The Los Angeles Dodgers’ nine-game homestand drew closer to ending on Monday with the start of the Freeway Series. After hosting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a pair, the Dodgers will travel south down Interstate 5 for two more games to conclude the Interleague series.
Kenta Maeda retired the Angels in order in the first inning, collecting a strikeout in the process. Matt Shoemaker matched Maeda in the bottom half of the inning, also picking up his first strikeout of the game.
After Maeda tossed a 1-2-3 second inning, Shoemaker started the bottom of the second with back-to-back strikeouts of Adrian Gonzalez and Yasmani Grandal. Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson drew consecutive two-out walks, which wound up sparking a small rally.
Carl Crawford and Maeda each hit an RBI single to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead before Shoemaker could record the final out. Carlos Perez led off the third inning with a double, and later came around to score on Gregorio Petit’s one-out RBI single.
Yunel Escobar’s base hit put runners on the corners and a Kole Calhoun walk loaded the bases for Mike Trout with one out. To little surprise, that spelled trouble for Maeda as Trout pulled a two-run single into left field.
Albert Pujols tacked on another run with an RBI single, and the Angels took a 4-2 lead to the bottom of the third. Corey Seager led the inning off with a base hit and moved into scoring position on a Shoemaker wild pitch.
Howie Kendrick reached on an error, but was erased at second base on a force out. Yasmani Grandal then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
CONTINUE READING: Pedro Baez struggles, Trayce Thompson hits two home runs
