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Kenta Maeda is striking out more and more batters

Washington Nationals  v Los Angeles Dodgers Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images

Kenta Maeda starts for the Dodgers on Tuesday night against the Marlins at Dodger Stadium, looking to continue racking up strikeouts.

Maeda monthly K rates

Month K BF K rate
Month K BF K rate
Apr 2018 24 69 34.8%
Jun 2017 25 80 31.3%
Aug 2017 38 128 29.7%
Sep 2017 18 62 29.0%
Jul 2016 31 109 28.4%
Jun 2016 38 144 26.4%
Aug 2016 28 110 25.5%
Sep 2016 31 125 24.8%
Apr 2017 27 112 24.1%
Apr 2016 28 124 22.6%
May 2016 23 104 22.1%
May 2017 19 93 20.4%
Jul 2017 13 82 15.9%

After one double-digit strikeout game in his first two years in the majors, Maeda has whiffed 10 in two of his three starts so far in 2018. He has 24 strikeouts in 14 innings this season, and his 34.8% strikeout rate is the best month of his career.

It continues a trend for Maeda, who finished his 2017 with his three highest monthly K rates in the final four months of the season. His career strikeout rate at home is 26.4% compared to 24.7% on the road.

On Tuesday he faces a Marlins offense that is in the middle of the pack in strikeout rate, 23.7% compared to the 22.9% MLB average.

The Dodgers face another left-hander on Tuesday in Dillon Peters, who nearly has as many walks (11) as strikeouts (12) in his four starts. Then again, so did Jarlin Garcia coming into Monday (11 walks, 13 strikeouts), when he allowed just one run in six innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Garcia’s ERA entering Monday was 0.86 though, while Peters thus far in 2018 has a 6.98 ERA, 13th highest among the 137 major league pitchers with at least three starts this season.

Los Angeles is 5-2 when an opposing southpaw starts this season but is just hitting .220/.290/.344 against left-handers overall.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA