After rallying for four runs in the ninth inning on New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia, the Los Angeles Dodgers had their hearts broken and four-game winning streak snapped on a Curtis Granderson walk-off home run.
While Julio Urias made his Major League debut and labored through 2.2 innings, the Dodgers turn to another rookie, albeit one with more experience, in Kenta Maeda. After beginning his MLB career on a high note, Maeda has cooled of late.
In nine starts this season, Maeda is 3-3 with a 3.29 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 1.08 WHIP, 15 walks and 48 strikeouts. The Japanese native has struggled during the month of May, going 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in four starts.
He faced the Mets at Dodger Stadium on May 11, allowing four runs on six hits in five innings, suffering the loss. Maeda was largely done in by Noah Syndergaard’s two home runs and four RBIs.
Somewhat surprisingly, Maeda has been much better on the road than at home this season. He’s 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in four road starts. His second go-around against the Mets is in a rematch with Syndergaard, who has proved to be the best of the Mets’ young starters so far this season.
In nine starts, Syndergaard is 5-2 with a 1.94 ERA, 1.71 FIP and 0.98 WHIP. He has 76 strikeouts to just nine walks over 60.1 innings pitched. Syndergaard earned a win and held the Dodgers to two runs over eight innings and had six strikeouts earlier this month.
Corey Seager has had the most success when facing Syndergaard of any Dodgers, as he’s 2-for-4 with one home run. Adrian Gonzalez is 2-for-6 and also have a home run. The pair bat second and fourth, respectively, in the lineup Saturday night.
Mets third baseman David Wright, who homered in Friday’s contest, is out of the lineup with a neck issue.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
RF: Trayce Thompson
CF: Joc Pederson
LF: Howie Kendrick
C: Yasmani Grandal
P: Kenta Maeda
Mets lineup:
RF: Curtis Granderson
SS: Asdrubal Cabrera
LF: Michael Conforto
CF: Yoenis Cespedes
2B: Neil Walker
1B: Eric Cambell
3B: Ty Kelly
C: Rene Rivera
P: Noah Syndergaard
