It's the music, man: Can Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel trace turnaround to a song?
The Los Angeles Dodgers became Major League Baseball's first team to win 100 games and are on pace to break the franchise record for wins (106). If the team has a weakness, it's closer Craig Kimbrel. But the fortunes of the 34-year-old righthander have recently turned around since he faced the music, so to speak.
In April, the Dodgers sent outfielder A.J. Pollock to the White Sox for Kimbrel, who was coming off a disappointing end to the 2021 season. In 24 games after the trade deadline last year, he had a 5.09 ERA with an opponents' OPS of .774.
Kimbrel continued his downward trend with the Dodgers. His career strikeout percentage is 40.1 percent, but the figure has plunged to a career-worst 27.4 percent this season. From the beginning of this season to August 20, Kimbrel pitched in 45 games and had an ERA of 4.46 and four blown saves. Opponents also had a .388 batting average on balls in play.
On August 21, the Dodgers let the players' wives pick their home walk-up and entrance music for Women's Day. Kimbrel's wife chose “Let It Go” by Idina Menzel. When her husband was called to pitch that night, the song blasted throughout Dodger Stadium. Then Kimbrel pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the first time since July 13. The entrance music now plays each time he enters a home game.
Since the song change, Kimbrel has pitched in 11 games and has a 2.45 ERA and opponents are batting .059 against him. He also had a 9 1/3-inning scoreless streak in that span. His strikeout percentage is still low in the small sample size (20.5), but he has been more effective nonetheless.
Kimbrel's only hiccup in the past month came Sept. 14 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he gave up a three-run walk-off home run to shortstop Sergio Alcántara.
When the calendar flips to October, the Dodgers must have a lockdown closer. Manager Dave Roberts believes Kimbrel will be that guy.
“He's pounding the strike zone. He’s not being so fine, in my opinion,” Roberts said. “And the breaking ball is in a good spot."
If Kimbrel lets go of the past, the Dodgers should be in great shape. Perhaps he should credit his wife and a song.
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