Game 53, 2017

Dodgers at Cardinals, 4:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ESPN, FS-M, MLBN free game of the day in non-blackout regions

RHP Kenta Maeda (4-2, 5.08 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers. He hopes his second start against the Cardinals within a week goes as well as the first, when he gave up three runs in the first but righted the ship, went five innings and got the win. RHP Michael Wacha (2-2, 3.66 ERA), on the other hand, wants to improve on his performance last Thursday against the Dodgers, when he went only four innings, allowed seven hits, six earned runs, two walks and lost the game.

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1946 In Boston’s 10-8 victory over the Dodgers, Bama Rowell’s long drive hits the Bulova clock located above the right field scoreboard, making the left-fielder the first major leaguer to reach the famous landmark at Ebbets Field. The crushing four-bagger that shatters the face of the clock causing glass to cascade onto Dodgers right fielder Dixie Walker is believed to be the inspiration for author Bernard Malamud having Roy Hobbs, the hero of his 1952 novel, The Natural, belt a similar home run, which also rains glass over the diamond.
  • 1962 Frank Thomas strokes a double off Sandy Koufax in the Mets’ 13-6 loss to Los Angeles, extending his franchise mark of consecutive games with a hit to 18 for the expansion team. The streak, which will be only one shy of Maury Wills’ league-leading total for the season, is halted when the New York left fielder goes 0-for-4 in the nightcap of the Dodgers’ sweep at the Polo Grounds.
  • 1986 In a 6-4 loss to the Dodgers at Three Rivers Stadium, future home run king Barry Bonds goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut. The Pirates center fielder, batting leadoff, strikes out three times.
  • 1930 Not Dodgers’ history, but for the economists among us, get a load of this prize: Rogers Hornsby receives his MVP award and is given a thousand gold coins by National League president John Heydler at a ceremony at home plate prior to the Cubs’ contest against St. Louis. Ironically, the ‘Rajah’ will break his ankle while advancing to third base during the Wrigley Field contest and will not play again until the middle of August. Ah, when there was a gold standard! (For the record, the price of an ounce of gold was pegged at $20.67 in 1930. If each coin weighed an ounce that was $20,670, not an insignificant amount of cash in that Depression year)

Early returns from this year’s All Star Game voting: Seager at the top, Turner and A-Gon in top five at their respective positions.

Lineup:

114 thoughts on “Game 53, 2017

  1. Cardinals take a page out of the Dodgers playbook and strikeout Grandal with a high fastball.

  2. The Cardinals’ pitching coach is Derek Lilliquist, who came up with the Braves in the 1990s. I had a memory of him beyond that, though:

    “The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Lilliquist on August 1, 1995, and assigned him to their AAA minor league affiliate, the Albuquerque Dukes. They never called him up to the major leagues. ”

    He’s been coaching since 2001 and replaced Dave Duncan of the Cards permanently in 2012.

  3. Maeda had around 50 pitches after 2, so 80 or so at this point is pretty good.

    • Probably won’t go more than another inning.

      Is it hot in Madrid? Any good tapas bars nearby?

      • Past few days have actually been cool at around 80. Even when it was in the 90s, it got down to mid-60s at night. Seem to have tapas at every corner. First time in Spain, but seems like I have been eating tapas most of my adult life.

        • If you like (white) wine, try some Albariño from the Rías Baixas. Refreshing summer wine.

          • That is a great wine. I find most of the reds they drink here a little on the light side, so I usually go for one from the Toro region.

  4. Sutcliffe is arguing that getting rid of the pitcher’s mound is the best way to improve the offense.

  5. On the even brighter side, Seattle now leads Denver 6-0 in the fourth. However, Snakes lead Bucs 1-0 after six.

  6. Steiner is going to start his do loop rant of the three true outcomes on Bellinger like he bored us to absolute death on Joc two years ago.

  7. Davis notes that this day in 1962, Wills hit a dinger from each side (only hit 20 in his career).

  8. Three errors in 1 1/3 innings. 39 errors, most in the NL. And yet most haven’t been all that costly as far as I remember.

  9. Last inning (their half of the first and Dodger half of the second) I no like.

  10. Maeda’s fly would have maybe gotten Utley home but it was the third out.

  11. Chase motoring around the bases on that triple but Hernandez over anxious and pop’s it up.

  12. Seems like the Dodgers have gotten 4 outs already this inning – but only one counted. (Yes I know that the batter/runner was clearly safe at first there.)

  13. The elder Seager brother has homered to give the Seattle Seamen a 2-0 lead over the Rox.

  14. In 1930, since gold coins were still legal tender back then, the value of Hornsby’s pot o’gold would’ve depended on the denomination of the coins, $5, $10, or $20. The $20 coin weighed about an ounce, the others were fractions of that. Which ever ones he was given, that’s a lot of cash, especially considering it was in the middle of the Depression.