After a difficult start to his outing Tuesday, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Eric Lauer kept LA in the game with a strong performance.
Lauer allowed two first-inning homers to put the Dodgers at an early deficit, but held the Pittsburgh Pirates at bay for the remaining 4.2 innings of his start. Through three starts with the Dodgers, Lauer has only allowed five runs and has 10 strikeouts through 16.1 innings.
“I just had to calm myself down and refocus after the home runs,” Lauer said. “All I could do was focus on the rest of the game, and I felt I was pretty efficient after that. I was happy that I was able to settle in and keep us in the game.”
Lauer has done a much better job at this since joining the Dodgers, as he tended to let things get out of hand with his previous team.
His 2.76 ERA with the Dodgers is more than twice as good as the 6.69 mark he posted with the Toronto Blue Jays through eight appearances this year. The Dodgers acquired Lauer after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment in May.
The left-hander didn’t receive a decision for his performance, but he allowed the Dodgers plenty of time to get going by keeping the game close. The Dodgers broke the game open in the seventh inning, scoring 10 runs to erput the game well out of reach and secure their win.
Will Eric Lauer Stay in the Rotation When Everyone’s Healthy?
Lauer has been lights out for the Dodgers since joining the team, but his place in the rotation could be in jeopardy when Tyler Glasnow or Blake Snell make a comeback from the injured list.
Both Snell and Glasnow are set to miss a lot of time, though, so Lauer’s spot in the rotation is safe for the time being.
When they are back, though, he will likely find himself fighting for a spot with pitchers towards the back of the rotation: Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski. Both Wrobleski and Sasaki have been fantastic as of late, so unless Lauer can dislodge either of them with his performances, he may have to transition to middle relief to keep his spot on the roster.
He’ll look to avoid that, though, as he has previously expressed his distaste for coming out of the bullpen.
“It’s definitely different,” Lauer said. “To be real blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it. But you work with what you got.”
Should Eric Lauer keep his spot? Has he impressed you so far?
