May breaks Internet, baffles Padres
Ken Gurnick
@kengurnickOn a Tuesday night when A.J. Pollock came off the bench to be a hero and Justin Turner not only took one for the team but might have fired it up doing it, the Dodgers reminded the Padres who¡¯s in charge of the National League West -- and even a rookie stepped up to help.
Dustin May wasn¡¯t expected to start three of the Dodgers¡¯ first 12 games this year, but now that he¡¯s in the rotation, he¡¯s pitching like he intends to stay there. He struck out a career-high eight, made it through six innings and picked up his first victory of the year in a 5-2 win.
May is in the rotation because Alex Wood is hurt, but manager Dave Roberts said he expects Wood to come back.
¡°We always talk about the depth of the starting staff,¡± Roberts said. ¡°Dustin is making his claim, and that¡¯s a good thing. He¡¯s stepping up when given the opportunity. It¡¯s nice to see him get two starts with a starter routine. We have a long way to do to see what happens.¡±
While May made 82 pitches, the internet was buzzing over just one -- a first-inning 99 mph sinker that struck out Manny Machado and dived so far into the batter that it left Machado grimacing.
¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine a better pitch on the filth-meter,¡± said Roberts. ¡°It started middle-in and ended up six to eight inches in. Speaks to the depth and the run. Made a really, really good hitter look pretty bad.¡±
Pollock, who homered and doubled in a run off the bench, said he had a good view of May pitching while watching the early innings in the stands.
¡°It was pretty nasty,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s gaining a lot of confidence and you watch his stuff, it¡¯s pretty electric. We¡¯re going to be counting on him for sure.¡±
May came into the game determined to throw strikes after lasting only 3 1/3 innings in his previous start in Houston.
¡°For me, just getting the ball over the plate and allowing the hitters to make mistakes,¡± May said. ¡°Tonight, I was locating the fastball both sides of the plate, the cutter was working.¡±
And the pitch that made Machado look silly? Where does he get that movement?
¡°Honestly, I just throw it and that¡¯s how it comes out of my hand,¡± May said. ¡°I grip it and rip it, that¡¯s my thought process.¡±
May had to be on his game because opposing Padres starter Dinelson Lamet was throwing a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings, while San Diego had taken a lead on Fernando Tatis Jr.¡¯s third-inning RBI double and Jake Cronenworth¡¯s first MLB homer in the fourth inning.
¡°It¡¯s always fun going up against a pitcher that¡¯s doing well, it gives me the competition level because I go out there trying to outdo the other pitcher every time,¡± May said. ¡°My goal is to make the other pitcher look worse than I do.
¡°There was more swing-and-miss tonight because I was putting the ball where I wanted it. I felt tonight I took a big step forward and I need to keep taking steps after that.¡±
May said his increased velocity this year is from offseason lifting that has added 20 pounds of muscle to his wiry, 6-6 frame.
¡°I feel like it¡¯s definitely helped, for sure,¡± he said.
The Dodgers tied the game with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, the rally starting when Lamet hit Turner with a pitch. It allowed Turner to break Zack Wheat¡¯s franchise record for HBPs (74).
Five batters were hit by pitches in this game, but Roberts said of Turner¡¯s: ¡°I don't know if it was a wakeup call, but it certainly could have been. It honed our focus a little more."