Dodgers veteran left hander James Paxton won't be confused for a Cy Young candidate any time soon. However, his veteran presence in the back of Los Angeles' rotation is particularly valuable on nights like Tuesday against the Rangers as he bounced back from a bad start once again to spin an excellent performance.
Paxton in his start previous to Tuesday night allowed six earned runs to the Pirates in 1.2 innings. It marked the third time he'd given up four-plus runs in a start.
The key for a fifth starter like Paxton is to not string bad starts together though, and he's been able to do that all season by coming through with games like the one he had Tuesday night. Paxton against Texas went 6.0 innings, gave up two hits and one run, walked two and struck out two. His numbers this season after giving up four-plus runs are dazzling.
He's pitched 15.2 innings in those three games while allowing only seven hits, two runs and two walks with nine strikeouts.
His outing took pressure off the Dodgers offense, which put up a three-spot in the first inning, and they backed him up with a season-best 14 runs before he exited to start the top of the seventh.
LA may look to improve their starting rotation at the trade deadline. It makes sense for any contending team to do that. If they don't bolster their rotation though, Paxton has done enough this season to instill confidence that he can be reliable down the stretch, and games like the one he had Tuesday are strong evidence of that.
