The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a position where they cannot afford to let victories slip away, especially in a postseason game. Recent performances have raised serious doubts about their ability to hold leads, and it’s no surprise why, with one player bearing the brunt of the criticism: Tanner Scott.
Has Tanner Scott become a problem for the Dodgers?
One might expect a player of Tanner Scott’s caliber to have resolved his issues by this point in the MLB season, but that hasn’t been the case. In July and August, batters hit his four-seam fastball hard, posting a .500 average-9 hits in 18 at-bats, including three home runs.
This struggle may not stem from poor pitching mechanics but rather from issues with his command. Scott has had difficulty getting ahead in the count. In September alone, only 31% of his pitches were thrown in his favor.
The fastball has been Scott’s most punished pitch, with the two home runs he allowed last Tuesday coming off that pitch. While he isn’t afraid to lean on his slider when behind in the count-a pitch considered the best in his arsenal-it can be highly effective when well-placed, but overusing it risks predictability.
It was precisely Geraldo Perdomo who drove in two runs against Scott when the count was full, capitalizing on a 90 mph slider left over the heart of the plate, which he sent to right field for a walk-off hit that left the Dodgers stunned.
“He has a good fastball. I don’t know why he doesn’t use it more,” Perdomo said of Scott (via the Southern California News Group). “I saw the at-bat against (Ildemaro) Vargas; he threw six of seven sliders. I said he’s going to throw the same thing to me. He threw a ton of sliders, I don’t know why. I was ready for that slider.”
It remains unclear whether Tanner Scott has lost the ability to locate his fastball or if he’s simply lost confidence in it. What’s evident is that the pitch has been ineffective for months.
The issue is compounded because Scott relies on just two pitches: his four-seam fastball and his slider. By effectively abandoning the former, his arsenal is reduced to a single pitch. This was evident in Tuesday’s game in Phoenix, where 18 of his 21 pitches were sliders.
This predictability has become a new headache for the 31-year-old left-handed pitcher, who hasn’t hidden his frustrations during a challenging MLB season. His numbers reflect the struggle: a 1-4 record with a 4.91 ERA across 59 appearances.
The Dodgers, who signed him in January to a four-year, $72 million contract, expected far more from him. With the MLB postseason looming, Tanner Scott is running out of time to salvage a season that’s shaping up to be forgettable.
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