Dodgers News: Don Mattingly Praises Alex Wood’s Ability To Keep Games Close
Suffice to say, the Los Angeles Dodgers did not have a successful beginning to their three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Starting pitcher Alex Wood battled control issues and the Diamondbacks capitalized, taking a 4-0 lead after the first inning.
When it was all said and done, Wood lasted only 1.2 innings, surrendering eight runs (six earned) on eight hits — two of which were home runs. Since being traded to Los Angeles, the levels of success have varied for the third-year southpaw.
After watching Wood get shelled, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly shared a positive review of his pitcher’s time with the club, via ESPN’s Mark Saxon:
He’s been really pitching pretty solidly for us, kept us in most of the games he’s pitched for us,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Tonight just wasn’t his night.”
Wood wasn’t overly down on his subpar performance, citing the ebbs and flows that come with playing. In four of Wood’s eight starts with the Dodgers, the team has been leading when the 24 year old was taken out of the game.
Excluding his abysmal start against the Diamondbacks, the North Carolina native has pitched at least five innings every start he’s made, and has gone six innings in six of the eight starts. That being said, Wood’s stats with the Dodgers — 3-4 record, 4.53 ERA, 4.63 FIP and 1.51 WHIP suggest there’s room for improvement.
For as much as the Dodgers traded for Wood to help offset the losses of Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the acquisition also factors in keeping an eye beyond the 2015 season. Wood isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2017.
