by Megan Garcia
Ben Casparius has pitched 30 career innings in a Dodger uniform and he’s quietly — and quickly — become a key figure in the bullpen.
Sunday was another example of Casparius being the pitcher the Dodgers trust. His scoreless outing out of the bullpen kept the Dodgers in control for their 9–2 win against the Pirates at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.
The circumstances of Casparius’ outing were unexpected. The call to the bullpen was sudden after starter Tyler Glasnow exited the game with right shoulder discomfort before he could face a batter.
The injury is not expected to be a long-term concern for Glasnow. Manager Dave Roberts said placing him on the injured list is a possibility.
“We have to get him to a place that we feel (and) he feels that when he takes the mound, he can go out there and be the guy that he’s capable of being. Until we get to that point, I think that the (injured list) is certainly a conversation.”
Casparius took over in the second inning, as the Dodgers led 4–2. It was the first time in Casparius’ career that he didn’t warm up in the bullpen before entering the game.
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“(Josh Bard) told me, ‘Hey, you’re going to go out there and warm up on the mound. You have as much time as you want.’” Casparius said. “I felt like I got looser quicker than I imagined and felt pretty good going into the game.”
The Dodgers looked to Casparius to take the bulk of an impromptu bullpen game. He’s been impressive in his first full season at the Major League level. In 11 outings this season, Casparius has a 2.91 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
Casparius’ only hiccup this season was his appearance against the Cubs on April 12. He gave up six earned runs on seven hits and one walk in 1 2/3 innings pitched. He recorded only one strikeout.
Since then, the right-hander has allowed one earned run in 11 innings pitched in four appearances. He’s also recorded 13 strikeouts without issuing a walk in that span.
Casparius’ early season efforts have him among the best in the Major Leagues. His 27.6% chase percentage ranks in the 93rd percentile while his 4.2% walk percentage ranks in the top 10% of all qualified pitchers.
The right-hander struck out five batters — three of them looking. He also didn’t issue a walk to the 13 batters he faced. It was his ninth career game without giving up a walk. Casparius threw 54 pitches and landed 36 strikes.
“He’s unflappable,” Roberts. “He flooded the strike zone, and he saved our tails today. Our bullpen’s in a great spot going into this next series. The bullpen’s just done a fantastic job this year.”
Casparius quickly made his way to the big leagues after being selected in the fifth round of the 2021 amateur draft. His two earned runs in 8 1/3 innings across three outings after August 2024 were enough to earn him a spot on the postseason rosters.
He was instrumental in the National League Championship Series and World Series. Casparius didn’t allow a run in 4 1/3 innings against the Mets in three games. Then, his two-inning start in Game 4 against the Yankees preserved relievers for the title-winning Game 5.
As important as Casparius has been for the Dodgers, Andy Pages has been a force in the Dodgers’ offense recently. Pages went 10-for-12 with three doubles and a homer in the three-game series against the Pirates.
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His four runs batted in on Sunday led the offense as he set a single-game career high. Pages raised his batting average to .277 with his production against the Pirates after he entered the series with a .183 average.
“That’s the most important thing, doing what I can to help the team win,” Pages said. “For a few turns that I had at the beginning of the season, things are working out. Now that (I’m) getting a little more at-bats and starting to get some things up, it’s good to help the team.”
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The Dodgers’ 13 hits against the Pirates are the most in a single game this season. The bullpen shut down the Pirates with eight scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts.
Casparius and Pages steer the Dodgers to a series win against the Pirates was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.