Starts have been hard to come by in recent games for Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernandez as the club is in a stretch where they’re facing right-handed starting pitchers. However, with Justin Turner getting Saturday off due to getting spiked the night prior, it moved Howie Kendrick to third base.
Kendrick had been starting in left field, which is the position Hernandez has primarily played this season. The super-utility player was back in left and batting sixth for the middle game of the series with the Colorado Rockies.
Given a 3-0 lead to work with by the second inning, Kenta Maeda turned in his best outing of the season in his Coors Field debut. Maeda managed to spin one slider after another, keeping Rockies hitters off balance throughout the night.
The right-hander flirted with a no-hitter that was eventually lost with one out in the sixth inning. Colorado went on to load the bases that inning, though Maeda worked his way out of the jam by retiring Nolan Arenado and Gerardo Parra.
Maeda threw 6.1 shutout innings, collecting a season-high eight strikeouts. His no-hit bid was saved in the fifth inning as Hernandez made an over-the-shoulder catch while on the run and falling down for third out:
