Bruihl Becomes Fifth Former Mustang to Play in MLB Postseason
10/17/2021 11:21:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw Justin Bruihl is the fifth former Cal Poly baseball player to play in a Major League postseason game.
In the opening game of the 2021 National League Championship Series on Saturday night at Truist Park in Atlanta, Bruihl was summoned from the bullpen with one out in the third inning, the game tied 1-1.
Bruihl struck out Braves pitcher Max Fried swinging on a 2-2 pitch, then induced Eddie Rosario to ground out to Dodger second baseman Trae Turner to end the inning. Freddie Freeman struck out swinging on an 0-2 pitch to start the fourth frame.
After retiring all three batters he faced, Bruihl was relieved by Tony Gonsolin. Bruihl left the game with a 2-1 lead but the Dodgers lost 3-2 on a walk-off RBI single by the Braves' Austin Riley.
The Dodgers selected Bruihl's contract from Oklahoma City on August 7 and signed him to a Major League contract. He was 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA for the Dodgers, striking out 11 over 18 2/3 innings and not allowing a run in 18 of his 21 appearances on the mound.
The 20th Mustang to play in the Major Leagues, Bruihl retired five of the six batters he faced to wrap up an 8-2 Los Angeles Dodgers victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in his debut August 8.
Bruihl was not on the Dodgers' postseason roster for the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers elected to go with just 12 pitchers in the five-game series, then added Bruihl as the 13th pitcher for the best-of-seven NLCS.
Bruihl, now 24, pitched at Cal Poly during the 2016 season. In a team-high 25 appearances on the mound as a freshman, including one start, Bruihl was 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA, striking out 27 batters over 31 1/3 innings. He secured five outs for his victory at Hawai'i on April 16, 2016.
Following his lone season with the Mustangs in 2016, Bruihl returned to his hometown and pitched one year at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2017. After committing to Cal, he signed an undrafted free agent contract from the Dodgers on July 15, 2017.
In three minor league seasons, Bruihl is a combined 14-2 with a 3.73 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 72 games. His minor league career included stops at Ogden in 2018, Rancho Cucamonga and Great Lakes in 2019 and, following the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, Oklahoma City and Tulsa this year.
The four previous ex-Mustangs to play in MLB postseason games were shortstop Ozzie Smith, third baseman Brent Morel and pitchers Mike Krukow and Bud Norris.
Smith played in 42 postseason games, all with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1996. The Hall of Famer played in three World Series, the Cardinals beating the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982 and losing to the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and the Minnesota Twins in 1987.
The Wizard hit .236 in postseason games, going 34-for-144 with one double, two triples and one home run with 10 RBIs. His home run was a walk-off solo blast to right field in the fifth game of the 1985 NLCS off the Dodgers' Tom Niedenfuer at Busch Stadium.
Krukow pitched in just one playoff game and it was a complete game as the Giants defeated St. Louis 4-2 in Game 4 of the 1987 NLCS at Candlestick Park on Oct. 10. Krukow scattered nine hits, walked one, struck out three and threw 101 pitches. The Cardinals, however, came back to win the series, four games to three.
Morel also appeared in just one postseason game in his Major League career. Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was a pinch-hitter for John Holdzkom in the eighth inning of the 2014 National League Wild Card game Oct. 1 at PNC Park (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco and fouled out to right field against Madison Bumgarner. The Giants won the game 8-0.
Norris pitched in a pair of postseason games in 2014, earning one win along with a no-decision.
Pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in the third game of the ALDS at Detroit on Oct. 5, Norris pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the win in the series-clinching 2-1 triumph, allowing two hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Then in Game 2 of the ALCS against Kansas City, Norris went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Norris left the game when it was tied 4-4. The Royals won the game 6-4, scoring two runs in the ninth inning, and went on to sweep the Orioles in the best-of-seven series.
In the opening game of the 2021 National League Championship Series on Saturday night at Truist Park in Atlanta, Bruihl was summoned from the bullpen with one out in the third inning, the game tied 1-1.
Bruihl struck out Braves pitcher Max Fried swinging on a 2-2 pitch, then induced Eddie Rosario to ground out to Dodger second baseman Trae Turner to end the inning. Freddie Freeman struck out swinging on an 0-2 pitch to start the fourth frame.
After retiring all three batters he faced, Bruihl was relieved by Tony Gonsolin. Bruihl left the game with a 2-1 lead but the Dodgers lost 3-2 on a walk-off RBI single by the Braves' Austin Riley.
The Dodgers selected Bruihl's contract from Oklahoma City on August 7 and signed him to a Major League contract. He was 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA for the Dodgers, striking out 11 over 18 2/3 innings and not allowing a run in 18 of his 21 appearances on the mound.
Bruihl was not on the Dodgers' postseason roster for the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers elected to go with just 12 pitchers in the five-game series, then added Bruihl as the 13th pitcher for the best-of-seven NLCS.
Bruihl, now 24, pitched at Cal Poly during the 2016 season. In a team-high 25 appearances on the mound as a freshman, including one start, Bruihl was 1-3 with a 4.88 ERA, striking out 27 batters over 31 1/3 innings. He secured five outs for his victory at Hawai'i on April 16, 2016.
Following his lone season with the Mustangs in 2016, Bruihl returned to his hometown and pitched one year at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2017. After committing to Cal, he signed an undrafted free agent contract from the Dodgers on July 15, 2017.
In three minor league seasons, Bruihl is a combined 14-2 with a 3.73 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 72 games. His minor league career included stops at Ogden in 2018, Rancho Cucamonga and Great Lakes in 2019 and, following the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, Oklahoma City and Tulsa this year.
The four previous ex-Mustangs to play in MLB postseason games were shortstop Ozzie Smith, third baseman Brent Morel and pitchers Mike Krukow and Bud Norris.
Smith played in 42 postseason games, all with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1996. The Hall of Famer played in three World Series, the Cardinals beating the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982 and losing to the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and the Minnesota Twins in 1987.
The Wizard hit .236 in postseason games, going 34-for-144 with one double, two triples and one home run with 10 RBIs. His home run was a walk-off solo blast to right field in the fifth game of the 1985 NLCS off the Dodgers' Tom Niedenfuer at Busch Stadium.
Krukow pitched in just one playoff game and it was a complete game as the Giants defeated St. Louis 4-2 in Game 4 of the 1987 NLCS at Candlestick Park on Oct. 10. Krukow scattered nine hits, walked one, struck out three and threw 101 pitches. The Cardinals, however, came back to win the series, four games to three.
Morel also appeared in just one postseason game in his Major League career. Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was a pinch-hitter for John Holdzkom in the eighth inning of the 2014 National League Wild Card game Oct. 1 at PNC Park (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco and fouled out to right field against Madison Bumgarner. The Giants won the game 8-0.
Norris pitched in a pair of postseason games in 2014, earning one win along with a no-decision.
Pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in the third game of the ALDS at Detroit on Oct. 5, Norris pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the win in the series-clinching 2-1 triumph, allowing two hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Then in Game 2 of the ALCS against Kansas City, Norris went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Norris left the game when it was tied 4-4. The Royals won the game 6-4, scoring two runs in the ninth inning, and went on to sweep the Orioles in the best-of-seven series.
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