Game 21, 2024

Nationals at Dodgers, 12:10 PM PDT, TV: MASN2, SPNLA

RHP Jake Irvin (0-1, 4.24 ERA) pitches for the Nationals; the Dodgers have announced RHP Landon Knack (0-1, 4.02 ERA at Oklahoma City) will be their starter. He’s started three games at AAA OKC, striking out 16 in 15 2/3 innings with a WHIP of 0.96. He had a 2.51 ERA last season in 22 starts between Double A and Triple A, earning Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year honors.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1955 Roberto Clemente singles off Dodger pitcher Johnny Podres in his first major league at-bat. The Pirates’ rookie, who will die in a plane crash attempting to bring relief aid to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua in 1972, will collect exactly 3,000 hits during his 18-year major league career, all with Pittsburgh.
  • 1956 Luis Aparicio, Don Drysdale, and Frank Robinson play in their first major league games, respectively, for the White Sox, Dodgers, and Reds. The trio of debuts marks the first time that three future Hall of Famers have made their initial appearance on the same day.
  • 1988 The Braves beat the Dodgers, 3-1, after breaking the National League record with ten losses to start the season. The team will drop 27 of its first 39 decisions, costing Chuck Tanner his job as the Atlanta manager.
  • 2013 Clayton Kershaw becomes the second fastest Dodger to strike out 1,000 batters when he throws a second-inning 93-mph fastball past San Diego first baseman Yonder Alonso. The 25 year-old southpaw reaches the milestone in 970 career innings, 15.2 more than needed by Hideo Nomo, who established the team mark in 2003.

Also in baseball history on this day: in 1969 Bill Stoneman pitched a no-hitter for the Expos in the ninth game of their existence, and in 1976 Mike Schmidt hit four consecutive home runs in a ten-inning 18-16 Phillies’ win over the Cubs.

Lineups when available.

64 thoughts on “Game 21, 2024

    • Regarding RISP, it’s not just us. Matthew Batten led off the 8th with a triple for San Diego in what was then a 0-0 game. The next three batters failed to bring him in. Milwaukee scored a run in the bottom of the inning and won 1-0.

      • I agree. We will resume hitting with RISP and Freeman will snap out of his mini-slump. The starting pitching has been pretty good and the bullpen has settled down. But the bottom of the lineup remains a major problem.

  1. The key to this series was the first game. Glasnow, followed by basically a make shift rotation, was the game the Dodgers really should have won.

        • From Dodger Blue: Glasnow did not mention it when speaking with reporters but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed the right-hander had been feeling under the weather for multiple days.

  2. See the mistake there was Ohtani stealing second. If he had stayed out of scoring position, Freddie could maybe have actually driven him in.

  3. It will be interesting to see over the next week or 10 days what force is stronger. The youthful energy and natural talent of Pages – or the black hole that seeks to destroys the bottom of the lineup…

  4. This could be the 4th straight series where the Dodgers lose the last game of the series. And in 3 of those 4, they lost the first game as well.

    That’s what I would call a team slump.

  5. That’s probably it for Knack but getting 3 outs on 2 pitches to end the 5th makes it mathematically* possible for him to start the 6th.

    *80-85 pitches was to be his ceiling today.

  6. Dodgers 0-for-6 with RISP today. I have to go the post office. I expect better news when I return.

  7. …Yesterday was the third five-hit game for Betts in his career and his second as a Dodger. Ty Cobb had the most, 14. Maury Wills had five, but I don’t know how many of those were as a Dodger. He also played for the Pirates and Expos.
    …Chris Taylor has fanned in 18 of his 35 at bats. That’s 51.4 percent.

  8. Nationals (7-10)
    Dodgers (12-8)

    SP Jake Irvin R
    0-1 4.24 ERA
    SP Landon Knack R
    0-0 .00 ERA

    Lineup:
    SS Mookie Betts R
    DH S. Ohtani L
    1B F. Freeman L
    C Will Smith R
    3B Max Muncy L
    RF T. Hernandez R
    CF James Outman L
    LF Andy Pages R
    2B Gavin Lux L