It is so fitting that it is October and Halloween is right around the corner because San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader is giving opposing hitters nightmares in the 2022 MLB Playoffs. It has been quite the roller coaster season for Hader.
One of the greatest relievers in MLB history has been through it all this season. It began with near perfection as he continued to etch his name in the record books. Then his struggles started and when they continued he was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers. When he got to the Padres his issues took a horrendous dive and was subsequently removed from the closer role. Despite the struggles, he worked his way back to looking like a three-time National League Reliever of the Year.
Now, after all of the ups and downs, he is redeeming himself in the most significant moments baseball has to offer. Here is a quick look into what he has done during the playoffs with the Padres.
A Perfect Postseason
Wild Card
In the expanded playoffs, the Padres claimed the No. 5 seed in the NL which paired them up with the No. 4 seeded New York Mets (101-61). The first two games were blowout wins splitting the series at one game apiece so Hader was not needed.
Game three was also a blowout as the Padres were up 6-0 heading into the ninth. However, three outs away from the Divisional Series they did not take any chances and brought in Hader.
Hader began the inning by doing what he does best which is strikeout hitters. Then he got Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte to ground out to end the game.
Three quick outs later, the Mets were sent home and the Padres were moving on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Divisional Series
This was not just any divisional series matchup, the Padres had to take on the Dodgers (111-51) who have owned the NL West and the Padres for over a decade. During the regular season, the Padres went 5-14 against their divisional foes.
In the nine games between these two in the second half, Hader was used three times. He recorded one blown save and zero saves. His experience was extremely limited mainly due to a ton of Dodgers blowouts.
After falling behind in the series 0-1, the Padres bounced back big time by winning three straight to eliminate the team that has tormented them. Remarkably, Josh Hader was able to close out all three of their wins.
Game two was not his prettiest performance. He was brought in with two outs in the eighth for a four-out save. Despite allowing a two-out walk in the eighth and a two-out double in the ninth, he struck out one and induced three flyouts to close it out.
Games three and four held immense weight and when he was brought in it was game over. His final two innings went six up and six down. The first of his six outs was a pop-out, but the final five were all strikeouts. He completed one of the biggest upsets in playoff history by striking out Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman with ease.
Championship Series
For the first time in 28 years, the Padres are in the NLCS. After the two 100-win opponents they already toppled, their confidence must be at an all-time high. The final National League team standing in their way is the Philadelphia Phillies (87-75), the team to make the playoffs. As expected the final two NL teams to make the playoffs are battling for a spot in the World Series.
Game one was all Phillies as they ended up shutting out the Padres which gave Hader another day of rest.
In game two, when his name was called with an 8-5 lead, Hader was more than ready. Picking up right where he left off, Hader came in and struck out all three batters he faced giving him eight straight strikeouts.
Rarities
Even with all of Hader’s success, some of the things he has done in the playoffs have been pretty uncommon.
Over his five appearances, he has struck out a total of 10. The last time he struck out 10 over five appearances was July 3-12, 2022 when he had 11.
Even more impressive, throughout his five appearances totaling 5.1 innings, his only blemishes have been one hit and one walk. The last time he had a stretch of five or more innings this excellent was between April 13-26, 2022. During that stretch, he went 6.1 innings with only one hit and one walk.
Finally, the last time he had back-to-back innings where he struck out the side was September 30 and October 3, 2021. However, what makes these last two playoff outings extremely special is that is it the first time he has ever gone a perfect six up and six down with six strikeouts.
Wrap Up
It appears that the phenomenal Josh Hader is back to pitching the way he did through the first couple of months of the season with the Brewers. The Josh Hader that has appeared in the playoffs has been absolutely magical. His ability to use any pitch to make opposing hitters look like fools is remarkable. He has proved to the Padres that he is ready for any moment and that he can be one of the defining factors as the NLCS progresses. The series continues Friday in San Diego.
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