Ryan Brasier shows off, his way

Ryan Brasier has a 0.72 ERA, the lowest of any Dodger pitcher with at least four appearances this season, but that might come as a surprise to you.

Brasier is quiet — he doesn’t have a walk up song or a celebratory move after a strikeout —but incredibly efficient. Left handed batters are hitting just .115 against his cutter, and with a solid slider and fastball, he makes a great choice in tough situations. He also has the lowest ERA of any NL reliever with at least 11 appearances.

“I think what makes relievers special is the ability to control your heart rate through an entire game,” pitcher Caleb Ferguson said, per J.P. Hoornstra at the Orange County Register. “It can get emotional at times late in games. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned: the best ones can control it. He’s definitely got it.”

With Daniel Hudson and Blake Treinen recovering from injuries, Brasier has been a boon for the Dodgers. He and former Boston Red Sox teammate Joe Kelly have helped fill those gaps nicely, combining for 46 innings of relief (though Brasier has taken the vast majority, with 36.2 innings pitched).

Links

• The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya answers fans’ questions about Dave Roberts’ tenure, the Dodgers’ pitching plans, and more in this week’s mailbag.
• Joel Reuter at Bleacher Report ranks every playoff contender’s ace, including Clayton Kershaw, and predicts the playoff rotation.
• Mookie Betts is getting one more chance to prove himself worthy of the National League MVP award, writes Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times. What stands in the superstar’s way?