Eric Lauer just pulled off something no Dodger reliever has done since 1982. Six no-hit innings out of the bullpen. That’s not a typo.
The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday with a creative pitching plan, and it worked about as well as any manager could hope. Will Klein started as the opener and handled the first inning. Then Lauer came in and simply took over.
He didn’t allow a hit. He didn’t walk anyone until the sixth. He carved through the Twins lineup like he’d been doing it for years in LA instead of just showing up earlier this season as a depth pickup from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dodgers Nation flagged the milestone on social media: Lauer became the first Dodgers reliever to throw six no-hit innings in 42 years. Dave Stewart was the last guy to do it, all the way back in 1982.
A bullpen move that actually worked
The Dodgers have been banged up on the mound. Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Blake Treinen — all dealing with injuries. The bullpen has absorbed a ton of innings. So rolling with an opener for Lauer wasn’t just a cute idea. It was a necessity born from a rotation that’s been held together with duct tape and hope.
Lauer had struggled at times with early-inning traffic earlier this year. The opener strategy cleaned that up. He started clean in the second inning and never looked back. By the time he was done, he’d given the Dodgers six innings of zero-hit relief and gave the bullpen a much-needed breather.
That kind of length matters when your pitching staff is limping through a long season. It’s not just a one-game feel-good story. It’s a roster stabilizer.
History and stakes
Lauer’s name now sits next to Dave Stewart in the franchise record book, which is not something anyone would have predicted when the Dodgers picked him up as a low-risk depth option. But here we are.
The win also pushed Los Angeles to 50 wins on the season, first team in the majors to get there. Five of their last seven wins have come by a single run. So it’s not like they’re blowing teams out. But they’re finding ways to win, and Lauer’s performance was the biggest reason they took game one in Minnesota.
What happens next for Lauer? The Dodgers haven’t said anything official about extending his role. But when a journeyman reliever throws six no-hit innings and makes history in the process, the conversation kind of writes itself.
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