The Los Angeles Dodgers continued with Interleague play on Friday, beginning a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Both clubs entered the matchup at .500 on the season, with the Dodgers in a three-way tie for first place in the National League West, and Blue Jays sitting in third place in the American League East.
Marcus Stroman got off to a strong start, striking out Chase Utley and Corey Seager in the first inning. Justin Turner lined the first pitch he saw into center field for a two-out single, but Adrian Gonzalez also swung at Stroman’s first offering, grounding into the shift for the third out.
Kenta Maeda started the bottom of the first with a strikeout of Michael Saunders, then walked Josh Donaldson on four pitches. Donaldson promptly moved into scoring position by getting a walking lead and easily stealing second base.
He was stranded as Jose Bautista popped-out, and Turner robbed Edwin Encarnacion of an extra-base hit and RBI by laying out for a diving catch on a line drive hit to his right. The Dodgers again had a man reach with two outs, as Howie Kendrick got aboard on an infield single.
Stroman ended the second inning by getting Joc Pederson to chase a pitch in the dirt for his fourth strikeout of the game. Maeda issued a leadoff walk to Justin Smoak in the bottom of the second. Maeda bounced right back to get consecutive strikeouts of Kevin Pillar and Russell Martin.
Ryan Goins then flied out on the first pitch he saw to end the inning. Carl Crawford led off the third with an infield single on a high chopper in the hole at shortstop. He was thrown out trying to steal second base soon after.
CONTINUE READING: Dodgers load bases in ninth inning
Stroman struck out Utley, but kept the inning alive by walking Seager. The Dodgers again weren’t able to capitalize with a runner on base, as Turner struck out on a pitch low and away. Darwin Barney led off the bottom of the third with a single down the right field line.
However, Barney was thrown out by Puig on his attempt to stretch it to a double. Maeda went on to retire Saunders and Donaldson to complete three scoreless frames.
Both starting pitchers continued to sail as Stroman and Maeda retired the side in order in the fourth inning. Stroman did so again in the fifth, collecting his seventh strikeout of the game in the process.
Maeda’s string of consecutive batters retired ended at seven on a two-out walk to Goins in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nothing came of it as Maeda painted the outside corner for called strike three.
After Stroman issued a leadoff walk to Utley in the sixth, he got Seager to ground into a double play. Turner and Gonzalez combined for back-to-back two-out singles, but it didn’t amount to anything as Puig grounded out.
After walking Donaldson with one out in the bottom half of the sixth, Maeda went to a full count against Bautista and hung a slider that was clubbed to the second deck in left field for a two-run home run.
The road run(s) were the first Maeda allowed this season in 18 innings pitched outside of Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers mounted a two-out rally against Stroman in the seventh, beginning with a Pederson double.
Crawford followed with a RBI double, and Utley lined a RBI single to center that tied the game at 2-2. Louis Coleman retired the two batters faced in the bottom of the seventh, then gave way to Adam Liberatore.
The southpaw hit Goins with a pitch and gave up a flare single to Barney. Liberatore was unable to get out of the inning as he walked Saunders to load the bases. Joe Blanton needed all of one pitch to retire Donaldson and send the game to the eighth tied at 2-2.
Encarnacion connected for his first hit of the game with one out in the bottom of the eighth — a ground-rule double — off Blanton. Smoak was intentionally walked to set up the double play and bring a right-handed bat to the plate.
The strategy backfired as Pillar golfed a three-run home run just over the left field fence. Drew Storen took the mound for the Blue Jays in the ninth and issued a four-pitch leadoff walk to Yasmani Grandal.
Pederson singled to left-center field with one out, but Crawford grounded into a force out. It was ruled Barney fielded Donaldson’s throw and lost it on the transfer, and the call was upheld after the Dodgers’ challenged.
Representing the tying run, Utley beat the shift with a bunt single to load the bases. Storen put an end to the Dodgers’ rally by retiring Seager to earn a save in the Blue Jays’ 5-2 win.