Game 16, 2021

Padres at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports San Diego, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Trevor Bauer (2-0, 2.70 ERA) takes the hill at Petco Park for the Dodgers in hopes of sweeping the Padres, who send out LHP Blake Snell (0-0, 4.35 ERA), last seen being removed from Game Six of the World Series despite his complete mastery of the Dodgers to that point of the game. He had a terrible outing his last time out, not getting out of the first inning against Pittsburgh. Bauer, meanwhile, has been terrific through six innings in each of his first three starts, giving up no more than two hits and striking out nine during those periods.

On this date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1925 At his Waldorf-Astoria apartment, Dodgers’ owner Charles H. Ebbets dies of a heart attack at the age of 65. Later in the day, his team opens the home season in Brooklyn losing to the Giants at Ebbets Field, 7-0.
  • 1939 In Brooklyn, Red Barber calls the action in the first broadcast of a regular-season Dodger game, a 7-3 loss to New York at Ebbets Field. The future Hall of Fame announcer was brought in from Cincinnati by the team’s new president, Larry MacPhail, who had hired the ‘Ol Redhead’ when he was in a similar post with the Reds.
  • 1947 Dodger president Branch Rickey names team scout Burt Shotton to replace Leo Durocher, who was suspended ten days ago by Commissioner Happy Chandler for acts “unbecoming to a major league manager.” Brooklyn’s new 62 year-old skipper reluctantly takes over the team two games into the season and will manage the club for one year in his street clothes along with wearing the team’s hat and jacket.
  • 1950 Vin Scully calls the first game of his illustrious 67-year career with the Dodgers, detailing Brooklyn’s 9-1 defeat to the Phillies on Opening Day at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park. The 22-year old broadcaster, who will be awarded the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award by Bud Selig in 2014, will become the team’s primary announcer just three seasons later.
  • 1950 The Phillies play their first game with name official changed back from Blue Jays, routing the Dodgers at Shibe Park, 9-1. The team wears red pinstriped uniforms designed by manager Eddie Sawyer that are reminiscent of club’s look in the early 1900s.

  • 1952 On Opening Day in Brooklyn, Willie Mays is knocked unconscious when he smashes into the Ebbets Field wall after chasing pinch hitter Bob Morgan’s seventh-inning, two-out base-loaded line drive into the gap in left field. All three Dodgers base runners cross the plate but do not score when the motionless Giants center fielder comes to his feet and jogs into the dugout, apparently unhurt, having held onto the ball after making a fantastic catch for the third out to end the inning.
  • 1958 At the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of a National League record crowd of 78,672, the Dodgers play their first game in the City of Angels. Carl Erskine gets the win, besting Al Worthington and the Giants, 6-5.
  • 1959 Branch Rickey, former general manager of the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Pirates, is appointed the president of the Continental League. The third potential major league never materializes, but helps to accelerate the expansion of the existing leagues, including putting a National League team in New York to fill the void created by the Giants’ and the Dodgers’ departure to the west coast in 1958.
  • 1964 L.A. southpaw Sandy Koufax throws the second of his two career immaculate innings when he strikes out the side on nine pitches. Although Leo Cardenas, Johnny Edwards, and Jim Maloney all strike out quickly in the top of the third inning, Cincinnati will score all of the game’s runs in the next frame, thanks to a three-run homer hit by Deron Johnson, to beat the Dodgers in the Chavez Ravine contest, 3-0.
  • 1966 Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills singles to center off future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts, becoming the first batter to hit on artificial turf in a major league game. The Astrodome’s new playing surface, called Chemgrass initially by its manufacturer, the Monsanto Company, couldn’t be made quickly enough, so the season begins with the artificial material only on the infield with the outfield remaining painted dirt until July.
  • 2008 The Dodgers announce Joe Beimel has been selected by fans, in an online poll during Spring Training, as the player whose likeness will now be used in an August 12 bobblehead promotion. The 30 year-old southpaw reliever, considered a long shot for the honor, gets the nod due to a strong internet campaign orchestrated by his parents, Ron and Marge.

    Lineup when available.

    Huh. Lux to the IL, so they bring Neuse up to play 2B rather than slide Taylor or Muncy over there.

  • 244 thoughts on “Game 16, 2021

    1. A disappointing game, which I can live with, but now we have to worry if Mookie has a broken arm or wrist. I am not sure where he was hit.

    2. With the Giants having won tonight, their second straight shutout, we need to win to maintain a 3 1/2-game lead.

    3. Leadoff walks always come back to bite the pitcher. Except of course when they don’t.

    4. We had five hits in the 12th inning on Friday. Since then we have six hits in 20 innings. Still, we split the last two in San Diego — after winning the first — and this game is in its very early stages.

    5. Well – will the Dodgers play a bit flat after their intense series vs SD or will they stay rev’d up facing Seattle?

    6. We arrived in San Diego with a 2 1/2-game lead over both San Diego and San Francisco; we leave with a 3 1/2-game lead over both.

    7. Once again, leadoff batter gets on. And by leadoff, I guess I meant Mookie!!

      • Me, too. We’re 7-3 on the road, 6-0 at home, and now head to Seattle for two games before the Padres come to Dodger Stadium for four games starting Thursday,

    8. Hasn’t this crew been with the Dodgers for the last two series, including this one?

    9. I’m usually in favor of humans, but I’ve never seen such a bad zone as today.

    10. Burned 2 pinch hitters for the Padres just then. Me thinks they saw that as their one chance.

      • Worth the shot, but they certainly have more chances. They still have top of the order coming up next inning and Manny will get another at bat at least.

    11. With 12 of our 21 outs being strikeouts and at least one coming on a foul pop, we have hardly put any balls into the field of play today.

    12. Hindsight being 20-20, maybe Graterol should have made his 2021 debut in a more relaxed situation.

    13. Someone ought to introduce home plate umpire Cuzzi to the strike zone. I can’t recall a worse called game. He is in his 31st year as an MLB umpire.

    14. The Padres TV announcer said the called third strike on Taylor was a “horrible call.”

      • I don’t know about my pitching personally – but I know I could strike out as a batter with that zone!

    15. Time to pile up some hits and runs. We have only five hits and four runs in the last 14 innings.

      • I saw you reference once before – but no I actually didn’t.

        Winnipeg (the city at least) is from a Cree word meaning “muddy waters. Which is true of the two main rivers here.

    16. They had a shot of the Dodger dugout. Thought I saw Kenley sitting on the bench. Shouldn’t he been in the pen?

      • Closers, Kenley among them, have been know to hang out in the dugout before going down to the pen in late innings.

        • Good thing it’s not high school. The pen might not like one of their own sitting at a different table for most of lunch and only sitting with them for the last bit of the free period.

    17. Tight game! Just started listening. We’ve been at a granddaughter’s 4th birthday party, our first social outing in months and months!

    18. At 67 pitches after three innings for Snell, I do not think that the Padres will be facing a 6th inning conundrum about leaving Snell in.

    19. Really thought that little jam shot was going to make it to outfield grass.

      • It was at the same time both a dunk and a deep 2. To use basketball parlance.

    20. After getting swept by the Devil Rays in the Bronx, Yanquis now have second-worst record in all of baseball. Only the Rox are worse.