MILWAUKEE — With his easygoing demeanour and smooth swing, Manny Machado made quite a first impression on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mannywood 2.0 is off to a successful start.
Machado singled twice and walked twice in his debut with the Dodgers, who used a tiebreaking RBI single by Chris Taylor to beat the sliding Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Friday night.
"It was awesome," Machado said. "It was amazing to go out there and put on the uniform, come out with a W today on the first day. Just happy to be here with these guys. It’s a great group here, great team."
Machado was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Baltimore on Wednesday. The Brewers also were in the mix for the All-Star shortstop, but the Dodgers reeled him in with a package of five prospects.
The July deal — and Machado’s impressive debut — brought back memories of Los Angeles’ 2008 trade for Manny Ramirez, who helped power the Dodgers to the NL Championship Series.
"He’s our new Mannywood, 2.0 I guess," a smiling Kenley Jansen said after working the ninth for his 28th save.
NL West-leading Los Angeles was held in check by Wade Miley before going ahead to stay in the seventh. Moments after Yasmani Grandal was cut down at the plate on a nice pickup by catcher Manny Pina, Taylor singled in Chase Utley to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Machado’s second hit then set up Max Muncy’s run-scoring double off Taylor Williams (0-3).
Enrique Hernandez added a three-run homer in the ninth as Los Angeles earned its fifth win in six games. Rich Hill (3-4) struck out nine while pitching six innings of five-hit ball.
"I love pitching here," Hill said. "The mound is great. It’s just a great backdrop."
Milwaukee returned from the break to an emotional apology from reliever Josh Hader for years-old racist and homophobic tweets that surfaced during the All-Star Game. Miley tossed six effective innings in his 200th career start and Jesus Aguilar hit his NL-best 25th homer in the eighth, but the Brewers dropped their seventh straight game.
Christian Yelich hit a two-run triple in the ninth, but Jansen struck out Aguilar for the final out.
"The bottom line is we’re not scoring enough runs," manager Craig Counsell said. "We’re playing often behind through this stretch."
With his teammates standing behind him during a news conference, the 24-year-old Hader said the tweets — which included a slur used to disparage African-Americans — "were never my beliefs. I was young. I was saying stuff out of just ignorance and that’s just not what I meant."
Hader is going to participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives in addition to sensitivity training, according to Major League Baseball. The hard-throwing lefty did not get into the game against Los Angeles.
"It’s obviously a different day, a unique day, but I wouldn’t say draining," Yelich said. "I think once the game started, everybody got back to just playing baseball and focusing on what we needed to do. I don’t think any of the other stuff really had any impact."
Machado grounded a single into right field in his first at-bat. He also walked in the third and fifth, and flied out to right in the ninth.
Machado’s walk in the third helped load the bases with one out, and Taylor scampered home on a passed ball for Pina. But Matt Kemp then bounced into an unusual 1-3-4 double play, with Aguilar catching Muncy trying to scramble back to the bag at second.
Milwaukee also hurt itself on the bases. Keon Broxton was caught off second on Miley’s base hit in the fifth, and Miley was thrown out at home when he tried to score from first on Yelich’s tying RBI double.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Los Angeles optioned outfielder Andrew Toles to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Machado on the roster. Right-hander Walker Buehler was slated to throw a five-inning simulated game with the Dodgers’ top minor league affiliate, according to Roberts. Buehler could rejoin the major league club next week.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: INF Justin Turner was held out with an adductor injury. "I would say a little bit more on the hope that he can start tomorrow," Roberts said. "Expectation is a little bit, just a little bit under that."
Brewers: Pina was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list. He had been sidelined by a left biceps strain. … OF Ryan Braun (back strain) is expected to come off the DL on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (3-4, 2.74 ERA) and Brewers right-hander Chase Anderson (6-7, 3.78 ERA) get the ball on Saturday. Kershaw is 5-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 career starts against Milwaukee. Anderson is winless in three July starts with a 1.65 ERA.
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