Tanner Scott was cruising through spring training until Sunday night threw him a curveball.
In the first game of the Freeway Series, the Dodgers were dominating the Angels, putting up ten runs in the third inning and adding more with Will Smith's RBI single in the sixth. Enter Tanner Scott in the bottom of the sixth, and things took a turn.
Scott gave up a leadoff single to Mike Trout and then walked Nolan Schanuel. Jorge Soler stepped up, and on a 2-0 count, sent a high fastball 410 feet into center field.
The reaction was swift, with fans on both sides chiming in. Social media buzzed with comments like "Tanner Scott in midseason form," poking fun at the situation.
But let's take a step back. Up to that point, Scott was having a stellar spring, with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, save for two unearned runs against the Reds.
He allowed just one walk while striking out nine. His first earned run came on a solo homer against the Giants on March 18, but he also added two more strikeouts in that outing.
Last season, Scott struggled with missing bats, but two walks to 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings this spring suggest the Dodgers have helped him regain some of that swing-and-miss magic. The pitch to Soler wasn’t a bad one-a 97.2 MPH fastball at the top of the zone. Credit to Soler for turning it into a homer.
While we’re not here to make excuses for Scott, it’s fair to acknowledge his progress. With Edwin Díaz stepping in as the Dodgers' closer, Scott faces less pressure to be the go-to guy.
However, he still needs to prove his worth after a tough season. Despite the home run, his improvements this spring are promising signs for the Dodgers.