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Thursday was the day of the southpaw in MLB.
Arizona Diamondbacks veteran Eduardo Rodriguez was the first left-hander to take the mound, facing off against the Miami Marlins. He tossed 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run while racking up nine strikeouts in the D-Backs' eventual 6-4 win.
Andrew Heaney got the nod for the Pittsburgh Pirates shortly after, ultimately lasting 7.1 innings without giving up a run to the Washington Nationals. The Pirates' bullpen took care of business from there, helping Heaney claim the victory.
JP Sears of the Athletics and Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies picked up wins later in the day, before reliever Tim Hill got credit for the New York Yankees' triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Between those five lefties and every other southpaw who saw action out of the bullpen, left-handers went a combined 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA on Thursday. According to OptaSTATS, it marked the first time that lefties went 5-0 or better with an ERA under 1.50 on a single day since Aug. 10, 1981.
Left-handed pitchers went 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in MLB on Thursday.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 18, 2025
It's the first time southpaws went 5-0 or better with a sub-1.50 ERA on a single day since August 10, 1981 (6-0, 1.12). pic.twitter.com/o9Tl7kvKF3
The Chicago White Sox's Martín Pérez, Kansas City Royals' Cole Ragans, Cincinnati Reds' Andrew Abbott, Baltimore Orioles' Cade Povich, New York Yankees' Carlos Rodón, New York Mets' David Peterson, San Diego Padres' Kyle Hart and Los Angeles Angels' Tyler Anderson are the lefties expected to start Friday's slate of games.
More must-reads:
- Why Brewers manager Pat Murphy continues to exceed expectations
- Why did the Orioles activate star player during last week of season?
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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Carlos Correa's Statement Gives Daunting Outlook for Astros' New Reality
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Andy Reid Sends Strong Message About Chiefs’ Suspended Star Ahead of Ravens Game
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Could Dallas Mavericks re-sign free agent before training camp?
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ESPN experts make bold prediction over LeBron James' future
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