Dodgers Highlights: Maeda, Puig Silence Padres

You could not have scripted a better start to the Major League career of right-hander Kenta Maeda. Not only did he pitch six quality innings while giving up zero runs, but he also hit a solo home run during his second at-bat, and it happened to be the Dodgers’ first home run of the season. It was special.

Los Angeles ended up winning the game 7-0, and it marked the team’s third straight shutout victory to open the season. They became just the second team in the last 100 years to accomplish that feat. Let’s just sit back and enjoy some of the highlights from the team’s resounding victory on Wednesday night.

Maeda finished the game with a line of six innings pitched, five hits allowed, zero runs, zero walks, and four strikeouts. The final of those four strikeouts came with two outs in the sixth inning and runners on first and second. It was a big moment for him, and he let out a bellow of happiness afterwards. It was a tremendous start.

How does one possibly top their own pitching performance in their debut? By hitting a solo home run, of course. That’s exactly what Maeda did in his second at-bat of the game when Andrew Casher hung an 0-2 breaking ball over the heart of the plate. Maeda swung, did not miss, and drove it out of the park. It was an awesome moment as the Dodgers went nuts.

Yasiel Puig, not to be outdone by his starting pitcher on the evening, got into the act himself. Puig went 3-for-4 in the game, but his most resounding hit was a home run to left-center field that had all the characteristics of a moonshot. The talented right fielder knew he got it all, and he did. He’s now 6-for-10 on the season. What a stud.

The final out of the game came courtesy of Joe Blanton. He pitched the final frame and retired the first two batters on strikeouts before getting the final Padres batter of the evening to pop out to right field. It marked the team’s third straight shutout, and the Dodgers now have the second longest shutout streak in Major League history to start a season at 27 innings.

Los Angeles has looked fantastic in the first three games, but it was the all-around performance on Wednesday night that should have people excited the most. They were excellent defensively, got it done at the plate, and got a real nice pitching performance from Kenta Maeda on his debut night. It was a truly spectacular evening.

Dodgers – Padres Game Thread, Part 3