Game 102, 2019

Marlins vs. Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: FS-F, SPNLA

The visiting Marlins send Hawai’i boy RHP Jordan Yamamoto (4-0, 1.59 ERA) to the mound to face the Dodgers’ RHP Walker Buehler (8-1, 3.44 ERA). Yamamoto has gotten a lot of ink in the local newspaper; our local TV stations don’t even bother with sports news anymore so I haven’t seen him there. He’s made six starts and given up no more than four hits in any of them. Buehler gave up six runs to the Phillies on Tuesday (only two were earned — there’s the Dodgers’ suddenly suspect defense) but gave up no more and went six innings while the Dodgers caught up and took him off the hook.

Here’s Beaty’s HR in the bottom of the 8th inning to retake the lead lost in the top of the inning:

Bonus video: Kershaw’s 60th 10-strikeout game of his career and his RBI single:

On this date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1930 Harvey Henrick’s ninth-inning three-run round-tripper off the bench gives the Dodgers a dramatic 9-8 come-from-behind victory over the Redbirds at Ebbets Field in the first game of a twin bill. Redbirds George Puccinelli and Jim Bottomley and Brooklyn’s Hal Lee also homer appearing as pinch-hitters in the game.
  • 1956 In a 13-6 defeat to the Cubs, Dodgers’ shortstop Pee Wee Reese becomes one of five active players to collect 2000 hits, and teammate Junior Gilliam sets a major league record by handling 12 assists at second base.
  • 1963 The usually mild-mannered Dodger manager Walter Alston is thrown out of both games of a doubleheader when the Braves sweep a twin bill from Los Angeles for the first and only time in Milwaukee, 7-2 and 13-7. To make matters worse, the manager has beer thrown in his face by a hometown fan as he leaves the second game. (My thanks to Lee for sharing this entry. He attended the game at County Stadium as a ten year-old. -LP)
  • 2003 At Dodger Stadium, Vladimir Guerrero hit his 226th career home run, breaking Andre Dawson’s club record. The Expos’ right fielder hits his milestone round-tripper off Odalis Perez, a 454-foot blast over the left field wall.

Lineup when available.


No Bellinger, no CT3. Just a day off for each of them? I didn’t hear why Bellinger left last night’s game in the double switch; was there any speculation?

76 thoughts on “Game 102, 2019

  1. Will y’all look at the standings up there on the right? Look who’s in second place behind us. 15 1/2 games back, but it’s still startling to see how much ground they’ve made up and that they’ve passed three other teams.

  2. Keibert Ruiz has been called up to OKC from Tulsa. Could Will Smith be coming back to LA?

  3. SI’s Verducci writes that a Dodgers’ World Series appearance seems inevitable.

    The Dodgers lead the National League in defense (they turn 71.3% of batted balls into outs) and pitching (3.34 ERA) and are second to Colorado in runs scored per game by the slimmest of margins (5.47-5.46). After starting the year 8-8, they are 59-27 in the past 86 games.

    Verducci calls them “grinders” and says “Roberts’s Twenty-Five is the best ensemble cast since Ocean’s Eleven.”

    I think he’s wrong here, though:

    Kenley Jansen doesn’t have the same velocity or movement on his cutter, causing him to throw more sliders. Slugging against his cutter has gone steadily upward since 2016: .250, .306, .401, .453. In that span his velocity on the pitch has dropped from 93.9 mph to 91.6.

    From what I’ve read, part of Kenley’s problem is that he’s not throwing sliders; he’s stubbornly sticking to his cutter despite the results highlighted in that paragraph.

  4. Barves still trail the Dodgers by 6-1/2 games for best in the NL but, with the Rox victory over the Yanquis, the Dodgers once again have baseball’s best record by one game (.004). In the division, Dodgers lead Snakes and Gnats by 16, Rox and Pads by 18.5.

    • I didn’t think that ball has a shot off the bat. I was wondering if it was deep enough for Turner to advance.

  5. From the pre-game notes at Dodger Insider:

    Bellinger was substituted for in the top of the eighth inning on Saturday to get some rest. Manager Dave Roberts said he wanted Bellinger to have, with the off day on Monday, 2 1/2 days of less action to be ready for the two-game series against the Angels, which starts on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

    There are some nice memories of Charlie Hough in that column, too.

  6. I just ran the bases with my grandson. And then I walked right by Kenley in the dugout. Sooooo cool.

  7. CT3 is Chris Taylor, right? He’s not in because he has a broken arm. I think you mean Alex Verdugo.

    • I meant Taylor because I forgot about the forearm. No Verdugo is apparently a desire of Roberts’ to get Beaty’s bat into the lineup, according to the Insider story linked to above.

  8. So apparently we need to score more than six to make our bullpen guys feel more comfortable.

  9. Shots of Kershaw in the dugout makes me believe he is in the witness protection program. Dark sunglasses and hood up over his head.

  10. One would think the best team were playing the worst team in major league baseball. Too Soon?

  11. Just as I asked for earlier: another 6-0 lead after six innings. No anxiety please from now on this morning in Italy, where it is now 12:10 a.m. Monday. Good night.

  12. The good news is Buehler will at least pitch into the 7th. That shortens the bullpen usage.

    • I also think some of the more high quality pitchers in the pen are available today.

    • Best to use the pen as much as they can now, to see who works out and who doesn’t.

  13. Buehler smartly didn’t try to catch or knock down that ball up the middle so that his well positioned infielder could throw the runner out. One of the few times I’ve seen a pitcher recognize that play in time to let it go by.

  14. Finally a game that began at a reasonable time in Italy: 10 p.m. Let’s wrap it up early, say by taking a 6-0 lead after six innings, and then costing to an easy win, just like we did this morning, Italian time.