Kenta Maeda’s struggles in the first inning reared its head again and so too did command issues. The end result was the Los Angeles Dodgers dropping their road trip and series finale to the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-0.
While Maeda wasn’t particularly sharp, he did manage to keep the damage to a minimum. Eric Thames’ solo home run in the first inning provided the Brewers with an early lead. A walk and hit by pitch in the second inning led to an Eric Sogard two-out RBI base hit.
Maeda became the second Dodgers starter and third in the past four games to only pitch four innings. He threw 92 pitches, allowed the two runs and issued three walks, but did have seven strikeouts.
For as well as the Dodgers have proven they’re capable of swinging the bat, Sunday was not indicative of that. Zach Davies carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
The Dodgers’ lone baserunners to that point came in the first inning when Logan Forsythe reached on an error and Chris Taylor grounded into a force out. Davies retired 11 in a row before Yasmani Grandal’s infield single broke up his no-hitter with one out in the fifth.
Adrian Gonzalez led off the seventh inning with a single to center field, which was followed by a Cody Bellinger bunt single. Oliver Drake and Jacob Barnes combined to squash the threat. Grandal grounded into a double play, and Austin Barnes hit a soft liner to right field.
Davis went six shutout innings, permitting just three hits, and finishing with six strikeouts to one walk. It was just his fourth game in 12 starts this season without allowing at least one home run.
A weary Dodgers bullpen had combined to keep the Brewers off the board since taking over for Maeda, but that streak was snapped in the eighth when Sergio Romo surrendered a solo home run to Domingo Santana. The homer was Santana’s second of the series.
The Dodgers’ bats remained dormant, and the team finished 4-3 on their road trip.
