On Thursday night, 34-year-old Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was hit by a pitch for the fourth time in four consecutive games, for the seventh time this season, and for the 80th time in his 11-year major league career in 3,454 total plate appearances.

On Thursday night, 23-year-old (to the day) Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo was hit by a pitch for the first time this season, for the first time in his three-year major league career, and for the first time in 233 total plate appearances.

…and he loved it.

“No, he [Padres right-hander Matt Strahm] was just trying to come in. I love seeing that,” Verdugo said, when asked if Strahm’s 91-mph fastball that hit him if the right shoulder in the bottom of the fifth inning was a purpose pitch. “As a hitter, at least the pitcher is attempting to go inside and really, you know, you’re going to get hit sometimes. I think that was the first time I’ve gotten hit in the big leagues. It happens, and good thing it hit me in a good spot … didn’t hurt.”

Turner, on the other hand and as noted above, has been hit in four consecutive games and seven times in the 41 games he has played in thus far this season – an unusually high number. Has the young outfielder spoken with the grizzled (and bruised) veteran about this?

“I think at this point it’s like ‘Oh my God, whats going on because you’ve been hit in the weirdest spots,’” Verdugo answered. “I think he got hit in his right arm [Turner bats right-handed], like bicep and forearm, he’s been hit in the left arm, too. So I told him ‘If I got hit like you, I’d have to use a 30-ounce bat right now, I wouldn’t be able to feel my arms.

“So, it’s weird because the very next at-bat I had, I got smoked in the arm and I was like ‘J, I never should have messed with you, I should have never talked to you about it,’” he added with a chuckle.

As for the game itself, it was, in a nut shell, the Kenta Maeda Show.

In addition to his absolutely brilliant pitching performance, the 31-year-old Senboku-gun, Japan native was 2-for-3 at the plate, driving in both of the Dodgers runs in the 2-0 shutout over the San Diego Padres.

“I was pleased to let everyone know that if the ball hits the bat, something happens,” Maeda kidded with reporters after the game. He also kidded that when he led off the bottom of the sixth inning (with no one on base), he was “…trying to go yard.”

On the other side of the ball, Maeda allowed no runs and only three hits, while walking none and striking out 12 – all swinging – in his masterful 6.2 innings pitched.

“He couldn’t have thrown it out there any better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game.

The Dodger skipper received a chorus of boos from Dodger fans for pulling his star right-hander in the top half of the seventh inning with two outs and a runner on first. Asked if he was bothered by the obvious displeasure of the hometown crowd for pulling Maeda after making only 85 pitches, Roberts left nothing to the imagination.

“If I was running for office where I’m trying to get the crowd approval,” Roberts answered. “But I’m trying to help us win a championship. That’s something that’s well thought out, and it worked out. They don’t always work out, but I have reasons for why I do what I do.”

Contrary to what you might think, Maeda concurred with his manager.

“Even though I believe it is the starter’s duty to start an inning and end an inning, overall we were able to get the W tonight,” he said through an interpreter. “So I believe it was the right move.”

As for his 12 strikeouts, it was the fifth time in his MLB career that Maeda has has double-digit K’s. It was, however, the first time that all of them were the result of swings and misses.

“Yes, that was the first time I have done that in my career,” he said when asked about that.

The Dodgers have a scheduled day off on Thursday before beginning an eight-game road trip that will take them through Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh before returning home on Monday, May 27 to open a four-game series with the New York Mets.

Play Ball!

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