The pitch that doomed the Dodgers on Tuesday evening was a four-seam fastball, the sport’s most generic offering, emanating from the hand of San Diego Padres left-handed rookie Eric Lauer.
The pitch hovered between 93-95 mph in a 4-1 Dodgers defeat, and Lauer threw it 65 times. It left an impression on Cody Bellinger, who used an expletive while describing the fastball as a “weird heater.”
“You see it,” Bellinger said. “And then you’re swinging at it. And then it’s behind you.”
Lauer drained any drama from the game. He collected eight strikeouts. A night after scoring eight runs, the Dodgers (49-42) managed only four hits.