Game 122, 2017

Dodgers at Tigers, 10:10 AM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-D

The visiting Dodgers try to finish a sweep of the Tigers in a day game from Comerica Park. They’ll send RHP Kenta Maeda (11-4, 3.76 ERA) to the mound to face 2011 Cy Young Award winner RHP Justin Verlander (8-8, 4.11 ERA).

Maeda is on a hot streak. He’s gone 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA in his last six starts. He’s never faced the Tigers. Verlander gave up three HRs in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday. He’s certainly not having a year even close to his standards.

Potential milestones: Verlander is looking for his 30th interleague win. He’s gone a gaudy 29-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 41 career regular-season starts against National League teams, but he hasn’t victimized the Dodgers much. His only start against the Dodgers was a home victory on July 8, 2014. Adrian González needs two hits to reach 2,000 for his career, but Verlander’s not the guy he’d like to face to get there. He’s 3-17 lifetime against the Tigers’ pitcher.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1945 Dodger shortstop Tommy Brown becomes the youngest player (17 years, 8 months, and 14 days) in major league history to hit a home run. The round-tripper by ‘Buckshot’, who started his career as a 16 year-old high school student, will be the only run Brooklyn scores off 30 year-old Pirates southpaw Preacher Roe, who goes the distance in the 11-1 rout of the home team at Ebbets Field.
  • 1974 In an 18-8 rout of the Cubs, the Dodgers collect 24 hits and set a club record with 48 total bases, including Davey Lopes’ three home runs, double, and single. The Dodger second baseman’s 15 total bases are the most ever for a leadoff hitter.
  • 1978 In the visitors’ clubhouse at Shea Stadium, Dodger Blue becomes black and blue when Steve Garvey confronts teammate Don Sutton about a Washington Post story in which the pitcher is critical of him. After the right-hander confirms he had made the comments, the argument becomes physical when an inappropriate remark is made about the first baseman’s wife.

I remember lying on a couch in my relative’s home while on vacation in Santa Maria listening to Scully and Doggett tell me about this one: in 1961 in the second game of a doubleheader the Phillies snap a 23-game losing streak by beating the Braves, 7-4. The victory establishes a new record for the most consecutive losses by a major league team.

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103 thoughts on “Game 122, 2017

  1. NL Notes: Otani, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies
    By Connor Byrne | August 20, 2017 at 4:37pm CDT

    Eight members of the Dodgers organization, including president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, were in Japan on Sunday to watch Nippon Ham Fighters star Shohei Otani, according to a report from Sponichi (translation courtesy of Kazuto Yamazaki of Beyond the Box Score, on Twitter). The two-way standout threw a 58-pitch bullpen session before the game and then reached base in all four plate appearances during the contest, going 3 for 3 with a walk. Otani, 23, figures to be the most sought-after free agent available if he decides to immigrate to the majors in the offseason. The Dodgers seem likely to pursue him, but the international spending limits in the new collective bargaining agreement will prevent the big-spending franchise from steamrolling the competition with a massive offer. In fact, the Dodgers aren’t allowed to give out a bonus exceeding $300K to an international prospect in the 2017-18 signing period.

  2. Today’s bright side: Rox and Snakes both lose, so Dodgers maintain their lead at 20 and 21 games, respectively; Gnats lose to Fillies, and are formally eliminated from the division championship.

    • Going above 19 is sure impressive.
      I think the important leads to track now are for HFA.

  3. Kershaw throws another simulated game tomorrow, then probably rehab at AA or AAA. Dayton is shut down and headed back to LA for a second opinion on his left elbow, which experienced soreness during warmups for a rehab appearance in Tulsa.

    • Dayton appeared in seven games last year in the playoffs, more often than Avilan. Hope Luis and Watson are up to the task. Or perhaps Ryu?

  4. If anyone’s interested the Sunday Night Baseball game is being played for the first time at Williamsport, the site of the Little League World Series. Presumably on a field with fences a little deeper than those the youngsters use.

  5. That miss in centerfield is the kind of thing that annoys me. It shouldn’t happen, even in a regular season game where the outcome is not critical. Imagine if that happened in a playoff game and it cost two runs.

  6. Milwaukee-Colorado 1-1 in the 3rd. Minnesota put up nine in the first vs. Arizona. It’s 9-0 in the 3rd. Colon pitching for the twins.

    • We certainly are spoiled, aren’t we?
      Hopefully we only have to have short-termed frustration thru October.

  7. Lousy game.
    In the scheme of things, it shouldn’t matter, so get it out of the system and assess the talent.
    Silver Lining Dept.: Grand two beginning games for Curtis.

  8. Turner needs to hit a 2 run homer so the Dodgers can get to 3 runs. Keep the streak alive.

  9. From SNLA – if they Dodgers come back and win, and if the Giants lose, SF would be eliminated today, from winning the division.

  10. Fun fact: the last time the Dodgers lost and didn’t score exactly 3 runs was in late June. In their last 6 losses they scored 3 runs in each game.
    Strange but true.

  11. 6 outs to get at least 3 runs. Time for Taylor, Grandal and Bellinger (least likely) to get some AB’s.

  12. I don’t think we have them where we want them anymore, but we did before Upton homered.

  13. Dodger bats are going to have to find away force Verlander out and get to the Tiger bullpen.

  14. So this jet lag thing is a real drag. I’m tired as all get out.
    And Maeda gives up his first hit.

  15. I’ve been trying to find the earliest elimination date for any team in the NL West, but have been unable to do so. I think it’s fair to say, though, that the 2017 Gnats are serious contenders – a Dodger win or Gnatloss today will mathematically eliminate SF even though, theoretically, they are still “wild card” possibilities.