Although the Los Angeles Dodgers lost the series finale to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, they escaped with another series victory, and are 4-3 on the current homestand. Up next for the Dodgers is the inaugural Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The series is split between two games at Dodger Stadium and two at Angel Stadium. It kicks off with Kenta Maeda and Matt Shoemaker on the bump. The Dodgers have won four consecutive games against Anaheim at home and have won nine of the last 14 contests.
Maeda is coming off the worst start in his young Major League career, allowing four runs on six hits and issuing two walks in just five innings pitched. He was particularly hurt by New York Mets righty Noah Syndergaard, who hit a pair of home runs to drive in all four of the Mets’ runs.
The outing was the first time in seven games Maeda did not throw at least six innings. He faces an Angels team for that he last saw in a final tuneup for the regular season. Maeda allowed two runs and had two strikeouts in four innings of work.
On the season Maeda is 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 1.02 WHIP. As for Shoemaker, he’s endured an interesting first month of the season. He was sent down to Triple-A after allowing seven runs on nine hits in just 2.1 innings.
Shoemaker collected eight strikeouts and allowed one run on six hits across six innings of his lone Triple-A start. Injuries in their starting rotation, headlined by Garrett Richards requiring Tommy John surgery, required the Angeles to recall Shoemaker.
His first start back was on May 11 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Shoemaker took the loss, as he allowed seven hits and four runs in four innings pitched. He’s faced the Dodgers just once over his three-year career.
In a 2014 loss, Shoemaker allowed six hits and two runs over six innings pitched. In six starts this season, Shoemaker is 1-5 with a 9.12 ERA, 6.20 FIP and 1.91 WHIP.
Trayce Thompson gives Yasiel Puig, who is in the midst of a slump, the day off. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects to play Puig in the games to follow this week. Howie Kendrick, who played left field on Sunday, moves over to third base.
With Kendrick filling in for Justin Turner, and Thompson in right field, it results in Carl Crawford starting in left field. As for the Angels, Maeda will get his first look at Mike Trout.
The All-Star center fielder did not play in either of the exhibition Freeway Series games this year due to illness.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Howie Kendrick
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Yasmani Grandal
CF: Joc Pederson
RF: Trayce Thompson
LF: Carl Crawford
P: Kenta Maeda
Angels lineup:
3B: Yunel Escobar
RF: Kole Calhoun
CF: Mike Trout
1B: Albert Pujols
LF: Daniel Nava
2B: Johnny Giavotella
C: Carlos Perez
P: Matt Shoemaker
SS: Gregorio Petit
