Share Video
Maeda faced two hitters in relief and picked up the win Sunday in the Dodgers' 5-3 win over the Angels. He hit a batter and struck out another to strand the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning.
Though Maeda had started just three days earlier, manager Dave Roberts elected to make the starter available out of the bullpen with the impending All-Star break affording the right-hander ample rest. The decision paid dividends for the Dodgers, as Maeda cleaned up the mess created by starter Clayton Kershaw, who exited with two outs and two runners on in a tie game. After Maeda put out the fire, he watched as the Dodgers took the lead on Enrique Hernandez's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, securing the 30-year-old his seventh win of the season. Maeda's second-half outlook remains somewhat murky, as the Dodgers are expected to recall Walker Buehler from the minors after the break and would then have to send a starter to the bullpen if Roberts opts to stick with a five-man rotation.
