Game Nine, 2023

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Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5:10 PM PDT, TV: , Bally Sports Arizona, SPNLA

RHP Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 1.50 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers and RHP Zach Davies (0-0, 1.80 ERA) does the same for the D-Backs.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1966 At the Astrodome, the Astros and Dodgers play baseball’s first game on synthetic grass. Thanks to the Monsanto chemical company, who proposed using an experimental playing surface of nylon grass, the plan to play on an all-dirt field, necessitated by the need to paint the dome’s glass panes to reduce the glare which prevented natural grass from growing, was alleviated by the use of ‘AstroTurf’.
  • 1974 Braves outfielder Hank Aaron passes Babe Ruth as the all-time home run leader with his 715th, going deep in the fourth inning off Dodger hurler Al Downing in Atlanta’s home opener. ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ equaled the Bambino’s mark on Opening Day in Cincinnati.

  • 1994 Kent Mercker no-hits Los Angeles, 6-0 at Dodger Stadium. The Braves left-hander was one of the three Atlanta pitchers, along with Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Pena, in 1991 to also no-hit the Padres, but this victory is his first complete game in the major leagues.
  • 1994 Chan Ho Park becomes the first Korean to play in the major leagues when he makes his pitching debut at Chavez Ravine. In one inning of work, the 21 year-old Kongju City native gives up two runs on one hit, walking two and striking out two batters in the Dodgers’ 6-0 loss to Atlanta.
  • 2015 Adrian Gonzalez becomes the first major league player to hit five home runs in the first three games of the season when he goes deep three times in the Dodgers’ 7-4 victory over San Diego at Chavez Ravine. The Los Angeles first baseman joins Carl Furillo (1955) and Jimmy Wynn (1974) as the only players in franchise history to have homered in the first three games of a campaign.
  • 2019 Chris Davis breaks the record for the longest hitless streak in major league history at 0-for-47, surpassing Eugenio Velez’s dubious mark with the Giants and Dodgers in 2010-11. The Baltimore fans, who had begun regularly booing the Orioles outfielder with the $161 million fully guaranteed contract, were very supportive when he lined out to deep left field in the fifth inning in the game against the A’s to take his place in baseball infamy. His streak ended several games later at 0-54.

Lineups when available.

43 thoughts on “Game Nine, 2023”

  1. Also, I can’t recall a game where so many hits land “lucky” for a team. It’s crazy! Fun for their fans though.

  4. Today in Schadenfreude: Old friend Stripling blows a three-run lead in the eighth and, in the bottom of the inning, the Gnats load the bases with nobody out – only to produce three consecutive clutch strikeouts. In the ninth, their closer Doval wild-pitches home the winning run and then the offense goes 1-2-3 to finish with a flourish.

    • I root for the Giants. The Dodgers are my team but Giants and Dodgers are brothers. I like San Diego too. In fact, I like all west coast teams except Oakland.

      • Of the other West Coast teams, only Oakland and Seattle are worth rooting for.

  19. Yowsers – I left to watch some curling (tell me you’re Canadian without telling me you’re Canadian) – and this game has gotten kinda ugly.

  24. I subscribe to MLB Extra Innings and for some reason this game isn’t being shown. Is it on a network?

  26. Can’t give Carroll a free pass like that. These D Backs aren’t going away or giving up easily.