Dodgers at Cardinals, 4:45 PM PDT, TV: FS-M, SPNLA
The Dodgers’ leading winners on the pitching staff are Ryu and tonight’s starter, RHP Kenta Maeda (2-0, 3.09 ERA). Maeda is also tied with Julio Urias as the leading hitter on the team; each has a .500 BA. Maeda will try to improve both numbers when he faces the Cardinals’ RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 3.86 ERA) tonight at Busch Stadium. Flaherty hasn’t gotten past the fifth inning in either of his first two starts, needing 89 pitches in the first game to go 4 1/3 innings and 98 to go five in the second.
The Dodgers placed Russell Martin on the 10-day injured list with lower back inflammation and called up C Rocky Gale from OKC.
In case you missed it, here’s Ozuna’s flub of Kiké’s fly ball in yesterday game.
Today in Dodgers’ history:
- 1947 During the sixth inning of an exhibition game against their minor league team at Ebbets Field, the Montreal Royals, Dodgers’ president Branch Rickey issues a brief statement to the press. The two sentences will forever change the game when the team announces “The Brooklyn Dodgers today purchased the contract of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson from the Montreal Royals. He will report immediately.”
- 1962 In front of 52,564 fans, Reds infielder Eddie Kasko doubles off of Johnny Podres in the first ever at-bat at Dodger Stadium, and Duke Snider’s single in the bottom of the second accounts for the home team’s first hit. After playing their first four seasons at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the team drops a 6-3 decision to the Reds in the debut of the new $22 million ballpark in Chavez Ravine, financed with a low two-percent interest loan from the Union Oil Company in exchange for exclusive rights to advertise within the stadium.
- 1962 Wally Post hits the first home run in Dodger Stadium history, a two-out, three-run shot in the seventh inning off Johnny Podres that proves to be the difference in the Cincinnati’s 6-3 victory. The left fielder’s round-tripper to center field is a fair ball, unlike some others hit in the ballpark where the foul poles are discovered to be positioned in foul territory, requiring special permission from the National League to be recognized as fair during the first year in the team’s new home in Chavez Ravine.
- 1976 After being granted his free agency in a landmark case which will forever change baseball, Andy Messersmith becomes one of the first major leaguers to use his new status to sign with a team of his choice. The former Dodger right-hander comes to terms with the Braves and will post a 16-15 record during his two-year tenure for his new club.
- 2012 Vin Scully misses the Dodgers’ home opener for the first time in 35 years when doctors order the 84 year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster to rest as he recovers from a bad cold. The last time the team’s play-by-play announcer was absent from the season’s first home game he was calling the first round of the Masters in 1977.
Lineup:
Today’s Dodger lineup at Cardinals:
Pederson LF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Muncy 2B
Verdugo RF
Taylor CF
Barnes C
Maeda P#Dodgers | @Biofreeze pic.twitter.com/qXGM9r08xw— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 10, 2019
NPUT @ 0630 HST, 0930 PDT, 1230 EDT
Hmmm. Saw this: Dodgers record in series right after playing in Coors since 2013 is 22-35 (.386).
Verdugo! Nice throw.
All tied up since 1892.
Kiké puts us out of our misery.
Squibber gets through.
Can’t get too worked up. It’s early days.
We are hitting the ball hard at times but almost every one right at someone.
Ozuna got game.
Remember that period of time some years back where the Cardinals killed us every game? Me, too.
Coming in, if I recall, the Dodgers record against them is 1,029-1,028.
It was postseason that we couldn’t seem to beat them.
Sure, I think we all recall that, just thought this was an interesting stat.
Indeed!
Swirling Ozuna can’t get to that one.
That is funny. Ozuna easily could have got to that one
The ole third time through the batting order
When it rains it pours.
I feel wet.
Lagging offense seems to be pressuring the defense to come up with the spectacular.
Good to see the effort.
That ball was going to get to the corner anyway regardless of whether Joc dove for it or not.
Taylor gave it everything he had as well. Dodgers are trying their best but…
Yep.
Barnes has been helping Maeda get the called strike on low pitches all game long.
Ozuna was licking his chops on that one.
He called for it in left filed.
Cory pretty much still in spring training mode.
Attaboy, Joc.
They can’t catch that one!
I was wrong: Maeda had 44 pitches through THREE innings. He now has 58 through four.
What is Zaidi doing? Since this story appeared, the Giants beat the Padres 7-2 yesterday and lost to them 3-1 today. The Giants aren’t rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. They’re adding new ones:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Giants-constant-roster-shuffling-continues-13751879.php
Can’t compete on price, so volume?
Whatever he’s doing, the fans aren’t buying. Today’s attendance was in the 28,000 range for the third straight game, this for a franchise which had sellouts for years. That means there are few walkups.
Zaidi’s first year with the Giants is payback for Colletti’s first year with the Dodgers.
Drat
Soft hits are beating Dodgers hard outs.
Ozuna does a Quique!
He dove back to where the base wasn’t like he tried to catch Kike’s fly ball.
Quique on Monday, I am guessing.
Dodgers have gone 16 innings without scoring a run. Who would have seen that coming?
Maeda has thrown only 44 pitches in four innings.
Joc getting some wood on the ball today.
His stats indicate he has had bad luck. He has the highest average exit velocity on the team. Only Bellinger is close to him.
Routine 111.2 mph out.
Ozuna apparently was GG quality at some point in his career. Knows how to handle the bat and the bases, it seems.
Have you read KeeQue’s comments about his history with Osuma?
Yep They showed a clip on the broadcast
Kike’ was funny when he said the only thing that could have been better was if it hit Ozuna on the head.
It takes a Canseco to do that.
I missed that. What did he say?
What Bums said. They are buddies coming up with the Fish together. Ozuna climbed the wall and took a dinger away from Quique a couple years ago and teases him about it whenever they meet.
Barnes HBP. Careful or we will run out of catchers.
Bunch of yuts on the farm though.
I think Smith will be up by August regardless.
Before Sept 1?
I think so.
I hope this isn’t the start of a series of injuries for Martin. Has Gale arrived yet? Probably would have if we were playing in the Windy City.
What is a yut?
Youths. From the movie “My Cousin Vinny”
Youts.
Yutes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6qGwmXZtsE
Geesh, Turner grounds into a DP on the 14th pitch of the at bat. Well, we’re running up Flaherty’s pitch count.
Unfortunately, he wound up averaging 7 pitches per out.
Say hello to Benito and Hector for me.
Back in Santiago, should be able to watch tonight’s game.
Winter wasn’t long enough for you here so you traveled south to get more? Is it chilly in Chile? If so, eat some spicy chili. Actually, Fall is probably great in Chile.
It’s like October in Southern California.