Dodgers Interview: Tommy Tanks Comes Through (with a single)
LOS ANGELES — Tommy Edman kept it simple and timely. Playing second on Thursday, he punched a sixth-inning RBI single to center that stood up as the winner in a 3–1 game. He did it on a day with tough light and a tougher arm on the mound against them. Afterward he walked through the at-bat, the learning curve, and how this club feels one win away from the Promised Land.
“Misiorowski’s good,” Edman said. “His stuff is electric. He had good command of everything today. Not the easiest day to see either, but we were doing our best to battle up there and we were fortunate we scraped that run across.”
It was his first look at the rookie fireballer. “That was the first time I faced him,” he said. “Knowing how his pitches move, he’s a very unique pitcher. He’s got a lot of extension, so it seems like he’s releasing it right on top of you. I think just getting some familiarity with his pitch types and how you need to attack him.” The plan never drifted far from the heater. “I’m not really looking for secondary,” Edman said. “He throws 102 miles an hour, so you’ve got to be ready for the fastball. The swing I took, I was able to stay through it and get it out to center field. You can’t look for speed against a guy like that.”
He added a bonus run with his legs and a little surprise. “On the rebound pick-up throw, I was really surprised,” he said of being barely off the bag when Milwaukee tried to nab him. “I’m glad it happened though. He gave us that insurance run.”
The ankle keeps trending up. “It’s feeling really good right now,” Edman said. “Definitely getting closer to 100 percent. Hopefully I can start to be more of a threat out there on the bases.”
A second straight pennant is in reach. “We’re really excited,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a trying year. We didn’t play the best during the regular season, but we’re getting hot at the right time. We’re one win away and hoping we can finish it off tomorrow.”
Health and depth are the reasons he keeps hearing in the room. “A big thing is just being healthy,” Edman said. “All our starting pitchers have been healthy and throwing really well for pretty much the past two months. A lot of the offense is getting going as well, and the depth of our lineup has been a big part of it throughout the postseason.”
He has never seen a run of starting pitching like this. “That staff has allowed just one run in four straight playoff games,” he said. “Only nine hits so far this series. I’ve never seen anything like it. We have four aces in our playoff rotation. They’ve faced three really tough pitchers so far and normally there’d be a little relief tomorrow, but now they’ve got to face Sho tomorrow, so it’s not going to be much easier. It’s a lot of fun to play behind for sure. I’m glad I don’t have to face those guys.”
As for his own October heartbeat, he kept it steady. “I think it’s kind of random to get hot at the right time,” Edman said. “We have guys who have the slow heartbeat and that’s what makes us successful in the postseason. Nobody gets too excited, nobody gets too down. We do a good job of staying in the moment, staying levelheaded, even in the big situations, and it results in a lot of wins.”
That approach matters against Milwaukee’s style. “The experience is really helpful,” he said. “We’ve played in some really big games. Against a team like this you’ve got to be prepared. You know they’re going to try to create stuff on the bases and put a lot of pressure on us, and you’ve just got to stay calm.” One defensive sequence stood out for him. “The play that Muncy made,” Edman said, speaking of Max Muncy cutting down a runner at the plate on a swinging bunt. “They’re going on contact and trying to score that run. He did a good job of not trying to rush the throw, knowing he had time, and made a really good play and threw a strike home.”
One swing to center. One more game to clinch. “We’re getting hot at the right time,” Edman said. “We’re hoping we can finish it off tomorrow.”
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
