When ThinkBlueLA broke the news on Sunday afternoon that 25-year-old Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin had been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, it was met with a flood of skepticism and doubt. Of chief concern was that the Vacaville, CA native and Dodgers ninth-round draft pick in 2016 out of St. Mary’s College of California in Moraga, CA was being thrust from the frying pan of Chase Field in Arizona into the fire that is mile-high Coors Field in Denver, where earned run averages go to die.

In his previous outing, a start in his major league debut in front of family and friends against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the aforementioned frying pan of Chase Field on June 26, Gonsolin was rocked for six runs on six hits (including a home run) in his 4.0 innings of work, suffering the eventual 8-2 loss to the snakes; after which he, his 0-1 record, and his unsightly 9.00 ERA were optioned back to Triple-A OKC – not as punishment or anything of that nature, but to clear a spot on the Dodgers 25-man roster for left-hander Zac Rosscup, whom the Dodgers traded away to the St. Louis Cardinals for cash consideration three days later.

But despite harsh criticism on social media for the seemingly uncaring Dodgers thrusting Gonsolin into the aforementioned fire of Coors Field where many expected the mustached 6′-3″ / 205-pound hard-throwing right-hander to fail, it was he who got the last laugh … and the Dodgers first four+ inning save by a Dodger rookie since former Dodgers right-hander Matt Herges did so on June 10, 2000.

Although Gonsolin did not get the start on Tuesday night, he entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning in relief of 29-year-old right-hander Casey Sadler, who himself came in to relieve soon-to-be (on August 12) 23-year-old Dodgers left-handed starter Julio Urias.

All Gonsolin did was retire the first eleven batters he faced, including two via strikeout. And even though things got a bit dicey in the bottom of the ninth when he allowed one run on three consecutive two-out hits (including a RBI double by Rockies pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson) to make it a 9-4 ballgame, he struck out new Dodgers nemesis David Dahl on a full count to secure the win for the Dodgers (and Sadler), while etching his name into Dodgers history.

“It was all about his fastball command tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Gonsolin after his team’s 70th win of the season. “Saved the ‘pen and, just more importantly for Tony, just the confidence. For any pitcher, in this ballpark, it’s a leap of faith, and we showed the confidence and he didn’t let the conditions affect him.”

Although Gonsolin is expected to be optioned back to OKC prior to Sunday’s series finale against their division rivals, he is hopeful that his brilliant six innings of work on Tuesday will earn him a permanent role with the team.

“I’d like to think so,” Gonsolin told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo after the game. “It’s all about doing whatever I can to help the team while I’m up here.”

But in addition to showcasing his stellar six-inning / one-run / three-hit / three-strikeout outing (with no walks) performance for his own team, it was also witnessed by the many baseball scouts in the house only hours before MLB’s one and only trade deadline, which happens at 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday afternoon.

Stay tuned…

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