Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty Looking To Pitch Deeper Into Games

Jack Flaherty has been everything the Los Angeles Dodgers hoped for in his first month in Los Angeles. As the postseason nears, he might have to do a little more.

Flaherty was solid on Tuesday night in the Dodgers’ series opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium. The six-inning, three-run outing wasn’t enough for a win. It wasn’t even enough by his own standards.

“Overall, just two pitches that I’d really like back,” Flaherty said. “Just continuing to find ways to get outs. Gotta get deeper.”

Dodger Stadium held its collective breath in the fifth inning as Flaherty escaped a worst-case scenario when Colton Cowser drilled him on the right wrist with a line drive.

In the at-bat before Cowswer, Flaherty gave up a go-ahead two-run home run to Baltimore’s No. 9 hitter, Ramón Urías.

“I’m not trying to throw it there,” said Flaherty, who dropped to a knee in frustration as Urías’ ball sailed out to left field. “Just need to get it more to the outer half and get it down away. In there is where he can handle it and he put a good swing on it. Doesn’t always happen. Hitting’s hard. But … you want to make a better pitch there.”

Flaherty has been good since the Dodgers acquired him from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. He has led the Dodgers’ starting rotation with 28.1 innings pitched in the month of August and has only been a pitch or two away from being great.

He has three wins in five starts and has a 3.49 earned-run average with 34 strikeouts.

“Yeah, there have been a few outings where you’re like ‘Man, I wish we could have that pitch back,’ ” manager Dave Roberts acknowledged. “But he’s throwing the ball really well for us.”

If the regular season ended Thursday, Flaherty would be the Dodgers’ Game 1 starter in the National League Division Series. He provided stability through a tumultuous time where Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have been on the injured list. He has pitched into the sixth inning in each of his starts except one.

“What Jack’s done,” Roberts said, “has been everything we had hoped.”

Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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