Dodgers: Grading the bullpen for the month of June

11.1 innings, 1.59 ERA, 11 strikeouts, 2-1

Pedro Baez is one of the pitchers Dodger fans love blaming the most. Whether it’s due to past playoff performances or the fact that he seems to work as slow as a turtle, fans are always criticizing Baez when given the opportunity. Baez did record a loss against the Reds in June but other than that one blemish he was very good.

In 11 1/3 innings, Baez struck out eleven hitters and only walked three. Hitters did hit .280 off him, leading to a disappointing 1.50 WHIP, but he still showed flashes of dominance. In one outing against the Brewers, Baez struck out five batters in two innings. Another bright spot was only three walks meaning he made opposing hitters earn their way on base against him.

The one knock on Baez for the month was his efficiency or lack thereof. There were three outings were he threw over twenty pitches in a one-inning appearance and in two of those three he tossed 26 pitches. In order to be able to pitch two to three days in a row, Baez needs to limit the amount of pitches per inning.