The Los Angeles Dodgers entered play on Sunday, their final game before the All-Star break, in position to at worst split a four-game series with the San Diego Padres. A victory, however, would extend the Dodgers’ modest winning streak to three games.
Kenta Maeda’s first half of the 2016 season came to a close against a team he’d already faced two times this season. Maeda in the first outing, which was his Major League debut, spun six shutout innings at Petco Park.
He allowed four runs on four hits in five innings the second time out against the Padres and didn’t earn a decision in a Dodgers’ victory.
Third time was a charm for Maeda as he held the Padres to just one run and set a career high with 13 strikeouts:
Maeda’s previous career high in strikeouts was nine, set June 8 against the Colorado Rockies. He
became the first Dodgers starting pitcher not named Clayton Kershaw to go seven innings in a start since May 14.
Scott Kazmir was the last to accomplish it, in a stretch that spanned across 45 games. Maeda improved to 8-6 and lowered his ERA to 2.95 and WHIP to 1.09. What’s more, the Japanese native surpassed 100 innings pitched on the season, which earned him a $250,000 bonus.
