By Sam Bush
Jose Alvarado was sent down to Triple-A at the end of May after posting an 11.37 ERA.
He was brought back up in June, and since then has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball. In 38 innings pitched from June through October, the lefty gave up just 10 earned runs. In September and October regular season action, Alvarado allowed zero earned runs. Over that span, he struck out 64 opposing batters.
In the postseason, he has pitched five innings — but has given up three earned runs, one of which was a solo shot to Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud in Saturday’s NLDS clincher. In those innings, Alvarado has five strikeouts. While his postseason numbers may seem lackluster, it is important to note the reliever’s passion and intensity while being asked to pitch multiple innings in those games.
Alvarado has shown dominant stuff in recent months. He left the mound on Saturday to a standing ovation from Phillies fans, who gave him the credit he deserves.
José Alvarado, Ferocious 94mph Cutter. ✂️ pic.twitter.com/GCuTjbbBOk
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 15, 2022
