DENVER –– This time a year ago, Tyler Glasnow failed a bad-weather test.
On April 6 of last season, the Dodgers’ right-hander was rolling right along through the first two innings of a start at Citizens Bank Park against the Philadelphia Phillies.
But then a rainstorm moved in, Glasnow lost his composure, and he failed to record an out in what became a disastrous five-run meltdown.
Such moments marred much of Glasnow’s first two seasons with the Dodgers. He would flash otherworldly potential. He would look like one of the game’s best pitchers. Then something would go wrong –– be it a mechanical flaw, a lack of feel for his throw, or outside factors like a late-spring shower amid a hostile Philadelphia crowd –– and suddenly, the $136.5 million starter would spiral into uncharacteristic form.
That’s why his outing Friday night in Denver against the Colorado Rockies was so important.
The competition wasn’t daunting, but the environment sure was.
He was making his first career start in the pitching torture chamber known as Coors Field. He was doing it on a day when snow fell for much of the afternoon, leaving the playing surface far from pristine. And when first pitch arrived, the 35-degree temperature marked the lowest on record in Dodgers’ franchise history.
They were all built-in excuses.
But in seven innings of one-run ball, Glasnow didn’t need them.
Instead, in the latest sign of growth from the 32-year-old All-Star, Glasnownavigated the game with remarkable ease.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
