Dodgers end up on wrong side of 14-0 blowout

Hitting has been tough to come by in this series for the Dodgers. After Joc Pederson hit a solo homer to leadoff the first Friday night, the home team has been shut out since.

The Astros on the other hand, had no problems scoring runs, hanging 14 on Los Angeles. Two big innings did the Dodgers in on their way to a 14-0 loss at Dodger Stadium.

The loss — their fifth in the past seven games — drops the Dodgers one game behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Already down 5-0 heading to the eighth inning, John Axford made his first appearance for the Dodgers after he was acquired Tuesday from Toronto. Things went about as poorly as they could have.

Axford faced seven batters and retired just one, a sacrifice fly that scored the third of seven runs scored in the inning. A single, two walks, two doubles and a hit batter rounded out the rest of the outing for the right-hander.

Making it worse, lefty Zac Rosscup — fresh off the disabled list — allowed a three-run homer to Josh Reddick three pitches after Axford’s departure. For good measure, Jake Marisnick crushed a two-run homer in the ninth.

It was the second time (16-6 loss to Oakland on April 11) this season that a team hung at least 14 runs on the Dodgers. Even with the 21 runs they scored Thursday, the Dodgers have four less runs then their opponents over the last seven games.

The night looked like more of the same from Friday night’s 2-1 affair through the first five innings. Outside of a Marwin Gonzalez solo homer in the second inning, Kenta Maeda was cruising through five innings. Maeda had thrown 68 pitches as he started his third time through the Astros’ lineup.

After getting George Springer out for the third consecutive time, the right-hander gave up three doubles to the next five batters, walking two in between. Scoring three runs with the trio of two-baggers, the Astros would chase Maeda from the game.

Houston would push across one more on the very next play with a Martin Maldonado safety squeeze.

It didn’t matter who the Astros put on the mound Saturday, the Dodgers had nothing going. Lance McCullers allowed two of the Dodgers three hits over his four innings, before exiting with right elbow discomfort.

The bullpen picked up the rest, shutting the Dodgers out for the final five innings to seal it. The Dodgers are now just 7-for-58 (.121) in the series.

Up Next

The Dodgers and Astros will finish up their three-game set with Walker Buehler (4-4, 3.65) and Gerrit Cole (10-3, 2.55).

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Gonzalez (9), Reddick (12), Marisnick (9)

WP - Brad Peacock (2-4): 2 IP, 4 strikeouts

LP - Kenta Maeda (7-7): 5 ¹⁄₃ IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts