Blake Snell is peaking at exactly the right moment for the Dodgers.
The veteran left-hander just put together back-to-back gems that haven’t been matched in over a century. We’re talking about a pitching performance so rare that you have to go back to Cy Young himself in 1905 to find anything comparable.
Wednesday night against the Phillies, Snell went seven innings allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out 12. His previous start against Colorado? Six frames, two hits, two walks, and 11 strikeouts.
Zero runs allowed in either outing. Zero extra-base hits.
That combination – at least 11 strikeouts, two or fewer hits, two or fewer walks, no runs, no extra-base hits in consecutive starts – hasn’t been done since the original Cy Young, according to OptaStats. The irony? Snell’s already got two Cy Young Awards of his own.
It’s been a strange season for the 32-year-old Snell. Injuries limited him to just 10 starts, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been dominant. That 2.44 ERA tells the story, along with 67 strikeouts in 55.1 innings.
This is Snell’s first year in Dodger blue, and the timing couldn’t be better. Los Angeles is gearing up to defend their World Series title, and they’re getting vintage Snell right when it matters most.
There’s some history here too. The last time Snell pitched in the World Series, he was on the other side – wearing a Rays uniform against these same Dodgers in 2020. That’s when Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash made the controversial call to pull Snell from Game 6 in what many felt was a premature hook.
Five years later, Snell’s proving he’s still got that elite stuff. The way he’s throwing right now, no playoff team wants to see him on the mound come October.
When you’re accomplishing feats not seen since the guy they named the award after, that’s a pretty good sign you’re doing something special.
