Editorials

Dodgers News: Mattingly Hopes Haren’s Start Leads To More Success

[new_royalslider id=”273″] Right-handed starting pitcher Dan Haren started the year 4-0 before inconsistency hit and has hit sitting at 9-9 in 2014.

On Wednesday night in Anaheim, Haren led the Los Angeles Dodgers with a dominant performance that ultimately saw the team winning 2-1. It was the first time in his last five starts that he got past five innings.



According to Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register, manager Don Mattingly was happy with the start by Haren and hopes it bodes well for the future:

That was a big one for us tonight,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “It was good to see him have a smile on his face as he came off rather than feeling like he let everybody down.”

Haren was being questioned as the weak link of the rotation and was seemingly on the hot seat for his job had he struggled again. His ERA sits at 4.57 through 23 starts and he’s 46 innings away from vesting his 2015 option. Some thought the Dodgers could replace him in the rotation in order to avoid the $10 million he would be owed next year.

As manager, Mattingly was hoping for the results he saw last night:

It’s been a negative, and he turned it into a positive,” Mattingly said. “I was really happy for Danny to go out and pitch well. It felt really good for me, and it was something that we needed.”

With Josh Beckett pitching through pain and Paul Maholm out for the year with an ACL tear, the Dodgers needed the 33-year-old Haren to pitch well and remain in the rotation for the remainder of the season. Last season, the right-hander has issues in the beginning of the season before turning things around towards the end. If he can repeat that formula, the Dodgers would be in great position to repeat as National League West champions.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

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