Jun 24

Game 76, 2023

Astros at Dodgers, 4:15 PM PDT, TV: Fox

RHP Ronel Bianco (1-0, 4.66 ERA) takes the hill for the Astros and RHP Bobby Miller (3-1, 2.83 ERA) does so for the Dodgers.

From the Dodgers’ celebration of The Infield this weekend:

Los Angeles, CA – June 23: Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, June 23, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1947 At Forbes Field, Jackie Robinson steals home in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Pirates. It is the Brooklyn infielder’s first theft of the dish, something the rookie will accomplish 19 times during his ten-year career.
  • 2018 The Dodgers tie a National League record, last accomplished by the 2006 Braves, when the team socks seven solo shots, dealing the Mets a crushing 8-7 loss at Citi Field. Former New York infielder Justin Turner delivers the decisive dinger in the top of the twelfth inning to complete the series sweep and extend the team’s consecutive win streak over the Amazins to twelve straight victories.
  • 2021 At Dodger Stadium, Cubs starter Zach Davies tosses six spotless innings, with Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel each adding a hitless frame for the 17th and the first combined no-hitter in franchise history. Chicago’s 4-0 victory marks the seventh major league no-no this season, equaling the record established in 1990, 1991, 2012, and 2015.

Lineups when available.

Dec 10

Hot Stove League #2, 2022-2023

The Dodgers have not re-signed Justin Turner. They have lost Craig Kimbrel, Tyler Anderson, Cody Bellinger, Chris Martin, Tommy Kahnle, Andrew Heaney, and Trea Turner to free agency or non-renewal of club option. David Price is a free agent and the Dodgers have expressed no interest in re-signing him. They have not signed Aaron Judge or Xander Bogaerts or Dansby Swanson (although he’s still available) or Justin Verlander or Jacob DeGrom. They’ve signed Shelby Miller and Jason Heyward; amusingly, the Braves traded Heyward to the Cardinals for Miller in 2014.

All in all, so far the Dodgers have made no external moves to meet any of their needs at shortstop, center field, or starting pitching, although Clayton Kershaw is coming back. There’s plenty of time to do so; spring training won’t start until February 14.

The fans are restless.

Jun 24

Game 69, 2022

Dodgers at Braves, 4:20 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports Southeast, SPNLA

The Dodgers hand the ball to LHP Julio Urías (4-6, 2.56 ERA) and hope to get him more run support than usual. He’ll face the Braves’ RHP Ian Anderson (6-3, 4.35 ERA). On Saturday Urías ended his three-game losing streak, giving up no earned runs and two hits in six innings. Anderson threw 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball in his last start.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1947 At Forbes Field, Jackie Robinson steals home in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Pirates. It is the Brooklyn infielder’s first theft of the dish, something the rookie will accomplish 19 times during his ten-year career.
  • 2018 The Dodgers tie a National League record, last accomplished by the 2006 Braves, when the team socks seven solo shots, dealing the Mets a crushing 8-7 loss at Citi Field. Former New York infielder Justin Turner delivers the decisive dinger in the top of the twelfth inning to complete the series sweep and extend the team’s consecutive win streak over the Amazins to twelve straight victories.
  • 2021 At Dodger Stadium, Cubs starter Zach Davies tosses six spotless innings, with Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel each adding a hitless frame for the 17th and the first combined no-hitter in franchise history. Chicago’s 4-0 victory marks the seventh major league no-no this season, equaling the record established in 1990, 1991, 2012, and 2015.

Lineups when available.

Jun 10

Game 58, 2022

Dodgers at Giants, 7:15 PM PDT, TV: NBCS BA, SPNLA

RHP Walker Buehler (6-2, 3.84 ERA) goes for the Visiting Dodgers while RHP Jakob Junis (3-1, 2.51 ERA) does so for the Giants. Despite his W-L record, neither the Dodgers nor Buehler think he’s found his stride so far this season. HIs last start was the worst of the year; he didn’t get out of the third inning and gave up five runs on five hits before being pulled from the game. Junis is a reclamation project; after five years of mostly starting for the Royals and compiling a 32-36, 4.64 ERA record, he signed a 1-year deal with the Giants in the off-season. He didn’t do well at AAA Sacramento but was called up anyway. He’s relying far more on his slider and his changeup than ever before and it’s been successful for him.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 2012 Bobby Abreu, who was tied with Mickey Mantle for 109th place on the all-time hit list, surpasses the Yankee legend with a second-inning double in L.A.’s 8-2 interleague victory over Seattle at Safeco Field. The 38 year-old outfielder has collected 2,416 hits playing for the Astros, Phillies, Yankees, Angels, and Dodgers.

Lineups when available.

May 09

Game 40, 2019

Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: MASN, SPNLA

LHP Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.71 ERA) makes his first start against the Dodgers as a member of the Nats. As a Diamondback last season he was 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 23 1/3 innings against them. His opponent will be LHP Rich Hill, (0-0, 3.60 ERA), who’ll be making just his third start. He was sharp in his first one against the Pirates but went only four innings in the second start against the Padres, giving up three runs on two HRs by Manny Machado.

Here is the latest speculation about free agent Craig Kimbrel. The Dodgers could see a need for him if Kenley Jansen can’t stop giving up HRs.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1947 Philadelphia manager Ben Chapman, who admits he had been ‘kinda loud’ in leading his team in verbally abusing Jackie Robinson with racial slurs during yesterday’s game, sends word to the Brooklyn clubhouse that he would like to make amends by posing with the Dodger first baseman for the newspaper photographers. The orchestrated gesture, which Robinson agrees to, admitting later that is one of the hardest things he ever had to make himself do, is prompted by the bad press created by the Phillies manager’s intolerance and the wrath of Commissioner Chandler.

Also on this day: In 2015 with runners on second and third, the Pirates turn the first recorded 4-5-4 triple play in baseball history, recording all three outs entirely on the left side of the infield. The oddity occurs when Yadier Molina lines out to second baseman Neil Walker (1), who throws to third baseman Jung Ho Kang to double up Jhonny Peralta (2), who had strayed too far off the third, and then fields the third baseman’s return throw to triple up Jason Heywood at second base (3).

Lineup when available.


Mar 21

Labor strife ahead?

Magic 8-ball says yes.

As late as March 1, scores of free agents were still unsigned as front offices divest from players who are 30 or older — All-Star outfielder Adam Jones is 33, Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel is 31, closer Craig Kimbrel is 30. At the same time, teams manipulate the service time of big-league-ready young players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. by leaving them in the minors. Teams do this assured in the knowledge that while these veteran and rookie players could obviously help a team, the public condones the anti-labor practice of tanking. Many teams simply aren’t trying to win, and fans don’t care.

[snip]

But today’s player, across sports, was born into a country that has demonized labor so thoroughly that some of them do not even believe philosophically in the principles of unions and more quickly turn on one another. It should forever be remembered that when the owners squeezed veterans in the NBA and NFL, the players responded by attacking younger players, advocating for a rookie wage scale.

[snip]

Baseball’s ownership is now reaching a brazen point. The new generation of Ivy League GMs, with their own metrics and measures for paying players (how is it not collusion if everyone is seemingly using the same methodology?), have crossed two lines:The first is their philosophy of no longer paying players for what they’ve done, only for what they are projected to do. The second is controlling players for six full years and then refusing to pay them once they reach their free agent seventh. The modern player, richer than ever, is faced with a question: Is a punitive free agent market, and a culture that threatens any player over 30, enough to shut down the game?

So far, the players aren’t looking like Curt Flood, while the owners are looking like Charles Comiskey (the reason the Black Sox threw the Series was because their owner was such a cheap man). The players seem to be opting for the security of multi-year contracts, which is rational seeing what’s happened to the stars who’ve hit free agency and received no offers at all.