. pic.twitter.com/Xw7Z0AFYJf
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) June 1, 2024
Betts, Ohtani and Freeman going hitless is a rare occurrence, and without their production, run scoring was at a premium.
The only real threat for Hudson came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when he allowed a double and followed that with walk. The Dodgers went on to load the bases against Victor Vodnik, but only scored one run when Betts grounded into a double play, which was charged to Hudson.
How did Dakota Hudson shut down Dodgers lineup?
Hudson’s plan of attack for the Dodgers is similar to what many pitchers are using around the league, with the utilization of a heavy sinker approach to miss the heart of the barrel.
Hudson tossed 38 sinkers, 30 curveballs, 16 sliders, 12 four-seam fastballs and five changeups to the Dodgers over his seven frames.
All four hits he allowed came on the sinker, which sits in the low-90s. Hudson worked both sides of the plate against the Dodgers, but as his strike percentage showed, he wasn’t perfect. Hudson nevertheless did a stellar job of missing the big part of the bat to hold off strings of hits.
Gavin Lux had the most success, producing a two-hit night against Hudson that included a rocket double in his final inning of work.
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