GLENDALE, Ariz. Trevor Bauer plunged himself into a budding rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres with one eye closed.
The Dodgers’ esteemed off-season acquisition navigated his first inning against the Padres Saturday afternoon by throwing primarily with his right eye closed, a training method he says he often uses as a means of making himself uncomfortable.
“I thought if they can’t score me with one eye open, it will be difficult to score on me with two eyes open,” said Bauer after throwing three scoreless innings from the Dodgers’ facility. “Just have a little fun.”
Bauer didn’t go into details as to why he occasionally chooses to keep a blind eye, although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it had something to do with recalibrating his command.
“I think there might have been a curveball that I think he did with both eyes closed,” said Roberts, holding his smile. “I don’t know, but there is a method to his madness.”
Bauer, 30, said he routinely keeps at least one eye closed during bullpen sessions, while playing long toss and when facing hitters during the off-season, adding that he likes to “ make myself uncomfortable and other things in my path and find a solution to it. “
Bauer gave up a single to Jurickson Profar to begin his performance, covering an at bat of nine pitches, then walked Tommy Pham before retiring the next three batters, the last two with strikeouts. In the next two innings – apparently with both eyes open – he retired six of the seven batters he faced.
The Padres came out of a game on Friday night and didn’t play most of their starters, meaning Bauer didn’t get another crack at third baseman Manny Machado, who is famous for hitting him .588 / .667 / .1.412 in 17 career record appearances. Bauer previously made a YouTube video analyzing Machado’s success against him, and Dodgers baseball operations president Andrew Friedman joked about wanting to sort something out against Machado shortly after signing Bauer to a three-year deal last month. of $ 102 million.
Bauer joked that Machado was “already dodging me” by not making the trip.
When the games start to count, Bauer said he will have a lot of chances against him.
“Just wait,” said Bauer with a wry smile. “It will be a great year.”