Oct 13

ALCS Game Three, 2020

Posted on by

Rays vs Astros, 5:40 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Rays lead the series 2-0.

The Rays will send LHP Ryan Yarbrough to the hill to face the Astros’ RHP Jose Urquidy. This will be Yarbrough’s first postseason start; he went five innings in Game Four against the Yankees in the ALDS and gave up two runs on six hits. Urquidy has made two starts this postseason, going 4 1/3 innings in each. In his ALDS start he gave up four solo HRs to the As.

Oct 13

NLCS Game Two, 2020

Posted on by

Braves vs Dodgers, 3:05 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Braves give the ball to rookie RHP Ian Anderson, who made his first appearance in the big leagues on August 26. He went 3-2 in the regular season and has improved on that once the postseason began, going 2-0 and allowing no runs at all in 11 2/3 innings. The Dodgers had planned to ask LHP Clayton Kershaw to get them even, but back spasms have intervened. They will send RHP Tony Gonsolin to the mound instead. This will be the first postseason appearance of his career.

Here’s the rest of the story of Kershaw’s back and the Dodgers’ plans for the rotation.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1974 Herb Washington, representing the tying run in the top of the ninth, is picked off first base by Dodger closer Mike Marshall for the second out of Game 2, the only contest the A’s will lose in the Fall Classic. The world-class sprinter, who will never have a plate appearance in his brief 105-game career, was selected by Oakland owner Charlie Finley to become the team’s “designated runner,” a position that doesn’t exist with any other major league club.

    Lineups when available.

    Braves’ lineup:

    Dodgers’ lineup:

Oct 12

NLCS Game One, 2020

Posted on by

Braves vs Dodgers, 5:08 PM PDT, TV:Fox. All this Series’ games will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

MLB has a position-by-position preview and analysis of the two teams.

The Dodgers give RHP Walker Buehler the ball for Game One, just as they’ve done for the previous two series. He hasn’t gone past four innings in either of his previous two starts and hasn’t thrown more than 95 pitches in a game since 2019. He’ll face LHP Max Fried, who won Game One of the Wild Card Series for the Braves, beating the Reds, but gave up four runs in four innings against the Marlins in the NLDS. The Braves win behind him, though: they’re 12-1 in his starts this year.

Edwin Ríos and Alex Wood have been added to the 28-man roster for the NLCS. Gavin Lux and Terrance Gore were dropped to make room.

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1916 In front of record crowd of 43,620 fans at Braves Field, Red Sox right-hander Ernie Shore three-hits the Robins in Game 5 of the World Series, 4-1, to capture the team’s fourth World Championship in the 13-year history of the Fall Classic. Boston, as it did last season, plays its Fall Classic home games in their crosstown National League rival’s larger ballpark, which allows more fans to attend the game than if the contest had held at Fenway Park.
  • 1920 At Cleveland’s League Park, the Indians’ hurler Stan Coveleski blanks the Robins, 3-0, to win the 1920 World Series. The Tribe, en route to the franchise’s first World Championship, wins the best of nine series five games to 2.
  • 1948 The Yankees surprise their fans and a skeptical press when they name Casey Stengel to replace Bucky Harris as the team’s manager. In his previous stints as the skipper with the National League’s Braves and Dodgers, the ‘Old Perfesser’ had never finished higher than fifth place.
  • 1949 Vin Scully, working his first broadcast ever, does the play-by-play when Maryland defeats Boston University at Fenway Park, 14-13. The football assignment marks the start of a 67-year career in the broadcast booth for the Hall of Fame baseball announcer, who becomes the iconic voice of the Dodgers.

Lineups when available.

Braves’ lineup:

Dodgers’ lineup:

Oct 12

ALCS Game Two, 2020

Posted on by

Astros vs Rays, 1:07 PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Lance McCullers goes for the Astros and RHP Charlie Morton, former Astro, pitches for the Rays. McCullers started Game One of the ALDS and was pushed around by the As, giving up five runs including three home runs in four innings. Despite that, the Astros won the game. Morton started Game Three of the ALDS against the Yankees and went five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and getting the win.

Here’s Castillo’s five-out save of Game One:

This day in baseball history includes two Dodger losses in clinching games of the World Series (1916 and 1920), Vin Scully’s first broadcast, Dave Henderson’s go-ahead HR off Donnie Moore in the ninth to keep the Angels from winning the 1986 ALCS and more.

Oct 11

ALCS Game One, 2020

Posted on by

Astros vs Rays, 4:37 PM PDT, TV: TBS

This series will be played at Petco Park in San Diego. MLB previews the series with possible starting lineups and a whole lot of background information.

The Astros’ pitcher will be LHP Framber Valdez, who is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA this postseason. The Rays send out LHP Blake Snell, who is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in this year’s postseason.

There’s a whole lot of baseball history on previous October 11ths. One of the more amusing items is this one:

1975 As the first host of Saturday Night Live, George Carlin compares baseball to football in the opening monologue of the ground-breaking show. The comedian jokes the national pastime a gentler game, portraying the sport as one which is pastoral and played in a park as opposed to football, in which the objective is to march downfield and penetrate enemy territory in a stadium.

Oct 09

ALDS Game Five, 2020

Posted on by

Yankees vs Rays, 4:10 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The series is tied at two games apiece. One of these teams will move on to play the Astros in the ALCS after today’s game and the other will go home.

The Yankees hand the ball to their expensive ace, RHP Gerrit Cole, who’s won two games so far this postseason and has put up a 3.46 ERA while doing so. He’ll be pitching on three days rest for the first time in his career. The Rays counter with RHP Tyler Glasnow, who’s also won two games this postseason but whose ERA is a less-attractive 4.91. He’s pitching on just two days rest; like Cole, he’s never gotten less than his full complement of days between starts till now.

There has been plenty of baseball history on this date. Most memorable in the last fifty years? Probably the 1996 “Jeffrey Maier” call in Game One of the 1996 ALCS.

Oct 08

ALDS Game Four, 2020

Posted on by

Athletics vs Astros, 12:35 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Astros lead the series 2-1.

The As give the ball to RHP Frankie Montas. The big (6’2″, 255 lbs) rightie threw two innings of two-hit one run ball against the White Sox in Game Three of the Wild Card Series and picked up the win. The Astros haven’t named a starter as of 9:00 PM HST Wednesday.

The second game will be the Rays vs Yankees, 4:10 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Rays lead the series 2-1.

The Rays plan to use RHP Ryan Thompson to start, but not for very long. LHP Ryan Yarbrough is expected to come in and pitch the middle innings. I don’t understand this move, since Yarbrough started nine of the eleven games he was in this season. Why not just hand him the ball in the first inning? The Yankees will counter with LHP Jordan Montgomery, who was 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA in the regular season and has never made a postseason appearance until now.

Ernie Lombardi’s 1939 “swoon” took place on this date in baseball history, as did Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game and the brawl between the Mets’ Bud Harrelson and the Reds’ Pete Rose in 1973.

Oct 08

NLDS Game Three, 2020

Posted on by

Braves vs Marlins, 11:08 AM PDT, TV: FS1

Atlanta leads the series 2-0.

The Braves hand the ball to RHP Kyle Wright, who’ll be making his first postseason appearance. He last pitched on September 25 against the Red Sox; he gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings. That was the longest outing of his short career. He’ll face the Marlins’ RHP Sixto Sánchez. who went five scoreless innings against the Cubs in the Marlins’ Wild Card Series.

The second NLDS game will be the Dodgers vs Padres, 6:08 PM PDT, TV: MLBN

Los Angeles leads the series 2-0.

The Dodgers haven’t named a starter as of 8:25 PM HST, but my guess would be RHP Tony Gonsolin or LHP Julio Urias, since they’ve both started this season. The Padres will send out LHP rookie Adrian Morejon, who will make his first postseason start. He pitched three innings in two appearances against the Cardinals in the Wild Card Series.

Here are nine of the best reactions to Bellinger’s catch.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1929 In front of 50,000 fans at Wrigley Field, surprise starter Howard Ehmke establishes a new World Series record, striking out 13 Cubs en route to a 3-1 A’s victory in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The mark will last for 34 years until Dodger hurler Carl Erskine fans 14 Yankees in 1953.
  • 1956 Don Larsen pitches the first perfect game in World Series history, defeating the Dodgers, 2-0 in Game 5 of the Fall Classic at Yankee Stadium. The 27 year-old right-hander, who had a poor start in Game 2 because of a lack of control, throws only 97 pitches, striking out pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell looking for the final out.

  • 1957 Club President Walter O’Malley makes it official, announcing the Dodgers will play in Los Angeles next season. The club’s departure from Brooklyn corresponds with the massive social shift taking place in the borough that finds many of its former residents leaving for the suburbs of Long Island.
  • 1959 Chicago’s speed and quickness weren’t enough to overcome Los Angeles’ hitting and pitching as the ‘Go-Go Sox’ drop a 9-3 decision, losing the World Series in six games to the Dodgers, who win their first championship representing the City of Angels. In the Comiskey Park, LA’s Chuck Essegian sets a record with his ninth-inning shot off of Ray Moore to become the first player to hit two pinch-hit homers in the Fall Classic.
  • 1966 The Orioles managed only three hits off Claude Osteen, but Paul Blair’s fifth-inning 430-foot home run proves to be the difference as Baltimore beats the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series, 1-0. Wally Bunker throws a six-hitter to get the victory in the first Fall Classic game ever played in Baltimore.
  • 1977 In Game 4 of the NLCS played at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, Dodger hurler Tommy John goes the distance and beats Steve Carlton and the Phillies, 4-1. The LA southpaw considers this pennant-clinching performance the best game he has ever pitched in the major leagues.
  • 1995 After dropping the first two games of the series, the Mariners make a dramatic comeback in Game 5 to beat the Yankees with a 6-5 extra-inning victory to capture the ALDS. Ken Griffey Jr. ties a major league record when he hits his fifth home run in the postseason series, an eighth-inning round-tripper off David Cone, equaling the mark Reggie Jackson established in 1977 when he went deep five times in the World Series against the Dodgers.

  • 2009 A ninth-inning error by left fielder Matt Holliday with the bases empty and two-out leads to the Dodgers’ stunning 3-2 walk-off victory and gives LA a commanding 2-0 game advantage in the NLDS. After the crucial miscue on the sinking line drive, Cardinals’ closer Ryan Franklin gives up RBI singles to Ronnie Belliard and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta to complete the improbable two-run comeback rally.

Today in Padres’ history:

  • 2002 The Tigers select their former All-Star shortstop Alan Trammell (1977-1996) to manage the faltering franchise. The California native had been a coach with the Padres for the last three seasons.
  • 2006 In the inaugural season in their new ballpark, the Cardinals beat the Padres 6-2 at Busch Stadium to take the NLDS playoff three games to one. The Redbirds advance to the championship series for the third consecutive season when Chris Carpenter gets the win, earning his second victory in the best-of-five series.

Lineups when available.

Padres’ lineup:

Dodgers’ lineup:

Oct 07

ALDS Game Three, 2020

Posted on by

Athletics vs Astros, 12:35 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Astros lead the series 2-0.

LHP Jesus Luzardo tries to prevent an Astros sweep for the As, and RHP Jose Urquidy, pitching in a sore-armed Zack Greinke’s slot, tries to complete it. Luzardo gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings against the White Sox in the As’ Wild Card Series, while Urquidy went 4 1/3 innings against the Twins in the Astros’ Wild Card Series, giving up one run on two hits and getting no decision.

Rays vs Yankees, 4:10 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The series is tied 1-1.

RHP Charlie Morton starts for the Rays after a twelve-day layoff. He’ll face the Yankees’ RHP Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka gave up six earned runs to the Indians in Game Two of the Yankees’ Wild Card Series, more than he’d ever given up in eight previous postseason starts.

The Yankees have made plenty of postseason history on October 7, but so have a lot of other teams. The event with the most lasting significance was this: In 1969 the Cardinals traded Curt Flood along with Byron Browne, Joe Hoerner, and Tim McCarver to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Dick Allen, Jerry Johnson, and Cookie Rojas. When Flood refused to report to Philadelphia, St. Louis sent Willie Montanez and a minor leaguer to complete the trade, but the outfielder’s courageous challenge to the reserve clause had a dramatic impact on the game.

Take a look.

Oct 07

NLDS Game Two, 2020

Posted on by

Marlins vs Braves, 11:08 AM PDT, TV: MLBN

Atlanta leads the series 1-0.

It’ll be RHP Pablo López for the Marlins and RHP Ian Anderson for the Braves. López will be making his first postseason start and Anderson his second.

Padres vs. Dodgers, 6:08 PM PDT, TV: FS1

Los Angeles leads the series 1-0.

The Padres haven’t named a starter yet. Update: It’ll be Zach Davies. LHP Clayton Kershaw will pitch for the Dodgers. Should Kershaw get the win he’d even his career postseason record at 11-11.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1952 In the decisive Game 7, the Yankees beat the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, 4-2, to win their fourth consecutive World Championship. Gil Hodges finishes the Fall Classic hitless in twenty-one at-bats, which had prompted some Brooklyn fans to gather at local churches asking for divine help for their beloved first baseman.
  • 1977 In Game 3 of the NLCS, the Dodgers rally for three runs with none on and two outs in the top of the ninth inning to take a one-run lead in their eventual 6-5 victory over the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. The game appeared to be over when LA’s Davey Lopes is picked off first base for the final out, but a throwing error by Gene Garber advances him to second base, from where he will score the decisive run on Bill Russell’s single.
  • 1978 In Game 4 of the NLCS, Ron Cey scores in the 10th inning on Bill Russell’s two-out game winning single, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Phillies and their second consecutive National League pennant. Cey, who walked after the first two batters were retired, advanced into scoring position when Garry Maddox misplayed Dusty Baker’s fly ball in center field.

  • 2001 Barry Bonds extends his major league record for home runs in a season to 73 as he drives a 3-2 first inning knuckleball off Dodger Dennis Springer over the right field fence. The blast also secures two more major league records for the Giants’ left fielder when he surpasses Babe Ruth (1920 – .847) with a .863 season slugging percentage and bests Mark McGwire (1998 – one HR every 7.27 AB) by homering in every 6.52 at-bats.
  • 2006 The Mets defeat Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium, 9-5, to complete a three-game sweep in the NLDS. The Dodgers have won only one postseason game in 13 attempts since beating the A’s in the 1988 World Series.

Today in Padres’ history:

  • 1984 In a game that will be best remembered for Cubs first baseman Leon Durham’s seventh-inning error on an easy ground ball, the Padres win the NLCS when Tony Gwynn’s seventh-inning two-run double breaks a 3-3 tie en route to a 6-3 victory at Jack Murphy Stadium. Chicago had a 2-0 game advantage as well as a 3-0 lead in the decisive Game 5 but was unable to end their thirty-nine year World Series appearance drought.
  • 2001 On the last day of the season, Rickey Henderson bloops a double down the right-field line off Rockies’ hurler John Thomson to become the 25th major leaguer to collect 3000 hits. Tony Gwynn, who is playing in his last major league game and is also a member of the 3000 hit club, meets the Padre outfielder at home plate in front of a sellout crowd Qualcomm Park.

Lineups when available.

Padres’ lineup:

Dodgers’ lineup: