Dodgers let Maeda go one batter too long to Rockies

Maybe Adam Liberatore had a premonition.

With a ruer on second base, with two outs and in a scoreless tie in the seventh iing on Wednesday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went out to the mound to talk to starter Kenta Maeda. Maeda’s interpreter was slow to join him and when Roberts tued toward the Dodgers dugout to wave for him, Liberatore began jogging in from the bullpen, anticipating the call to face left-handed hitter Daniel Descalso.

Something was definitely lost in translation. Liberatore was waved back and Roberts left Maeda in to face Descalso, who promptly deposited Maeda’s next pitch into shallow center field, driving in the only run as the Colorado Rockies took a 1-0 victory and two of the three games at Dodger Stadium.

Rockies starting pitchers came into the series with a major-league high 5.54 ERA and .282 batting average against (only the Miesota Twins’ starters have been more hittable); numbers aually inflated by pitching at Coors Field half of the time.

In Los Angeles, they faced one of the least productive home offenses in the National League and the Dodgers managed just four runs and eight hits in 20 iings against Tyler Chatwood, Eddie Butler and Wednesday’s starter, left-hander Chris Rusin.

Their only threat in Rusin’s six iings Wednesday was handed to them by the Rockies. After a one-out single by A.J. Ellis and a walk to Austin Baes, Maeda dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Nolan Arenado fielded it and threw to first, where Descalso, the first baseman, and second baseman D.J. LeMahieu were both covering the base.

LeMahieu was the one who actually handled Arenado’s throw. He was also the one who took his foot off the base before he did. That loaded the bases with one out for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers couldn’t make anything of it. Kike Heandez struck out and Justin Tuer bounced to Arenado to end the iing. The Dodgers had just one more hit in the game and didn’t get another ruer past first base.

It was the 10th time in 31 games that the Dodgers have been held to two runs or less in their own home.

It also wasted an outstanding start by Maeda, who seems to have tued back the clock. To April.

The Japanese right-hander struck out the first four Rockies batters Wednesday night and retired 15 of the first 18, giving up just two hits in the first five iings. The Rockies didn’t get a ruer past first base until the sixth iing when Trayce Thompson couldn’t haul in Charlie Blackmon’s drive to the center-field wall.

Maeda stranded Blackmon at second after his one-out double by getting D.J. LeMahieu on a liner at first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and then striking out Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for the third time on the night.

Advertisement

Those were part of a nine-strikeout night for Maeda, his season-high. In two starts against the Rockies this season (one in Colorado and one at Dodger Stadium), he has struck out 17 while giving up just eight hits and two eaed runs in 13 iings.

After becoming too slider-reliant for a time, Maeda has become more aggressive about spotting his fastball in his past three starts. The results have looked a lot like his four-start getaway in April: two eaed runs on 13 hits over 18 iings while striking out 17.

Also

The Dodgers officially released Alex Guerrero on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Cuban infielder is still owed approximately $8 million of a four-year, $28 million contract which runs through the 2017 season. The Dodgers will be on the hook for the remainder of that minus whatever minimum salary Guerrero might be paid if he signs with another team. ... RHP Brandon McCarthy is scheduled to start his minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga this weekend, most likely Saturday. McCarthy threw three simulated iings to hitters at Dodger Stadium on Monday and is expected to pitch three iings in his first start for the Quakes. McCarthy has been out since April 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.