'Best game I've thrown': Luzardo limits Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- In order to beat the best, you have to bring your best.

Though the Marlins fell short, 2-1, in Friday night’s loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, left-hander Jesús Luzardo certainly did his part in another quality start. He limited MLB’s most potent offense to one run across 6 1/3 innings.

• Box score

“I feel like that's probably the best game I've thrown in my career,” said Luzardo, who struck out seven and walked two. “I know I've gone seven scoreless and stuff like that, but against a lineup like that in such a great atmosphere, just kind of using all my mix. I used sinkers, I used four-seams, I used the breaking ball, I used the changeup. I felt like I had good command of it all. My confidence has grown, but I do feel like I'm on a good roll. I'm just trying to keep it going.”

Luzardo’s start began ominously, as Mookie Betts ambushed the first pitch for a double. But he recovered to retire Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith in order. That served as a confidence boost for Luzardo, who also worked around consecutive one-out singles in the third.

Had this start come in Luzardo’s disappointing 2021 season, the results likely wouldn’t have been as favorable. But ’22 Luzardo is becoming the best version of himself.

“I just don't get overwhelmed maybe anymore, in terms of just seeing the guys I'm facing,” Luzardo said. “You go up against a good lineup like the Dodgers, in the past, I probably got overwhelmed. They're such a good lineup, so many good guys. I feel like now, I just go out there and take it pitch by pitch. I understand that I have to make a pitch in a certain spot, and if I make that pitch, then results are most likely going to be in my favor. So I feel like that's for me the biggest page that I've turned.”

Since returning from the injured list, Luzardo has compiled a 2.70 ERA in four starts. He has picked up where he left off in early May, when he went down with a left forearm strain. In the series opener at Chavez Ravine, Luzardo threw a season high 100 pitches -- his final offering a strikeout of Chris Taylor on a changeup.

The 24-year-old southpaw had earned a chance to go back out for the seventh, according to manager Don Mattingly, who has been careful with Luzardo upon his return.

“He's been great,” said Jacob Stallings, who has caught Luzardo six times. “Ever since he's come back, his changeup's been awesome, and he's not overthrowing. He's just pitching and making really good pitches -- using four-seam, two-seam fastball and a lot of changeups. Using that slider when we need to. So he's been pretty great since he came back for sure. It's nice to have him back.”

Is that the recipe to Luzardo’s success?

It starts with pounding the zone. Luzardo entered with a career-high mark of 67.6 percent first-pitch strikes. He was 19-of-24 on Friday, a necessity against a club like the Dodgers. Luzardo has made a conscious effort to improve that figure, and it has positively affected other aspects of his game:

• 58.8% of four-seamers in-zone (compared to 49.8% in '21)
• 7% increase in putaway rate on four-seamers
• 9% increase in chase rate from 2020-22

“I feel like in the past, my fastball command, if I were to throw a bullpen, I could dot all four corners without a problem, and then I'd get in the game and I was just trying to do too much,” Luzardo said. “I feel like now, I'm just understanding that my stuff is good enough, and I just need to throw it in the zone, especially my fastball. Just let it play in the zone. You don't have to be too perfect, don't have to be too on the lines. You just need to fill it up and let it work. So that's what we've been doing.”

With Miami’s pitching depth taking a hit in 2022, Luzardo’s progress is a blessing. Prospect Max Meyer, Cody Poteet and Paul Campbell have undergone Tommy John surgery. Jordan Holloway underwent arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. Sixto Sánchez had a setback on Wednesday, when he experienced mild shoulder discomfort following his sim game.

“It's another guy in your rotation,” Mattingly said. “Everything that's going on, I think we've talked about this a number of times, that the bright spot is that we still compete every night, and it's really the fact that these guys are going out and keeping you in a game on a daily basis for the last three series. It's been Philly and the Padres, and now we're here, and we'll see how this one goes. But in general, these guys have kept us in games and given us a chance.”