|
 The Los Angeles Angels went to Seattle last week with a six-game
losing streak. They swept the Mariners at Safeco Field over the
weekend and kept their momentum going by beating the Los Angeles
Dodgers 7-6 Monday night at Dodger Stadium in the opener of the
four-game Freeway Series between the Southern California neighbors.
The Dodgers fell despite getting two homers from Trayce Thompson.
After scoring a total of 18 runs during their 0-6 homestand
(including 10 in the final loss, 12-10 to the St. Louis Cardinals),
the Angels have scored 26 during their four-game winning streak.
Mike Trout and Albert Pujols combined to go 5-for-8 with five RBIs
on Monday.
"Albert is starting to find some holes," Angels manager Mike
Scioscia said. "We're doing a little more offensively. We set the
table all night."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts certainly noticed that.
"You look up tonight, they had guys on base all night long (in front
of Trout and Pujols)," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It's
tough to pitch to those guys with guys on base. The key to keeping
those guys in check is keeping the guys in front of them off the
bases."
 The Angels' latest big offensive night continued a downward trend
for Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda.
The Japanese pitcher got off to a strong start in his first four
major league starts. He allowed just one run in 25 1/3 innings while
striking out 23 and holding opposing batters to a .189 batting
average.
Things have taken a decided turn since then. Over his past four
starts, Maeda has allowed 14 runs in 21 2/3 innings, during which
opponents are batting .241 against him.
Monday's start against the Angels was the shortest of them all. He
lasted just four innings before he was pulled by Roberts after only
73 pitches. Maeda (3-3) was charged with four runs (all in the third
inning) on five hits.
"I haven't been able to execute my plan," Maeda said through his
interpreter. "During the good times, I'm a little bit more careful.
Even with runners on base, I've been able to get out of jams. But in
a lot of situations these days, that hasn't been the case."
Indeed, Maeda had been adept at getting out of jams in his first
seven starts, holding opposing batters to a .111 average (3-for-27)
with runners in scoring position in those games. However, the Angels
went 4-for-6 with men in scoring position in the third inning alone
Monday night. Gregorio Petit and Pujols had RBI singles, and Trout
hit a two-run, bases-loaded single.
"I just don't think Kenta was as sharp as he's been," Roberts said.
"The command wasn't there. After that stressful third, that fourth
wasn't clean. Then you've got the top of the order coming up, third
time they would see him. So at that point in time, I decided to go
to the 'pen."
Coming into the game, it was the Angels who must have felt
trepidation about their pitching. Beset by injuries in their
rotation, they recalled Matt Shoemaker from Triple-A last week.
Shoemaker brought an unsightly 9.12 ERA into Monday's start, but he
kept the Dodgers well enough in check to leave with the lead after
five innings. Shoemaker (2-5) yielded three runs on six hits and two
walks while striking out five.
[to top of second column] |
The bottom of the Dodgers' order put together a two-out, two-run
rally in the second inning when back-to-back walks were followed by
back-to-back RBI singles from Carl Crawford and Maeda.
Thompson clubbed a solo home run off Shoemaker in the fourth to
briefly cut the Dodgers' deficit to 4-3.
The Angels put some distance between themselves and the Dodgers with
a three-run burst against reliever Pedro Baez in the seventh. Pujols
collected his own two-run, bases-loaded single in that inning, and
Johnny Giavotella added a sacrifice fly.
However, Thompson did it again, making it a one-run game again in
the eighth with a two-run home run. It was his fourth home run in
his past 14 plate appearances and fifth in his past eight games.
Scioscia had to cycle through five relievers, culminating in
Fernando Salas in the ninth, to make that lead hold up. Salas
pitched a scoreless inning for his second save of the season.
"Our bullpen is exhausted," Scioscia said. "Our rotation needs to
get deeper into games. Shoe made a couple pitches he'd want to take
back in the second. He didn't get quite as deep as we would have
liked. It's tough to be confident when you're not performing well.
He needs more outings like this."
NOTES: Angels RHP Garrett Richards is opting for a stem-cell
injection to treat a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching
elbow rather than having Tommy John surgery. Richards will be shut
down for six weeks and re-evaluated at that point. ... Sources
indicate the Angels are close to signing free agent RHP Tim
Lincecum. The 31-year-old has not pitched since last June, and he
underwent hip surgery in September. The two-time Cy Young winner
held a workout for scouts in Arizona on May 6. The Angels are in
need of starting pitching due to injuries to Richards, LHP Andrew
Heaney and LHP C.J. Wilson. ... Wilson (shoulder) threw a
three-inning simulated game Monday afternoon. ... Dodgers LHP
Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder surgery) "felt good" after making his first
rehab start Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Ryu threw 22
pitches in two scoreless innings for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Ryu
is scheduled to make his second rehab start Friday for Rancho
Cucamonga, with an approximate pitch count of 45.
-----------------------------------------------
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
