The Los Angeles Dodgers emerged victorious in the rubber match of a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. Los Angeles now finds themselves one game behind the San Francisco Giants entering play on Monday.
Although Brandon McCarthy struggled through another lackluster start, he minimized the damage. Rob Segedin provided offense early, and Adrian Gonzalez and Kiké Hernandez chipped in late.
Gonzalez’s home run was the 300th of his career, while Segedin put together a historic performance in his Major League debut.
The 27-year-old, who up until Sunday spent his entire career in the Minors, set a Dodgers franchise record for most RBIs in a Major League debut — four.
After the Dodgers’ win, Segedin expressed his gratitude over the January trade that provided him with a change of scenery via J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:
“I’ve always trusted in my abilities,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re with an organization and you’re not a free agent and you’re stuck, there’s only so many opportunities you can get. I’m just thankful that the Dodgers did the trade in January.”
Segedin was acquired from the New York Yankees in exchange for Tyler Olson and Ronald Torreyes. Segedin’s career at one point took a step back when he was demoted from Triple-A to Double-A.
Joining a new franchise proved beneficial for Segedin as he had a strong showing during Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. He carried that success over into the season, batting .319/.392/.598 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs in 103 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Segedin was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team.