Game 140, 2017

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Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ATT SportsNet-RM, MLBN (out-of-market only)

History says the Dodgers are still in good shape despite the current 1-11 stretch.

The only reason the Dodgers’ situation looks more dire than it actually is? Because as they’ve stumbled, the D-backs have surged. How do you surrender 9 1/2 games in the standings in two weeks? Lose 11 of 12, while the second-place team wins 13 in a row. That’s what happened this time, but such extreme polarity is rare and impossible to sustain on either end.

Save us, Clayton! Dodger fans could be forgiven if that’s what they mutter as tonight’s game begins with the Dodgers’ ace Kershaw (16-2, 1.95 ERA) facing RHP Jon Gray (6-4, 4.26 ERA) at Dodger Stadium. Gray has made seven starts against the Dodgers in his career and put up a 3.75 ERA against them. He got no decision in his only start against them this season, going five innings and giving up just one run on four hits. Kershaw is making his second start after coming off the DL with back troubles; in his first one he went six scoreless innings, struck out seven and didn’t walk anybody.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1903 A year before the first subway line is completed, the Brooklyn Superbas, later to be known as the Dodgers, play their cross-town rivals in a two-stadium, same-day doubleheader. The first game played in Washington Park begins at 10:30 am with 9,300 fans watching the visiting Giants win the opener, 6-4, and later that afternoon in front of 23,623 patrons at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, Brooklyn wins the second game, 3-0.
  • 1916 The Giants defeat the Dodgers 4-1 to start their major league record 26-game winning streak. The ‘Jints’ start the span two games under .500 and make up nine games in the standings, but remain in fourth place during the entire streak.
  • 1962 With four steals in a 10-1 loss to the Pirates, Dodger Maury Wills breaks the modern National League record for stolen bases in a season with his 82nd swipe. Bob Bescher established the mark in 1911, playing left field for Cincinnati.
  • 1964 At Connie Mack Stadium, a Labor Day crowd of 26,390 fans watches the first-place Phillies split a doubleheader with the Dodgers. The attendance for the twin bill brings the season’s total to 1,224,172 patrons, breaking the all-time franchise home attendance record established by the Whiz Kids in 1950.
  • 2001 Shawn Green breaks a franchise record for homers in a season with his 44th home run, the first of two dingers the Dodger right fielder will hit off Dustin Hermanson in the team’s 7-1 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The previous mark had been shared by Duke Snider (1956) and Gary Sheffield (2000).

Lineup:

229 thoughts on “Game 140, 2017”

  3. I skipped the last three innings to indulge in Netflix escapism. I only regret having missed Walker Buehler’s Dodger debut.

  4. Well, there’s this:

    Urias’ Surgery Reportedly Went Better Than Expected
    By Steve Adams | September 8, 2017 at 9:10am CDT

    Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias underwent shoulder surgery to repair his left anterior capsule earlier this season, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes in his weekly NL Notes roundup that the procedure actually went better than expected. Per Heyman, Dr. Neal ElAttrache anticipates a full recovery for the highly touted 21-year-old, although Urias still appears to be facing a significant layoff. Dodgers president of baseball ops Andrew Friedman said at the time of the surgery (in late June) that a rehab period of 12 months was expected for Urias.

  5. Okay, last I checked last night we were down by four, which lately means game over. That stood up to be true.

  11. Kersh (and bullpen) would’ve needed another shutout to get the win.

    Mo said the next stop for this club is getting angry. I think he feels that’s positive.

  15. This season seems to be the polar opposite of 2005 – where they started the season 12-2 (2 great weeks) but finished 71-91 (bad rest of the season).

  18. Hard to believe the Dodgers weren’t able to overcome the outcome of the first three Rockie batters of the game.

  27. OK. I have tried to stay positive but I will confess tonight’s game is not looking good. And I have no idea about tomorrow.

    “Uncle.”

    • “To thine own self be true” — even Optimists President needs to pull back to fight another day.

        • I’m really sorry about making things sound worse than they probably are — I WILL survive . . . jobs and Dodger disasters. (Cue Gloria Gaynor)

          I just really expected much better new than Kersh giving up 4 runs in three innings!

  28. Who’dve thought Brock Stewart would have a better start than Kersh?
    Who’dve thought that game, with the 5 rookie starters, would feature the biggest offensive output since Aug. 26?
    Who’dve thought a month ago we’d all be so crabby/frustrated as we are?

  29. 3 runs lately with bases-loaded walks/HBP.
    The ONLY thing I can think of is they are getting this all out of their systems now, vs. playoffs (assuming they get there — I know all the stats say they should but stats also said we’d have a different president).

  32. If they concede, they avoid batting auditions, but lessen the frustration.
    Decisions, decisions.

  37. After hearing possibly and definitely bad employment news regarding two places where I work, I checked into EF and caught the bad vibes, then went to the Dodger site and saw a 4-0 hole . . . and yes, Kersh WAS pitching!

    What a nightmare of a day for me personally and Dodger fans universally.

    Luckily we have your site, Link. So Dodger fans everywhere, join me in saying EF!!!

    • Sorry to hear about the employment news Bob. My prayers that things turn back around for you.

      • Thanks, Dave. It’s not CRUCIAL stuff, I still have a job, just reduced duties/pay at one school (and I didn’t like the way the news was given).

          • Yep.
            But all shall be well!
            Speaking of that, I must admit I’m surprised with how well I’m handling these last 2 1/2 weeks. I get my venting done here, then I go through my day. In the past, my day would be good or bad depending on the Dodgers and I would wake up with that same mood. Now I wake up, remember what’s been happening and say ‘Oh, yeah.’ Then I go here to see what’s been added.

  38. I’ll go down with this ship. Until a team has more wins than the Dodgers, there is no team I would rather be this season than them.

    • They’re my team and I will root for them.
      But I currently don’t have much confidence in them.
      The best (only) thing they have going for them in the regular season is having amassed such a lead.
      Not much going for them in post.
      Of course, things CAN turn around.

    • Granderson is now batting .097 as a Dodger (6-for-62). I expect that in the storied history of the franchise, no Dodger (except for pitchers) has ever had a batting average that low in a season with at least 60 at bats. And, still, Roberts, like a Pavlovian dog hearing the bell, sees the blank lineup card and puts Granderson in the No. 2 hole. It has become a conditioned response.

  46. So I come out of a nice dinner tonight in Monterey and turn on the car radio. As I live about 330 miles north of L.A., it is hard to tune in the flagship Dodger station, KLAC-570, but it finally comes in between waves of static and muffled sounds. The first thing I hear is 4-0 Rockies after three innings. It is no longer painful. It is numbing. It is like someone on massive doses of painkillers and in a cloudy state of mind. Tonight, I likened Kershaw to being the last line of defense against barbarian hordes at the gate, with the populace (Dodgers fans) looking poignantly and desperately up to him to prevent the walls from collapsing. Tonight, for the first time, I believe that we could truly blow it and not win the West. I hope I am wrong.

    • I wouldn’t blame you, and I doubt if anyone else on this site would. You are a tried and true trooper.

  49. So ridiculous. We are absolutely embarrassing right now. Grandal can’t catch to save himself, or us.

    • I called it a night about here as the clock was showing midnight here. RBI will soon be visiting the ETZ and have to make it a long day to post throughout the game. Enjoy.

    • That’s what has been happening during this tailspin. And that’s why this slump can’t last forever.

    • Haven’t a clue.

      Edited: Just went thru all of today’s Twitter comments from Dodgers.com and saw nothing to indicate he’s hurt or sick. I guess it’s just a day off.

  94. Driving to the stadium with my husband. I had two cor choices for blue nail polish: Midnight Blue and Take Me to Paradise. Guess which one I chose? #paradiseherewecome

    • “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.”
      He did it Opening Game several years ago. They scored more after that but his was the first RBI.

    • Grandy’s a good dude and a great clubhouse presence. My guess is that he, Joc, Ethier, and AGon are all competing for the reserve LHB in the opening series and these games are the auditions. Who knows, if AGon is out, might be room for 2.

    • Funny piece — thanks for sharing.
      But it’s also a telling piece. I agree with batting the lineup that got them here (as soon as Seager’s back).
      Also scary about Grandal and what we were sensing.

  100. Not to quibble – but the NY Giants streak was an undefeated streak rather than a winning streak. If I remember correctly there was one or two ties in that 26 games stretch.