World Series Game Five, 2023

Texas at Arizona, 5:03 PM PDT, TV: Fox. Texas leads the Series three games to one.

The Rangers send RHP Nathan Iovaldi (4-0, 3.52 ERA postseason) out to try to win the Series. RHP Zac Gallen of the Diamondbacks (2-2, 5.27 ERA postseason) will try to extend it.

Today in baseball history:

  • 1942 The Dodgers replace team president Larry MacPhail, who accepted a commission in the U.S. Army in September, with Branch Rickey, formerly the Cardinals’ vice-president before resigning three days ago. Brooklyn’s new boss will guide the team to two pennants during his eight-year reign in the “The Borough of Churches.”
  • 1966 In the final time when there is only one selection from both leagues, Dodger southpaw Sandy Koufax becomes the first three-time recipient of the Cy Young Award. The 30-year-old left-hander, recipient of the prestigious pitching prize in 1963 and 1965, posted a 27-9 (.750) record and an ERA of 1.73 for the National League champs.
  • 2001 The first major league game ever started in November becomes memorable when the Yankees, for the second consecutive night, make a dramatic comeback in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and go on to a World Series Game Five victory in extra innings. Scott Brosius hits a game-tying two-out two-run homer to knot the game at 2-2, and Alfonso Soriano singles in Chuck Knoblauch in the 12th, giving the Yankees a 3-2 victory and 3-2 lead in the Fall Classic over the Diamondbacks.
  • 2005 The unveiling of a bronze sculpture capturing the friendship of Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson takes place at Brooklyn’s KeySpan Park, home of the Mets’ Single-A team. The William Behrends sculpture captures the moment when the Dodger captain showed support by putting his arm around his black teammate’s shoulder, hushing an unruly crowd hurling racial slurs at his teammate at Crosley Field in 1947.
  • 2010 Edgar Renteria, who drove in the Marlins’ winning run against Cleveland during Game 7 of the 1997 Fall Classic, joins Yankees legends Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Yogi Berra as only the fourth player in baseball history to collect two World Series-winning hits. The Series MVP’s three-run homer off Cliff Lee in the seventh inning leads to San Francisco’s 3-1 victory over the Rangers, bringing a World Championship to the Giants for the first time since 1954.

53 thoughts on “World Series Game Five, 2023

  1. The Arizona Fall League ASG is on MLBTV tonight, with a couple Dodgers prospects in the pen. Dodgers’ LHP Kopp has his gopher ball working.

  2. Kershaw announces on his Instagram account that he has undergone shoulder surgery, a repair of the gleno-humeral ligaments and capsule. He hopes to return to pitching next summer.

    Sounds like he plans on pitching in 2024.

  3. The Dodgers have twelve free agents.

    Player Pos 2024 age*
    Ryan Brasier RHP 36
    Kiké Hernández IF/OF 32
    Jason Heyward OF 34
    Clayton Kershaw SP 36
    Jake Marisnick OF 33
    J.D. Martinez DH 36
    Shelby Miller RHP 33
    Jimmy Nelson RHP 35
    David Peralta OF 36
    Amed Rosario 2B/SS 28
    Julio Urías SP 27
    Kolten Wong 2B/SS 33
    *age as of June 30, 2024

    • I’d bring back Kershaw, if he wants to return.

      Otherwise, only Hernandez and Heyward for sure.

      Martinez, if we don’t sign Ohtani, and the former might jump for a big deal and longer contract in the interim.

      Brasier and Miller would be nice, but I expect each will be offered bigger deals than the Dodgers will.

    • The surname surprised me for a Spaniard but, as it happens, he’s Swiss-German in descent.

  4. 104 days till the start of 2024 Dodger Spring Training when pitchers and catchers report on Feb.13.

    Yay Rangers, yay Seager.

  5. Well, that was disappointing for Arizona fans, even as it was delightful for Texas fans. And now we wait for spring training and the results of whatever machinations Friedman performs to find a cure for the Dodgers’ early exit problem.

    • Except for elimination of the Trashtros, the whole thing was a major disappointment for baseball fans.

  6. Rangers and Dodgers have very similar won-loss winning % in WS.
    Dodgers 7/20=.350
    Rangers 1/3=.333