Santana (1-0) gave up five runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four over 3.2 innings Friday but picked up his first major-league victory in an 11-8 win over Colorado.
Though Santana was initially expected to start Friday's contest, manager Dave Roberts opted to go with the growing trend of starting a middle reliever before turning to a starter. This strategy did not put Santana in a better position to succeed -- based off of his poor results -- but he did manage to notch his first win in his first appearance in the majors. The 22-year-old earned this opportunity after posting a 2.54 ERA and 11.8 K/9 in 10 starts across two minor-league levels this season. With Clayton Kershaw (back) joining a myriad of Dodgers starters on the disabled list Friday, Santana could be in line to see a handful of starts (or long-relief appearances) over the next few weeks.