After getting shut out in the series opener against the Washington Nationals, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned the favor on Friday night by earning a 5-0 victory.
Joc Pederson got the offense started early, hitting a leadoff home run off Nationals starter Anibal Sanchez to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The leadoff homer was Pederson’s 14th of his career, which ties him for second in franchise history along with Rafael Furcal and ranks behind only Davey Lopes (28).
Pederson wasn’t done there though as he came up for his third at-bat to off the fifth inning. He took Sanchez deep again to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0. The multi-home run game was Pederson’s third this season alone and 11th of his career.
With Los Angeles still leading 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, David Freese tacked on insurance with his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field.
While scoring is never a bad thing, all of the runs after Pederson’s leadoff homer in the first inning turned out not to be needed considering the Dodgers pitching staff was flawless on the night.
Kenta Maeda turned in his best start of the season, tossing six shutout innings while allowing just one hit and issuing two walks to go along with six strikeouts.
Julio Urias relieved him in the seventh inning and wound up giving a break to the rest of the bullpen by completing the final three innings to earn his second save in his career.
Urias allowed three hits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth inning when Max Muncy made an outstanding diving play and force out to rob Anthony Rendon and keep the Nationals off the scoreboard.
