He was probably not supposed to pitch last night.
He’d thrown 29 pitches the night before.
The Dodgers were trying to build back up his confidence (speculation, no sources).
But when Dave Roberts needed someone to shut the door, with one runner on, one out, and a three-run lead in the bottom of the twelfth, he knew whose number to call:
Joe Kelly’s.
Eleven pitches later, the game was done. 99-mph heat. Devastating knuckle curves. Two batters. Two strikeouts. Game over.
It was our hero’s first save of the season, and it lowered his 2019 ERA to 5.29 (0.82 since Joe Kelly Bobblehead Night). Perhaps most importantly, it solidified his rebirth as a bullpen option the Dodgers can trust.
From here on out, it’s basically tuning up for the playoffs, making sure the Dodgers secure home field advantage, and striking out as many people as possible. Will Joe Kelly hit 102 mph? We’ll see. Will he set a new career high at 103 mph? We can only hope so.
Let’s enjoy the ride.
