The Walk Off: Angels chase Kenta Maeda early in win versus Dodgers
Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew. Here we’ll look at the top performers of the night, show you a must-see highlight and rundown the scoreboard. First, we start with a game you need to know about.
Though it’s only been eight starts, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda has looked pretty strong during his rookie season. While his fastball isn’t overwhelming, Maeda has been able to pitch smart and mix pitches well to keep teams off balance during at-bats.
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That wasn’t the case Monday against the Los Angeles Angels. Maeda was tagged by the Angels for four runs in just four innings, giving him the shortest outing of his young major-league career.
All of the damage came in the third inning. Maeda allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Perez to open the frame. Perez would come around to score on a one-out single by Gregorio Petit after a Matt Shoemaker groundout.
With a man on first, Maeda gave up a single to Yunel Escobar, and then walked Kole Calhoun to load the bases for Mike Trout. Unsurprisingly, Trout delivered, knocking a two-run single that gave the Angels a 3-2 lead. Albert Pujols followed that up with a run-scoring single of his own, ruining any chance at a quality start for Maeda.
Maeda didn’t carry those struggles with him the following inning. He worked around a one-out walk, striking out the side during the frame.
Despite that rebound, manager Dave Roberts opted to pinch-hit for Maeda with the lead down to just one run in the bottom of the fourth. Initially, it looked like the right move, as Enrique Hernandez singled, but he was stranded on base following a Chase Utley ground out.
The Dodgers would come close to completing their comeback a couple times, but eventually fell to the Angels 7-6. After picking up three wins in his first four attempts, Maeda has now lost three of his past four starts.
TOP PERFORMERS
Ian Kinsler: Kinsler managed to pick up two hits before the first inning ended during the Detroit Tigers’ 10-8 win over the Minnesota Twins. After leading off the game with a home run, Kinsler delivered an RBI double later in the frame. His contributions helped the Tigers get out to an 8-0 lead. They would eventually blow that lead, but fought back to win 10-8. Kinsler finished 3-for-5, with two runs scored and two RBI.
Sean Manaea: Manaea’s promotion to the Oakland Athletics came with a fair amount of excitement, but he didn’t deliver on that promise until Monday’s game against the Texas Rangers. In his fourth career start, Manaea picked up his first career win. The big lefty allowed one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings. He walked just one and struck out three during the 3-1 victory.
[Elsewhere: Stephen A. Smith challenged former ESPN colleague Curt Schilling to a debate]
Jake Lamb: Lamb’s breakout season with the Arizona Diamondbacks continued Tuesday against the New York Yankees. While a number of D-Backs did damage, Lamb’s bat spoke the loudest. The 25-year-old went 3-for-4, with a home run and a double, during the 12-2 win. He scored one run and drove in three during the contest.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
Manaea’s first win didn’t come without some help from his defense. In the sixth inning, outfielder Billy Burns was there to ensure the Rangers remained off the board against his rookie pitcher. With two outs, rookie Nomar Mazara hit a line flare out to shallow center. Burns, who was playing deeper, came charging in and dove at the last second in order to make the catch. The play ended the inning, and earned Burns a round of applause from his pitcher.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Indians 15, Reds 6: Yan Gomes and Marlon Byrd homered during the rout as Cleveland managed seven runs against Reds starter John Lamb.
Marlins 5, Phillies 3: Adam Conley allowed just one run over six hits, while Marcell Ozuna extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a first-inning home run.
Pirates 8, Braves 5: Matt Joyce filled in admirably for Starling Marte, going 3-for-4, with a home run in the win.
Rays 13, Blue Jays 2: Jays starter J.A. Happ was tagged for eight earned runs in just two innings. He picked up his first loss of the season, falling to 5-1.
Red Sox, Royals: PPD: This game was postponed and will be made up as part of a double-header Wednesday.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
