Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald was dialed in on Monday, pitching at Globe Life Field for the first time since … it happened.
By striking out Brandon Nimmo, Sewald already put himself in a better position than in Game 1 of the 2023 World Series against the Texas Rangers, and he continued to attack the strike zone for the second out.
With a chance to face his demons against Corey Seager, whose home run off Sewald tied Game 1 and altered the trajectory of that series, Sewald lost control of a sweeper and hit Seager in the foot before collecting the third out.
“I think most importantly, I got the first guy out instead of walking Leody Taveras. I think that’s what haunts me way more than the homer,” Sewald told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Tuesday. “I think I was really focused. I think that was probably the biggest thing that I took away from yesterday was that I came right at Nimmo … I came out of the gates ready to throw strikes.”
Sewald walked Taveras on five pitches, which allowed Seager to come up as the tying run. Had Taveras innocently grounded out or popped it up, the Seager home run may have been a footnote instead of a traumatic experience for fans in the Valley.
Alas, Sewald said he was trying to be perfect and pulled the sweeper that plunked Seager during their rematch, saying “I’m definitely not trying to bring the winning run to the plate.” He claimed to never have hit any batter on purpose while in the major leagues, admitting he’d done so a couple times in the minor leagues.
With his save on Monday, Sewald improved to 10 scoreless innings in Arlington during the regular season, which he said makes Game 1 all that more frustrating.
Paul Sewald credits health for early success
For this season, Sewald has given the Diamondbacks a reliable ninth inning option in save opportunities while A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez rehab from elbow surgeries.
Sewald is 9-for-9 in saves, one of two pitchers perfect in at least nine save opportunities (San Diego’s Mason Miller unsurprisingly the other).
For the 35-year-old who returned to Arizona on a one-year deal, health has allowed him to pitch freer than the previous two seasons.
“I think that’s pretty much what it comes down to,” Sewald said. “It’s just the ability to go out there and pitch. Last year, I was hurt the most of the season. In 2024, I had two different stints on the IL. It’s hard to feel like you can be yourself when you’re out there trying to figure out exactly how you feel on every pitch. Just gives me the freedom to go out there and compete and worry about making pitches.”
Sewald has been a strike thrower, pitching in the zone on 54% of his pitches with the league average at 48.7%. He is only averaging 91.5 mph with the fastball, but opponents are hitting .185 against it and .045 versus his sweeper.
He has been an extreme fly ball pitcher, with a league-high 87.5%. That has worked out so far, as Sewald has not been nickel and dimed with line drives or sharp ground balls while keeping the ball in the yard during save situations.
Projections are mixed on what to expect from him moving forward. His ERA is 3.07 and expected ERA still a solid 3.58, as many strikeouts and few walks work in his favor. His FIP (fielding-independent pitching) is higher at 4.35, suggesting luck has been involved to a degree, considering he has given up some hard contact.
For a Diamondbacks team that entered the season in need of stability in the bullpen without many obvious answers, Sewald’s success has helped them stay competitive through the ups and downs of the first 40-plus games.
How does the Diamondbacks' current bullpen compare to 2023? Closer Paul Sewald shares his view on how the group has come together.
More from Sewald on @BurnsAndGambo: t.co/f0MDsmvNkM pic.twitter.com/4yHiqFRNjz
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As for the bullpen as a whole, the unit entered Wednesday with the best ERA in the major leagues in May, having allowed four earned runs in 30 innings.
The quintet of Sewald, Taylor Clarke, Jonathan Loaisiga, Brandyn Garcia and Ryan Thompson have allowed zero earned runs in a combined 18.1 frames with five hits between them. Importantly, the bullpen has surrendered eight walks this month, the fewest in the NL.
“I think we’ve done a really good job of throwing strikes,” Sewald said. “I think that’s been the biggest thing. … We’ve been towards the top of every category we’re looking for throwing strikes, getting ahead, not walking people.
“You have a couple of guys with big stuff, like (Juan) Morillo, who as long as he throws strikes, he’s rarely going to give up any damage. I think that’s been the biggest thing. We’ve just done a good job of attacking hitters and getting them 0-1, 1-2, 0-2. And then you get the ability to make your pitch.”
On the season as a whole, the D-backs’ bullpen has the game’s lowest walk rate with 3.01 per nine innings. Six of the eight pitchers in it have an ERA under 3.40, while Kevin Ginkel is just higher at 3.94 and Brandon Pfaadt is filling a length role.
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