LOS ANGELES — It was mid-March and Tyler Anderson wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. Spring training was ongoing and he was still a free agent. He had a few offers on the table, some as a starting pitcher.
But when the Dodgers called, the veteran left-hander was curious what the pitching-friendly organization might be able to help him with. The catch, however, was that Anderson would likely serve as a deep play and jump out of the bullpen early in the season.
Since then, Anderson has proven to be one of the most important plays for the Dodgers. Starters Walker Buehler, Andrew Heaney and Clayton Kershaw were all injured at some point this season, opening the door for Anderson to get a bigger role.
The left-hander took the chance with the best start of his career. On Wednesday, Anderson capped his magical start to the season with one of the best starts of his life, just two outs from becoming the 24th no-hitter in franchise history, in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Angels at Dodger Stadium.
Anderson dominated the Angels lineup. The excitement at Dodger Stadium grew with every out. A nearly sold-out crowd held their breath at each pitch. But on Anderson’s 123rd pitch of the evening, a career highlight, reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani ended the no-hit bid with a one-out triple into the right corner of the field.