SAN FRANCISCO — How locked in was Tyler Glasnow on Thursday afternoon? When he clipped the highest of the zone with a 1-0 curveball however the pitch was referred to as a ball within the fifth inning, he did not even hesitate earlier than tapping his cap to problem it.
“I regarded much more assured than I used to be,” he stated. “I really feel prefer it was shut sufficient. I feel the best way he caught it, too, type of satisfied me it was a strike, nevertheless it was type of simply, like, instinctual.”
The ball name was overturned, and Glasnow obtained again to dominating the Giants with out lacking a beat.
Simply as Glasnow let his instincts take over whereas issuing his first ABS problem — and solely the second by a Dodgers pitcher this season — the flexibility to quiet his ideas and concentrate on competing has served him effectively in 2026. He was the stopper his workforce sorely wanted, twirling a career-high-tying eight scoreless innings to assist L.A. to a 3-0 victory, salvaging the sequence finale at Oracle Park.
Through the three-game sequence in San Francisco, the Dodgers’ starters made little margin for error because the offense scuffled. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (seven innings of three-run ball) and Shohei Ohtani (six scoreless innings) had nothing to indicate for his or her robust outings. However with a little bit run help, Glasnow put his workforce on his again whereas enhancing to 3-0 on the 12 months.
“He simply knew we wanted to win,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “And I feel all three of our guys that went out, so far as starters, did their jobs. At this time we had been type of in a little bit funk offensively, and he set the tone. … That is who he’s, and so for me, it is simply not shocking. I felt good about pushing him at present.”
It was the primary time Glasnow recorded an out past the seventh inning since April 21, 2024, when he additionally tossed eight scoreless frames. Roberts felt comfy with pushing him to a season-high 105 pitches to get by way of the eighth.
The Giants had simply three baserunners to work with on Thursday: Luis Arraez, who walked within the first inning; Heliot Ramos, who reached on an error within the second; and Arraez once more, who had their lone hit of the competition, a single within the fourth inning. The latter two had been erased on double performs, so Glasnow confronted the minimal throughout his closing seven innings.
Glasnow had nearly every part working for him. He overpowered the Giants when he wanted to, putting out 9 and inducing 16 whiffs. When he did pitch to contact, San Francisco batters had a median exit velocity of simply 89.5 mph off him.
As the sport went on, Glasnow tailored to what was working for him within the second fairly than persist with the plan he had stepping into. He and catcher Dalton Speeding used each pitch in his bag, leaning heaviest on his sinker and mixing in loads of sliders, curveballs and four-seamers. That helped him hold the Giants off-balance.
“One pitch would really feel actually good, and I would type of spam that pitch. And the subsequent inning, like a curveball would really feel good,” Glasnow stated. “It wasn’t a constant stream all sport lengthy. It helped me simply throw no matter was working that inning.”
Glasnow has all the time had tantalizing stuff, however the Dodgers really feel that he is taken a step ahead this 12 months due to his mentality. Up to now, the right-hander would enable himself to dwell on his mechanics and overthink whereas he was on the mound.
This season, Glasnow has been in a position to keep within the second and simply be a competitor. That evolution has already confirmed fruitful for the Dodgers.
“I feel if you’re a beginning pitcher and also you’re on a little bit little bit of a schneid as a workforce, you need to have the flexibility,” Roberts stated. “We’d like a win, you’ve obtained to place up zeros, you’ve obtained to go deep in a sport after which you need to have the flexibility to concentrate on doing all of your job. … The nice ones have that capacity.”
