Dodgers lose 3-0 as Zach Davies dominates with his solid outing

It has been duly noted that there were seven different start times for the seven games on this road trip. Well today, the Dodgers looked like a team playing at 11:00 a.m. in Los Angeles than 1:00 p.m. in Milwaukee as they lost 3-0 to the Brewers.

The Dodgers were shutout for the second time in four days and now have been shutout four times this season.

It didn’t help that the Dodgers had very short innings against Zach Davies. Through six innings, Davies had retired 18 of the 21 Dodgers he faced, including 12 in a row at one point.

For the game, Davies pitched six innings, allowed three hits, no runs, one walk and struck out seven. Those numbers matched or set his best efforts for the season.

This road trip has seen some incredible comebacks but a concern hast to be that in four of the seven games, the Dodgers starting pitchers went just four innings and in another, Rich Hill completed five innings. Kenta Maeda had two of the starts, including today, that went just four innings.

Maeda’s troubles started in the first inning, with one out Eric Thames hit a solo home run to make it 1-0. But then in the second, Maeda’s wildness was a main key in the Brewer’s second run.

Manny Piña led off with a walk, and then with one out, on an 0-2 count, Maeda hit Orlando Arcia and that put runners on first and second. Davies would strike out on a foul bunt but then Eric Sogard singled to bring home the second run.

Maeda would finish with seven strikeouts but in his four innings along with giving up two runs and two hits, he also walked three and hit a batter. Maeda would throw 92 pitches.

There wasn’t much offense by the Dodgers and the biggest play might have been in the seventh inning. Trailing by two, the Dodgers put the first two runners on against Davies on consecutive hits by Adrian González and Cody Bellinger. Davies was then taken out for Oliver Drake.

Drake had a 2-1 count on Yasmani Grandal and then Drake bounced a pitch in front of the plate. Catcher Manny Piña was able to block it so no runners could advance. On the next pitch, Grandal hit into a double play and the threat was over.

Sergio Romo gave up a solo home run to Domingo Santana which accounted for the last run for the Brewers.

Corey Knebel, who blew the save opportunity on Friday, this time got three strikeouts to send the Dodgers home to Los Angeles.

Up next

The Dodgers return to Los Angeles and start a three-game series against their 2016 NL Divisional Series opponent, the Washington Nationals. A pair of left-handers are scheduled to start, the Dodgers Hyun-jin Ryu against Gio Gonzalez. The game is listed to begin at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Sunday particulars

Home runs: Eric Thames (15), Domingo Santana (10)

WP - Zach Davies (6-3): 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts

LP - Kenta Maeda (4-3): 4 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts

Save - Corey Knebel (5): 1 IP, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts