Andrew Heaney’s first Dodgers start is strong in team’s rain-delayed win over Twins

The work started instantly after Andrew Heaney signed with the Dodgers within the offseason.

Upon agreeing to phrases with the crew on a one-year, $8.5-million deal in mid-November, Heaney flew to Los Angeles to get a bodily but in addition to fulfill with the crew’s pitching workers. He was properly conscious of the Dodgers’ monitor file of growing pitchers, of unlocking potential in even veteran arms.

And eight years into his personal underwhelming main league profession, the left-hander was keen to listen to the Dodgers’ concepts for him for the upcoming season.

He believed that, with the Dodgers’ assist, he may attain a brand new degree on the mound.

5 months later, Heaney confirmed the primary indicators of progress Tuesday evening, giving up one unearned run over 4 1/3 innings in his Dodgers debut.

The sport was determined hours later after the Dodgers scored six runs within the eighth inning after which sat by means of an 88-minute rain delay en path to a 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

By the point showers poured from the sky and lightning flashed round Goal Area, Heaney’s efficiency — which included 5 strikeouts, no walks and a bunch of swings and misses on his new sweeping slider — already had turn out to be the Dodgers’ most vital improvement of the evening.

“A bit chilly, somewhat rain, but it surely was good,” Heaney stated with a smile. “Good feeling to get off to begin.”

Behind the scenes, Heaney has been making a robust impression on the Dodgers for weeks.

Whereas he couldn’t talk with the crew throughout baseball’s lockout, he labored on the adjustments the Dodgers advisable in November, incorporating the changes into his throwing program residence in Oklahoma.

When he confirmed as much as spring coaching, he had an urge for food for solutions. About his new mechanics, shifting to the center of the rubber to be much less rotational and extra direct to the plate. About his new breaking pitch, a sweeping slider that changed the looping curveball he used throughout his time with the Angels. About his new plan of assault on the mound, hoping to be more practical after struggling a career-worst 5.83 earned-run common final season.

“The distinction I feel right here, to me, is I really feel like there’s any person that has a solution for all of your questions,” Heaney stated this spring. “Everyone right here has a typical bond, in simply the best way they purchase in and imagine of their course of.”

Earlier than Tuesday’s recreation, supervisor Dave Roberts stated the 30-year-old has been “as open as any participant we’ve gotten” to that course of, which has been headed by pitching coach Mark Prior and assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness.

Prior was a relentless presence throughout Heaney’s spring coaching bullpen classes, often even standing within the batter’s field to provide him suggestions on his altered arsenal.

McGuiness was one in every of Heaney’s largest assets too. In the future final month, he sat at Heaney’s locker with a ball on the center of a protracted stick, discussing the rotational traits of his new pitches.

“I feel it’s an identical course of that we undergo with plenty of new guys whether or not we purchase [them] midseason or within the offseason,” Prior stated. “Simply attempting to get a comfortability degree with what they like or don’t like and take a look at some various things.”

In the future final month, he sat at Heaney’s locker with a ball on the center of a protracted stick, discussing the rotational traits of his new pitches.

“I feel it’s an identical course of that we undergo with plenty of new guys whether or not we purchase midseason or within the offseason,” Prior stated. “Simply attempting to get a comfortability degree with what they like or don’t like and take a look at some various things.”

Roberts stated the crew will give Heaney loads of time to get snug with the changes, setting excessive hopes for the left-hander’s improvement this season.

“I feel he realizes the ceiling for himself, and I don’t imagine he’s even near it,” Roberts stated. “For him to place his ego apart and be open to the data and the coaches and what they must say, and attempt to apply it with out making excuses, I’m going to assist him for fairly a while due to that. I imagine in him. I actually do.”

Tuesday’s efficiency bolstered that religion.

Heaney flashed his new slider from the primary at-bat, utilizing it to fan Twins star Byron Buxton. He gave up a double to the subsequent batter, Carlos Correa, however then retired eight in a row.

Within the fourth, Heaney stranded one other double by Correa. He might need gotten by means of the fifth unscathed too had shortstop Trea Turner not misplaced his footing on a tailored double-play grounder and airmailed a flip throw to second base that allowed a run to attain.

That ended Heaney’s evening after 67 pitches, however reliever Brusdar Graterol made certain no extra harm was achieved.

In all, Heaney threw both a fastball or breaking pitch all however thrice, racking up 15 swings and misses from Twins hitters — and making a robust opening assertion for his season.

“The extra belief he has in his grip, in his throw, that the outcomes might be there, he’s solely going to get higher,” Roberts stated. “I don’t assume any of us knew how efficient he was gonna be tonight. … I’m simply actually excited for Andrew.”