Phillies at Dodgers
Gabe Kapler left his role as the Los Angeles Dodgers' director of player development in the offseason to take the Philadelphia Phillies' managerial job, but very little could have prepared him for what unfolded in his first crack against his former employer. Following a late comeback aided by a fair share of good fortune in the opener, the Dodgers seek their 10th win in 12 contests Tuesday as they play the second of four at home versus the Phillies.
Los Angeles was held hitless through five innings Monday before cutting a four-run deficit in half in the sixth and taking the lead for good with a three-run eighth that included an infield single, a misplayed pop fly, a single off reliever Adam Morgan's glove and a wild pitch. "There were some weird things that unfolded that I didn't predict would happen. You can score early, but you have to keep scoring and keep executing," Kapler told reporters. The Phillies still boast the majors' best record in games outside of their division (19-7), but five of those defeats have come over the last 10 contests overall. Philadelphia seemingly avoided insult to injury Monday when cleanup hitter Rhys Hoskins was forced from the game in the ninth after fouling a ball off his face as Kapler told reporters later he wasn't "overly concerned" about the injury.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jake Arrieta (4-2, 2.45 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (4-3, 3.38)
Arrieta recorded a scoreless outing for the second time in three starts Wednesday against Atlanta, earning the victory after yielding seven hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner is 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA in four turns this month and has permitted more than two earned runs only once in nine trips to the mound. Yasiel Puig (2-for-5), Yasmani Grandal (1-for-7) and Chase Utley (1-for-15) are the only Dodgers with hits versus Arrieta, who is 1-3 with a 3.77 ERA in five starts against them.
Maeda has been dominant in a pair of victories over his last two turns, allowing a total of four hits and four walks across 14 2/3 innings while striking out 20. The 30-year-old followed eight scoreless innings in Miami on May 17 by giving up two hits and four walks while fanning a season-high 12 in 6 2/3 frames against Colorado on Wednesday. Cesar Hernandez (3-for-8) is the only Phillie who has enjoyed any real success against Maeda, who is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four starts versus Philadelphia.
WALK-OFFS
1. Monday's victory was only the third for the Dodgers when trailing after seven innings in 26 tries this season.
2. Philadelphia 1B Carlos Santana is batting .286 with 13 runs, seven homers and 21 RBIs in May. He hit .153 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in March and April combined.
3. After posting a 4.54 ERA through the first 42 contests, Los Angeles' bullpen has recorded a 1.64 ERA during the team's 11-game surge.