The Los Angeles Dodgers received a stellar effort from their bullpen but again could not overcome a two-run home run in a 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. L.A. has now dropped consecutive games to begin their road trip and are in danger of losing a third straight series.
Edwin Uceta went the targeted two innings in his MLB debut, which included a first career strikeout that was immediately followed by allowing a homer to Jackie Bradley Jr. that gave the Brewers a decided lead in the second inning.
Uceta was followed by Scott Alexander and Mitch White, who combined for two strikeouts over three perfect innings. Victor Gonzalez took over in the sixth and allowed a pair of runners to reach with two outs but escaped the jam.
That kept the Dodgers’ deficit at 2-1, but like in the series opener, they struggled to get much traction throughout the night and came up dry when opportunities did arise.
Freddy Peralta didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning — an AJ Pollock home run — and finished with seven strikeouts over six innings. It tied a season high for his longest start and marked a third straight start with exactly seven strikeouts.
Peralta was wild at times and otherwise relied on velocity, which the Dodgers expected. “He’s got a good heater. I faced him a couple times in Triple-A and I remember he’s got a really good fastball,” Matt Beaty said before the game.
“I think we’ve got a really good fastball-hitting team, so he’s obviously going to try to keep us off balance a little bit with his offspeed pitches. For me at least, it’s going to be going up there and attacking something in the zone hard and being ready to hit.”
Beaty finished the night 0-for-3. His final at-bat of the night ended with a pop-up to strand the tying run at first base in the seventh inning. The Dodgers didn’t have a batter reach base over the final two innings of the game.
Dodgers frustrated
Max Muncy had words for home-plate umpire Ted Barrett after being called out on strikes in the seventh inning. Manager Dave Roberts also had words for Barrett from the dugout, and he was ejected in the eighth when first-base umpire Angel Hernandez inexplicably ruled Chris Taylor went around on a check swing.
Roberts was ejected while still in the dugout but he went out to first base to argue with Hernandez, and appeared to question his peculiar balk call from the bottom the seventh as well.
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