PHOENIX -- Mike Bolsinger put up another strong outing on Monday in the Dodgers' 6-2 win over the Brewers, trying to bust through the door of opportunity for a spot in the starting rotation.
Bolsinger allowed two singles and a walk in his four scoreless innings, and was so efficient that he threw another 25 pitches in the bullpen after he was done just to get properly stretched out. But it wasn't so much the results for Bolsinger as it was how he attacked hitters.
"I was throwing my bullpen before the game and wasn't looking very good. I was surprised everything came out so sharp. Everything felt good," Bolsinger said. "The fastball was good, and the command of it as well. The offspeed came in pretty well at the end of the game.
"In a way I feel like I can reinvent myself as a pitcher. One hundred percent if you go around the league the scouting report has me as a curveball / offspeed pitcher. I feel like I can fool some guys with my fastball. I felt like I did today. They were taking some weird hacks at it. In those counts where I'd normally throw a curve or a slider, I'd throw a fastball to catch them off guard, and I mixed in a changeup as well."
Bolsinger threw his curveball 35 percent of the time while in the majors in 2015, and while it is an effective pitch it becomes that much better when he is locating his fastball pretty much wherever he wants.
"His fastball command was good. There were numerous pitches he wasn't getting down, but they were well-executed fastballs," manager Dave Roberts said after the game. "His breaking ball was sharp, and he really didn't stress until that last inning."
That last inning saw a pair of Brewers reach base with one out, then Bolsinger induced a fly out for the second out of the inning. He then broke off a curveball to Colin Walsh for a called strike three to end the inning and complete Bolsinger's day after four innings and two strikeouts.
The happy-go-lucky Bolsinger pumped his fist into his glove as he walked off the mound after the strikeout.
"It's always fun to strike someone out with a curveball looking," Bolsinger said. "That always puts a smile on my face."
The Dodgers have to have a smile on their faces with Bolsinger's performance so far this spring. In three Cactus League starts, he has allowed two runs on five hits in nine innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.
With three weeks until opening day, Bolsinger is taking the competition for a rotation spot in stride.
"There are tons of guys here who can take that fifth role as well as I can. You have young guys in the system, you have guys have pitched in the big leagues before," Bolsinger said. "As of right now it's a friendly competition and it's a lot of fun."
Notes
Trayce Thompson hit a three-run home run in the first inning, his second home run of the spring.
Alex Guerrero played for the second straight day, going 0-for-3 with a run scored as the designated hitter.
Alex Wood, who was scratched from his Saturday start with left forearm soreness, will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday and remains in line to make his scheduled start this week, likely Thursday or Friday.
Yasmani Grandal, who caught Scott Kazmir in Monday morning's 'B' game, remains on track to return to Cactus League action on Wednesday. "He feels a little fatigued after playing the sim game, but the good type of fatigue," Roberts said after the game.
Up next
Kenta Maeda gets the start for the Dodgers on Tuesday afternoon against the White Sox, with Chicago the home team at Camelback Ranch. Left-hander Jose Quintana starts for the White Sox