Maeda (4-2) gave up three runs on seven hits over five innings Thursday. He walked two and struck out four in a win over the Cardinals.
The 29-year-old was almost lifted for a pinch hitter when his spot in the order came up in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and two men on base. Manager Dave Roberts decided to let his starter bat and Maeda delivered with a two-RBI single, rewarding fantasy owners with a victory in the process. The veteran admitted that he was a bit rusty in the first inning when he surrendered all three of the runs charged to his name, but he regained his aggressiveness in the strike zone and held the Cardinals scoreless the rest of the way. If we include the three starts before his recent trip to the disabled list, Maeda has looked more like the pitcher that broke out in 2016, posting a 2.84 ERA and 8.9 K/9 over over those four outings.