MLB Rewind: Collin McHugh Gets Lit Up
By David Hill
The Good – Kenta Maeda
One of the bevy of starting pitchers that the Los Angeles Dodgers signed over the offseason, Kenta Maeda put a lot of faith in his abilities. His eight year contract only had $24 Million guaranteed, but there were quite a few incentives that could boost the overall value. For one day, his belief in himself seemed justified.
Maeda became the third Dodgers pitcher to dominate the San Diego Padres, allowing only five hits in his six innings of work, striking out four. He had only one fly ball and did not go to a three ball count, demonstrating his phenomenal control. With that performance on the mound, and the Dodgers bullpen preserving the shutout, they joined the 1963 Cardinals as the only team to record shutouts in their first three games.
This excellent debut was not just limited to the mound. In the fourth inning, after being late to the batter’s box, Maeda ripped Andrew Cashner‘s 0-2 pitch with one out in the top of the fourth into the left field stands for a home run. He later lined out to first in the top of the sixth, showing that his home run may not have been a fluke.
Kenta Maeda, at least based on scouting reports, is not expected to be a top of the rotation starter like Masahiro Tanaka was. However, if his first start is any indication, those expectations may need to be adjusted.
Next: The more things change....