The Los Angeles Dodgers looked to put an end to their five-game losing streak as they faced the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch for the second of three Spring Training meetings this year.
Ketel Marte opened the game by lining a hustle double to right-center field. Luis Sardiñas followed with a base hit to left field, and Robinson Cano’s two-run single gave the Mariners an early 2-0 lead.
The earned runs were the first Maeda allowed this spring. He got Nelson Cruz to ground into a double play, and struck out Adam Lind swinging to end the inning. Justin Turner cut into the Dodgers’ deficit in the bottom of the first by lifting a two-out solo home run to left-center field.
Maeda retired the first two batters faced in the second inning, then allowed a base hit to Chris Iannetta. Nothing came of it as Shawn O’Malley hit the third groundout of the inning.
Hisashi Iwakuma erased a Joc Pederson infield single in the second by getting Charlie Culberson to ground into an inning-ending double play. Yasmani Grandal, who struck out in the bottom of the second, was removed prior to the start of the third inning.
Maeda found his rhythm by the third as be opened and closed the inning with a strikeout. Yasiel Puig lined a two-out single to center and stole second base by avoiding the tag with a crafty head-first slide.
Puig then came around to score on Turner’s RBI double that tied the game at 2-2. Maeda added to Cruz’s abysmal spring at the plate by getting the Mariners slugger to strikeout swinging for the first out in the fourth.
The Dodgers’ right-hander then proceeded to retire the next two batters faced. To that point, Maeda had retired seven consecutive hitters and 11 of the last 12 since the three hits at the outset of the game.
CONTINUE READING: Justin Turner, Kenta Maeda do their part in Dodgers’ loss
Pederson and Culberson attempted to spark a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth with a base hit and walk, respectively, but both runners were stranded and the game reamined tied at 2-2 as Elian Herrera grounded out.
Maeda continued to sail, collecting another strikeout en route to retiring the side in order in the fifth. Maeda exited with five total strikeouts and two runs allowed in the scheduled five innings of work.
Just as Maeda remained locked in on the mound, Turner was his equal at the plate. His second RBI double of the game gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Luis Avilan entered in the sixth and quickly allowed the game to get away.
He walked Ketel Marte and gave up a base hit Sardiñas. The Mariners then pulled off a double steal with none out and Cano at the plate. He popped up to first base, but Cruz hit a go-ahead, three-run home run.
Lind followed with a solo shot, extending the Mariners lead to 6-3 and knocking Avilan out of the game. Chris Hatcher came on in relief and retired the two batters faced to end the inning.
Mariners reliever Tony Zych struck out Pederson and Culberson, and got Herrera to ground out in the bottom of the sixth. Kenley Jansen set the Mariners down in order for his one inning of work.
Trayce Thompson hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, but he was stranded as Donn Roach retired the next three batters faced. The Dodgers were unable to overcome their deficit and lost a sixth consecutive game.