Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda blew past his previous career-high of nine strikeouts, striking out 13 Padres in a win on Sunday afternoon. The right-hander gave up only one run, on a fifth-inning home run by Derek Norris. That was one of two hits he yielded while walking none along with the 13 punch-outs across seven innings.
Maeda, now with 18 major league starts under his belt, set his previous career-high on June 8 against the Rockies. He currently owns a 2.95 ERA with a 107/31 K/BB ratio in 103 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers signed Maeda to an eight-year, $25 million contract back in January, paying him $3 million annually. The deal came with a bunch of performance incentives based on games started and innings pitched. Maeda can earn an extra $6.5 million by reaching 32 games started by season’s end, as well as $3.5 million if he reaches 200 innings. He’ll need to average 6 1/3 innings per start to reach 200 innings, but he’s currently averaging 5 2/3.
