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Dodgers lineup starts Rocky Mountain cold: 5 takeaways from opening series

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New Dodgers nearer Craig Kimbrel, proper, is congratulated by catcher Will Smith after recording a save on Friday.

(David Zalubowski / Related Press)

The lone Dodgers’ lone victory of the sequence included a promising first, with new nearer Craig Kimbrel incomes a save Friday in his Dodgers debut.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in trade for AJ Pollock close to the top of spring coaching, gave up a run within the outing but additionally registered two strikeouts.

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One other vital be aware from his efficiency: He threw his curveball on 9 of 21 pitches.

Kimbrel mentioned Saturday that the curveball can be key for him this season. It’s a pitch he has used with elevated frequency over his profession, as his fastball has misplaced a number of ticks and hitters have gotten higher at attacking velocity up within the zone.

When he’s capable of be aggressive and throw the curveball for strikes, “it adjustments the at-bat and strategy,” Kimbrel mentioned. “It adjustments every part.”

Kimbrel says he believes it explains his roller-coaster efficiency in 2021, when he went from being probably the greatest relievers in baseball over the primary half of the season with the Chicago Cubs, to struggling down the stretch following a commerce to the White Sox, the place he was used as a set-up man.

“I believe it type of put myself right into a gap,” mentioned Kimbrel, who threw the curveball a career-high 40.7% of the time in 2021. “I had outings the place I acquired out of it and threw simply tremendous. And different ones that weren’t so nicely.”

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To that finish, Friday was a great begin. Whereas he gave up an RBI double with the curve — a “good pitch to hit” he was nonetheless regretting a day later — he acquired each his strikeouts with the pitch, as nicely.

“It was simply getting the ball over the plate,” he mentioned. “I used to be capable of assault and be efficient with my breaking pitches. … There’s positives there.”

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