With the Los Angeles Dodgers using off days last week to adjust their starting rotation, it provided Trevor Bauer with an opportunity to face the San Diego Padres — and Manny Machado — for the first time this season in the series finale at Petco Park.
Bauer and the Dodgers wound up being in position to complete a sweep of their biggest threat in the National League West, but Eric Hosmer lifted the Padres to a comeback win with key hits in the late innings.
Bauer held San Diego to just one run on three hits, and had seven strikeouts in six innings of work. He exited with a 2-1 that evaporated in the bottom of the seventh. “It was OK. I thought I competed well, made some good pitches, made some bad pitches,” Bauer said of his outing.
“I wasn’t particularly sharp, I felt my velocity was pretty good. Probably the best it’s been for a whole game, so that was encouraging. A little bit more of a battle. They put up some good at-bats.”
Of the three hits Bauer allowed, two were to Machado. The Padres’ third baseman has enjoyed career success against the right-hander, though there was some reprieve for Bauer as both hits were only singles.
“I kept him in the park, so going in the right direction,” he said.
Machado now is a career 12-for-19 with two doubles, four home runs and six RBI against Bauer. They will likely meet again during a four-game series that begins at Dodger Stadium later this week.
Bauer pleased with velocity progression
Bauer had several fastballs that were in the mid-to-high 90s, which was an improvement on his previous three outings. “It’s generally how it happens for me as I progress into a season,” he said. “I think that I usually hit my velo in June-ish. That’s kind of when I get to when I’m carrying 94, 95, 96 (mph) throughout an entire game.
“Really, what’s been bringing my averages down so far this year is the first couple pitches of an innings where I’m 88 or 89 (mph). I didn’t have any of those today, so that was encouraging. I’ve been doing some stuff in between innings and just trying to get that tightened up.”
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