Kenta Maeda had been unable to shake free of persistent troubles, but on Friday night pitched seven innings for the first time since July 10, 2016. The Los Angeles Dodgers erased a 2-0 deficit and went on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-3.
Justin Turner extended his hitting streak to 14 games in the bottom of the first inning, and it was a prelude for what was to come from the red-hot third baseman. He finished the night 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Maeda retired the first seven batters faced, including striking out three in a row during the second and third innings. Cameron Rupp’s one-out walk in the third was the Phillies’ first baserunner.
He was erased on a Jerad Eickhoff sacrifice bunt attempt, but that was followed by a Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis two-run double. Andrew Toles singled in the bottom of the third, went first to third on a Turner single, and then scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Dodgers’ deficit in half.
Los Angeles got to Eickhoff again in the fourth, beginning with a Cody Bellinger two-out bunt single to beat the shift. Kiké Hernandez promptly doubled in the game-tying run.
After Corey Seager led off the fifth with a walk, he aggressively went first to third base on an Adrian Gonzalez single. The calculated risk paid off as Yasmani Grandal’s sacrifice fly pushed the Dodgers ahead.
Meanwhile, Maeda continued to keep the Phillies in check. He bookended a 1-2-3 sixth inning with strikeouts. Conventional wisdom held that was all for the right-hander, but he batted for himself in the bottom of the sixth.
He popped-out but with Andrew Toles and Seager on base, Turner ripped a two-run double to left field. Maeda allowed a double to Rupp in the seventh before ending the inning by striking out pinch-hitter Ty Kelly.
Josh Fields failed to make the play on a drag bunt in the eighth, and it was followed by an Odubel Herrera base hit. Maikel Franco’s sacrifice fly trimmed the Dodgers’ lead to 5-3 after both runners advanced on a wild pitch.
That prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to call on Luis Avilan, who struck out Michael Saunders to end the inning. Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth to convert the save opportunity. Los Angeles improved to .500 with their victory.
