The Dodgers (7-9) took on the Padres (7-12) tonight looking to sweep their Southern California counterparts behind the arm of Kenta Maeda. Maeda, who has a 1-1 record, 2.08 ERA and 1.731 WHIP through 3 games so far this season faced Luis Perdomo who returned from his five-game suspension tonight. The Dodgers would quickly welcome Perdomo back by tagging him for 9 runs (7 ER) on 10 hits enroute to a 13-4 victory.
Corey Seager would get things going for the Dodgers in the top of the 1st inning with a lead-off walk. Yasmani Grandal, who began the game with the second highest batting average in the National League, would continue his hot streak and line a base hit to right field advancing Seager to third. Cody Bellinger would bat next and score Seager on a line drive to center to put the Dodgers on the board 1-0. Matt Kemp would come to the plate next and hit a soft ground ball to third base that was picked up by Christian Villanueva but thrown short to first base allowing both Grandal and Bellinger to score on the error and give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers would get a lead-off walk in the top of the second by Max Muncy, who was acquired last April after being released by the Oakland Athletics and was called up earlier this week. Maeda would then lay down a perfect sac-bunt to advance Muncy to second and, two batters later, Seager would single to score Muncy and put the Dodgers ahead 4-0.
In the bottom of the second the Padres would make Maeda work as Villanueva lead off the inning with a single to center. Two batters later, Carlos Asuaje would single as would Cory Spangenberg to load the bases. Austin Hedges came to the dish next and would draw a walk on a 3-1 pitch that was clearly a strike, yet called a ball by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, to score Villanueva and make it 4-1. Perdomo would then hit a sac-fly to left field to score Asuaje but Maeda would get out of the inning on a ground ball by Jose Pirela keeping the score at 4-2.
The flood gates would open in the third that began with a lead off double by Bellinger followed by a single by Kemp putting runners at first and third with nobody out. Joc Pederson would single on a ground ball to right field to score Bellinger and Chase Utley would double to the gap in left-center field to score both Kemp and Pederson to make it 7-2.
Muncy would bat next and crush his first homer as a Dodger – a two-run shot to left field to make it 9-2.
In the bottom of the third, the Padres would strike again starting with a one-out single by Eric Hosmer followed by a walk to Villanueva. Two batters later, Asuaje would double down the left-field line to score both Hosmer and Villanueva making it 9-4. Maeda would eventually get out of the inning without allowing any more damage and would finish the game allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 through 5.2 innings.
With one on and nobody out in the bottom of the 7th, Chase Headley would hit a hard ground ball to Muncy who was playing third base. Muncy would field the ball in foul territory and throw a bullet to Bellinger to record the out. Not only does he have the slugging ability but he has the arm as well!
The 9-4 score would hold until the top of the 8th when Chris Taylor began the inning with a ground ball single to left field resulting in all 8 regulars recording at least one hit. Two batters later, Grandal would double down the right-field line to score Taylor to make it 10-4 and result in all 8 regulars recording at least one run scored.
The Boys in Blue weren’t done yet, though, and would tack on 3 more runs in the top of the 9th, just for good measure, beginning with a line drive single by Pederson followed by a bloop single by Kiké Hernández. Two batters later, Yasiel Puig would rope a line drive to right field to score Pederson and make it 11-4. With two outs, Seager would come to the plate and rocket a double to left-field that ricocheted off the glove of Matt Szczur to score Kiké and Puig to put the game on ice with a score of 13-4. Seager would finish the night 4-5 with a walk, a run scored and 3 RBI’s.
With a season high 13 runs on 18 hits tonight, the Dodgers (8-9) would record their first series sweep this season. Despite the “batting practice” performance, however, there is some concern with Maeda who struggled with his command of the fastball and broke a sweat tossing 106 pitches through 5.2 innings. Regardless, he would be rewarded with the win and the Dodgers would improve their winning streak to four. The Boys in Blue will get tomorrow off before hosting the Washington Nationals (9-10) for a three-game series at Dodger Stadium beginning Friday night at 7:10pm PST.
BakoBoyInBlue
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