Pitcher for the Dodgers Landon Knack faced the Atlanta Braves on Friday and it was the hardest start of his career. He allowed seven hits, five earned runs, two walks, and one strikeout in just two innings. The Braves’ 6-2 triumph was made possible by the difficult outing. Knack had a good first inning, but in the second he lost control and let up four hits before being removed from the game. This was an unusual outing for the rookie, who generally commands the mound with great authority.
Dave Roberts, manager of the Dodgers, encouraged Knack to get past the poor start by speaking positively rather than negatively. According to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register, Roberts stated, “I told him on the bench—it happened.” “He has taken us on wonderful adventures,
Knack’s prospects going forward, including in the postseason, will not be impacted by this start, Roberts reaffirmed. Roberts said, “I’m looking forward to his next start.” “This performance won’t impact his role going forward.”
From his MLB debut in April until this setback, Knack has been a dependable arm for the Dodgers. Prior to the game on Friday, he had only allowed three or more earned runs in two out of his ten starts and had never allowed five. Knack had also just finished a fantastic outing the week before, tying a career-high six innings pitched and eight strikeouts.
Knack’s potential is not diminished by a bad start, as Roberts highlighted. Like a lot of Dodgers pitchers this year, he continues to be an important member of the rotation, barring
