Joe Kelly has reached the point where even when he allows a hit (in this case, a well-placed ground ball by Christian Walker that turned into a single) the batter is thrown out before the play even ends (in this case, with a Cody Bellinger strike to second where Walker was trying to stretch it into a double).
He’s also at the point where he needed just three pitches to get his two outs in the eighth last night, which means he’s likely available tonight.
And that’s especially notable because the Dodgers and Diamondbacks had a minor disagreement at the end of last night’s game.
Now, I won’t get into the details of the spat, as they don’t concern Joe Kelly (though I will note that Clayton Kershaw begrudgingly stepping over the dugout railing to lead the Dodgers front up to stand-there-and-yell-at-each-other territory was an image equal parts inspiring and entertaining), but it’s good to know that things could get a bit rough tonight and tomorrow, because our hero has found himself in the midst of roughhousing before.
So far, no beanballs have been exchanged, and it’s unclear whether either team feels they need to be. But fastballs have a tendency to get away from a pitcher now and then, so whether the teams want this or not, it might escalate.
Stay vigilant.
Oh and by the way his season-to-date ERA is 4.76, his season-to-date FIP is 3.69, and his Post-Joe Kelly Bobblehead Night ERA is 1.47. Things are going Joe Kelly’s way.
