LOS ANGELES — Ben Casparius has become a jack-of-all-trades in less than a year on the Dodgers pitching staff.
The rookie right-hander made his first MLB start in Game 4 of the World Series last October, lasting just two innings but gaining priceless experience in the process.
The 26-year-old Connecticut native began this season as a short reliever and then migrated to longer relief, winning four games in five appearances in late April and early May.
He even made four spot starts, but was eventually given another shot at high-leverage relief appearances.
He’s taken the bull by the horns this time around, posting two holds and two saves in his past five appearances.
“I think the game, this year, on a whole, has slowed down,” Casparius said.
While Casparius has developed confidence in his newest role, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he’s also developed trust that Casparius can be effective late in close games.
“I think he’s in a much better spot,” Roberts said before the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. “The last two outings, I think he’s really thrown the ball well. All of his stuff is better so, yeah, I trust him.”
Casparius was a starter his entire career leading up to the majors. Casparius said starting a World Series game against the New York Yankees in New York, and just over a month after making his debut, has been a crucial part of his development as a major leaguer.
“Being able to manage the emotions going through a game, different situations, playing in New York,” he said. “That was pretty key to being able to settle in for the most part this year.”
CONTACT MATTERS
August has been mostly all or nothing for Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers slugger came into Sunday hitting .706 in eight games this month in Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP), a stratospheric number considering the major-league leader sits closer to .400.
His overall batting average is still a hefty .452 this month, but would be considerably higher if Ohtani hadn’t struck out 12 times in August.
Ohtani struck out his first time up on Saturday night before hitting a line-drive single to right-center field and then belting a solo homer to straightaway center, his 40th of the season.
“That was one of those swings where he was behind the ball. He stayed into the ground,” Roberts said of the home run. “That was as good of a swing as you’re going to see.”
Roberts said Ohtani has been putting in extra work with the hitting coaches of late to tweak his mechanics and increase his contact rate.
COUNTING ON CONFORTO
When the Little League World Series begins next week in Williamsport, Pa., Dodgers left fielder Michael Conforto might be paying a little closer attention than others.
Conforto reached the 2004 LLWS with his Redmon, Washington team, going 6-for-10 in three games during the tournament with a home run.
“I played well when I was there, just kind of fueled the dream a little bit,” he said. “It’s going to happen for any number of those kids out there.”
Conforto hasn’t had the type of season he hoped for when he signed a one-year $17-million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. He came into Sunday’s game hitting just .191 with a .638 OPS, well off his career totals of .246 and .790, but showed what he’s capable of in a 9-1 win on Saturday night against the Blue Jays.
He doubled off the wall in right, walked, was hit by a pitch, and made a nice running catch up against the wall in left when the game was still scoreless.
“We’re not going to chase an .800 OPS, but I think that we can get better each day to help us win championships, so I’m clearly giving him runway,” Roberts said of Conforto. “For us, he’s just got to take good at-bats. I want him to be able to get hits, drive in runs.”
Conforto competed in the LLWS against fellow major leaguers Randal Grichuk and Jurickson Profar, as well as former MLBers Jonathan Schoop and Christian Bethancourt.
“When I think back to it, the games were one thing, but they have all the kids, all the teams, are staying together,” Conforto said. “It’s like summer camp. It’s really what it’s all about back then, was being with your buddies and playing games that you enjoyed playing.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 10-7, 2.51 ERA) at Angels (RHP Jose Soriano, 7-9, 4.01 ERA), Monday, 6:38 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
Originally Published:
