Off-day factoid

“For the fourth straight game, a rookie starting pitcher earned the victory for the Dodgers.”

It’s true. DeLeon on Sunday, Maeda on Monday, Stripling on Tuesday, and Stewart yesterday. According to Elias Sports Bureau

it was the first time in franchise history that the Dodgers won four straight games with a rookie starter getting the win each time. The last team to do so was Oakland from Sept. 9-12, 2012.

For the record, the As’ pitchers were Tommy Milone, now pitching for the Twins; Jarrod Parker, who last pitched in OB at AAA Nashville for the As; Dan Straily, who’s having a pretty good 2016 for the Reds, although the Dodgers beat him 3-1 on May 25; and A.J. Griffin, who’s now pitching for the division-leading Texas Rangers.

The streak has probably stopped for the Dodgers, though, unless Urias picks up Kershaw in relief tomorrow night.

25 thoughts on “Off-day factoid

  1. Excited about the Klayton return today, but wary at the same time. Here in DC, Strasburg came off the DL this week, but lasted just 44 pitches before feeling a twinge in his elbow. Thankfully MRI shows no damage to his TJed elbow, but some forearm tightness.

  2. Today 51 years ago Sandy threw his Perfecto, besting Bob Hendley’s one-hitter. My big brother took me to that game, my first in DS.

    • I always felt a tinge of sorrow for the Cub’s Hendley. You throw a one hitter and still lose.

      • If it makes you feel better, five days later Hendley beat Koufax 2-1 in Wrigley. Behind 2-0 in the 7th, Drysdale pinch hit for Sandy and singled in Parker, Crawford was thrown out at third.

      • Was’t Drysdale’s reaction when he heard about the perfect game to ask if LA won? Guess that indicates the state of their offense then.

        • Drysdale did say that at some point in those six years of Koufax’s brilliance, but I’m not sure it was after the perfect game.

          It was 1964, if this account is to be believed:

          During the 1964 season, the Dodgers had one of the worst hitting teams in the league, and Drysdale received little run support. On one occasion, Drysdale left the team to attend to personal business in Washington, DC, the day after he had lost a four-hitter in 11 innings to the Philadelphia Phillies. On that day, June 5, 1964, Sandy Koufax pitched a no-hitter. Drysdale did not know what the Dodgers had done that day until he returned to his hotel and watched a late night TV newscast. As quoted in the Associated Press on June 6, Drysdale said that after he heard on the news that Koufax had thrown his third career no-hitter, his first thought was “Did he win it?”

  3. Could be a good pitching duel tonight. If Kershaw can get his slow curveball where he wants it that could be the difference maker for him.

  4. Urias not the starter, so that would be in search of a different record. Dayton our other rookie in the pen, no?

  5. I’ll need to check when I get home, but I think I get Kershaw’s comeback game on TV over here tomorrow (9am Saturday my time)