On Mike Bolsinger’s Memorable Performance

Even though Carlos Frias had one of the most historically bad starts at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, I can’t help but think about Mike Bolsinger‘s memorable and also historical start on Saturday. I’m beginning to think that Carlos Frias’s ruinous start at Coors Field wasn’t just an anomaly. Frias served up a grand slam to Justin Upton like he was pitching in the thin Colorado air on Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t for the fainthearted, but it served as a reminder that the Dodgers are going to need to acquire another starting pitcher this season in order to defend their National League West title.

Even though Clayton Kershaw has been battling some issues needing adjustment early on this season, and the Dodgers suffered devastating blows when Hyun-jin Ryu‘s season was totally nixed after the left-hander underwent left shoulder surgery last week and Brandon McCarthy‘s elbow exploded, the Dodgers have seemed to wage on. They’ve been fueled by spectacular offense, improved defense and admirable outings from their so-called spot starters. Let’s accept the fact that right now Carlos Frias and Mike Bolsinger are the Dodgers’ fourth and fifth starters behind Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Brett Anderson. It’s a situation I couldn’t have imagined this Spring, but here we are.

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Even thought the Dodgers lineup is full of youth and experienced talent, the offense couldn’t possibly sustain its prolific start to the season. Jimmy Rollins has been showing his age, and Joc Pederson has already struck out 50 times. Yasmani Grandal is out for a week with a concussion, and suddenly Austin Barnes is making his MLB debut sooner than we wanted. Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig are not even in the equation any time soon, and there is nearly zero running game nor aggressiveness on the base paths unless you count the occasional Jimmy Rollins stolen base.

When the big hits dry up, then what do you do? You have to rely on strong pitching. Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi are constantly picking up players, and they composed a reliable enough back log of pitching depth. There is still a lot of talent in the system even after the Bolsingers and the Friases. Zach Lee has yet to make his Dodger debut, Chris Anderson, Grant Holmes and rising star Jose De Leon are all in development and succeeding. Brandon Beachy could also make an impact on this team in the second half.

I had been clamoring for the Dodgers to start Mike Bolsinger this season over David Huff or even Joe Wieland. He’s won three games in a row, and his start on Saturday was nearly perfect.

In a season when Clayton Kershaw is struggling to meet expectations, Mike Bolsinger snuck in and won the hearts of Los Angeles during a vulnerable time. Bolsinger pitched the best game by a Dodger starter so far this year, and I will never forget Mike tipping his cap to the sellout crowd. I already wrote about the Top 5 Dodger Moments of 2015 So Far before Bolsimger’s gem, but Mike Bolsinger’s one-hit shutout will surely make it to a list at the end the of the year. There was only one base runner for the Padres during his eight innings of work. The leadoff single to Solarte would be the only “mistake” by Bolsinger all night.

May 23, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger (46) tips his hat to the crowd after earning a win against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

For some reason Arizona always trades away their talent. Hello Justin Upton. This time they foolishly didn’t even get much in return other than cash when the Dodgers purchased Bolsinger from Arizona on November 22, 2014. Thank you, D-backs!

Bolsinger was in complete control of his repertoire of pitches. The Padres were going down like dominos against the crafty righty, and Bolsinger retired 23 in a row after the Solarte single. It was beautiful and pure, and Bolsinger all of a sudden has been shot into the spotlight.

It really should not come to anyone’s surprise that Bolsinger has great stuff. Before he was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City by the Dodgers, he was 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 4 starts. He steadily climbed the Arizona minor league ladder and pitched 144 innings in 2013 between AA-Mobile and Triple-A Reno.

It’s too early to claim Bolsinger’s rights to the 2015 Cy Young Award or anything, but so far that Dodgers have already gotten their money worth for him. He’s cheap, he’s coming into his own as a Major Leaguer and he’s healthy. It’s what the Dodgers really need right now.

Credit to Brett Anderson who has also pitched better than what I expected, and he has stayed healthy contrary to his past history. Both men have great off-speed pitches, but there’s something special about Bolsinger’s curveball.

A.J. Ellis described Bolsinger’s curveball:

"“old Barry Zito curve … it comes in like a roller coaster,” appearing to pick up speed just when most curveballs slow down.”"

I’m excited to watch Bolsinger pitch this season, and I’m not expecting one-hitters every start. Yet if the right-hander can solidify the problematic starting rotation, then he could be an integral part of this Dodgers team. During a stretch of offensive toils and numerous costly injuries, the start by Mike Bolsinger on Saturday was a bright spot in the season. Here’s to more bright starts for Mike Bolsinger this year.