Game 159, 2021

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Padres at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports San Diego, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Vince Velasquez (3-8, 6.22 ERA) takes the hill for the Padres; RHP Tony Gonsolin (4-1, 3.00 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1923 It’s Zack Wheat Day at Ebbets Field, and the retiring Dodger outfielder collects two hits and is given an automobile. Cy Williams of the Phillies spoils the special day as he ties the score in the seventh inning with his 39th homer and his 40th in the 12th frame gives Philadelphia the victory, 6-4.
  • 1933 At Sportsman’s Park in a 12-2 Cubs rout of the Cardinals, Babe Herman hits for the cycle, becoming the first player in baseball history to do it three times. The Chicago outfielder, playing for the Dodgers, also accomplished the feat on two other occasions in 1931.
  • 1947 Ralph Branca becomes the youngest player to start a World Series opener. At Yankee Stadium, the 21-year and 9 months old right hander and the Dodgers lose to the Bronx Bombers, 5-1.
  • 1951 Knowing the Giants have won their game in Boston, the Dodgers rally from a five-run deficit to beat Philadelphia in 14 innings, 9-8, forcing a three-game playoff for the National League pennant. After Jackie Robinson makes a game-saving catch in the thirteenth to preserve an 8-8 tie, he hits a home run in the next frame that proves to be the difference in Brooklyn’s victory at Shibe Park.
  • 1953 George Shuba, best known as the Montreal Royal teammate who shook Jackie Robinson’s hand after the rookie had homered, becomes the third major leaguer and the first National League player to pinch hit a home run in the World Series when he goes deep off Allie Reynolds in the Dodgers’ 9-5 Game 1 loss at Yankee Stadium. ‘Shotgun’ joins Yogi Berra (1947) and Johnny Mize (1952), who both accomplished the feat playing for the Bronx Bombers.
  • 1956 Don Newcombe, a three-time twenty-game winner, goes the distance to earn his major-league leading 27th victory when the Dodgers beat Pittsburgh at Forbes Field, 8-6, on the last day of the campaign. Newk’s win is the most ever in a season by an African-American pitcher.
  • 1962 On the last day of the season, Gene Oliver’s eighth-inning homer off Johnny Podres proves to be the difference in St. Louis’ 1-0 victory over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The loss to the Cardinals forces Los Angeles into a best-of-three-game playoff with the Giants for the National League pennant, a series the team will lose to San Francisco.
  • 1999 The largest regular-season crowd in Candlestick Park history, 61,389 fans, watches the Dodgers beat the home team, 9-4 in the last baseball game to ever be played at the ‘Stick’. Giant greats help mark the occasion with Juan Marichal tossing out the ceremonial first pitch before the game and Willie Mays throwing out the ballpark’s final pitch after the game.

Lineup:

132 thoughts on “Game 159, 2021”

  3. Arizona has blown leads of 3-0 and 4-3 and the Giants are coming up now in the bottom of the 9th with the game tied, 4-4. San Francisco is ready to pounce. A good friend of mine who is a big Giants fan sent me this before tonight’s games: “It is inconceivable to me that a major league pitching staff could serve up so many meatballs in such a short period of time. It’s a disgrace.
    It was like batting practice. Reflects poorly on the entire San Diego organization. They didn’t field a competitive team. If I were the Giants. I’d be pissed.” That was before tonight’s serving of meatballs.

  5. Top of the first, old friend Scott Kazmir has given the Snakes a 2-0 lead, and they’re threatening more. Unfortunately, he hurt himself covering first, so the Gnatpen now has the responsibility of piling on the runs.

    Update: Kazmir’s replacement has walked in another run, and BadGums is now at the plate. Unfortunately he K’s, but takes the mound with a 3-0 lead.

  8. Since July 31, the Dodgers are 40-13, the Giants are 40-15, and the Padres are 17-34.

    • Was supposed to be the Puds giving us a run. They crumbled like good Bleu Cheese.

  16. Arizona got the first two men on in the 7th and neither of them advanced. They got two singles in the 9th and failed to score, in part because of a caught stealing. Watching parts of the Giants-Diamondbacks games where I live, I can see why Arizona is 58 games under .500 (before tonight).

  17. It’s unfortunate/frustrating that teams with far worse records (looking at you Atlanta Braves), can go into “resting starters and line up pitching staffs for the postseason” already.

  18. The posting on this site recently about “Wild Man Alan Fischer” saddened me — and this isn’t on you, WBB. I knew of Fischer when I was a teen-ager. We lived in the same general neighborhood in Los Angeles. He went to the same high school as I did, Fairfax High, and he was a troubled person. People knew of him. He was a few years ahead of me and went to school with my sister. I recall Fischer showing up one day on the campus at UCLA, which I attended before transferring to Cal, and singing. It was odd. I didn’t realize that he had become famous and that he had passed away. His Wikipedia post will fill you in: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Man_Fischer

  69. In a span of 10 batters in the 8th inning last night and the 1st inning today, the Dodgers hit six home runs and a double.