May 21

Game 48, 2023

Dodgers at Cardinals, 11:15 AM PDT, TV: BS Midwest, SPNLA

It’s the Dodgers’ LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 2.52 ERA) versus the Cardinals’ RHP Jack Flaherty (3-4, 5.24 ERA).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1927 For the second consecutive day, an umpire at Ebbets Field is the target of fan abuse. Arbiter Frank Wilson needs a police escort after the Robins (Dodgers) drop a twin bill to the Cubs.
  • 1952 The Dodgers score a major league record fifteen first-inning runs en route to a 19-1 rout over the Reds at Ebbets Field. After Ewell Blackwell retires the first batter, the next 19 Brooklyn batters reached base (10 hits, 7 walks, and 2 HBP), including Pee Wee Reese getting to first base three times during the frame.
  • 1963 Jim Maloney ties a major league record shared by Max Surkont (1953 Braves) and Johnny Podres (1962 Dodgers) when he strikes out eight consecutive batters, beginning with the last out in the first inning, in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Milwaukee at County Stadium. The Cincinnati right-hander also equals the franchise mark with 16 strikeouts in one game, established by Noodles Hahn in 1901.
  • 2000 Major League Baseball has its first six grand-slam day less than one year after establishing the mark with five, with Garret Anderson (Angels), J.T. Snow (Giants), Brian Hunter (Phillies), Jason Giambi (A’s), and Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green (Dodgers) all contributing to the record. The NL also set a league record, blasting four of the six base-loaded homers.

Lineups when available.

May 21

Game 39, 2022

Dodgers at Phillies, 3:10 PM PDT, TV: NBCSP, SPNLA

RHP Mitch White (1-0, 4.82 ERA) makes his first start of the 2022 season for the Dodgers. He’ll be opposed by the Phillies’ RHP Aaron Nola (1-4, 3.64 ERA). White has appeared in one game since coming off the Covid-19 IL, where he’d been since April 30. Nola went seven innings against the Dodgers last Sunday; he gave up two runs on four hits and got no decision.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1927 For the second consecutive day, an umpire at Ebbets Field is the target of fan abuse. Arbiter Frank Wilson needs a police escort after the Robins (Dodgers) drop a twin bill to the Cubs.
  • 1952 The Dodgers score a major league record fifteen first-inning runs en route to a 19-1 rout over the Reds at Ebbets Field. After Ewell Blackwell retires the first batter, the next 19 Brooklyn batters reached base (10 hits, 7 walks, and 2 HBP), including Pee Wee Reese getting to first base three times during the frame.
  • 1963 Jim Maloney ties a major league record shared by Max Surkont (1953 Braves) and Johnny Podres (1962 Dodgers) when he strikes out eight consecutive batters, beginning with the last out in the first inning, in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Milwaukee at County Stadium. The Cincinnati right-hander also equals the franchise mark with 16 strikeouts in one game, established by Noodles Hahn in 1901.
  • 2000 Major League Baseball has its first six grand-slam day less than one year after establishing the mark with five, with Garret Anderson (Angels), J.T. Snow (Giants), Brian Hunter (Phillies), Jason Giambi (A’s), and Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green (Dodgers) all contributing to the record. The NL also set a league record, blasting four of the six base-loaded homers.

Lineups when available.

May 17

Game 45, 2021

In case anyone is curious about radiation, here’s how mine’s going. It’s a fascinating process. Because the cancer is in my throat, while I was in the hospital they built a plastic mesh mask form-fitted to my face and head. They place the mask over my face when I lie down on the standard narrow table, clamp it to the table to immobilize my head, and then start the radiation process, which typically lasts no more than 15 minutes.

I asked. Apparently about half the patients take their plastic thingie home as a souvenir when their treatment is completed.

Dodgers at Giants, 6:45 PM PDT, TV: NBCS BA, SPNLA

The visiting Dodgers send RHP Trevor Bauer (4-2, 2.20 ERA) to the hill to face the Giants’ LHP Alex Wood (5-0, 1.75 ERA). Obviously Wood knows the Dodgers well and vice versa since he spent nearly five years with the team from Southern California.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1927 For the second consecutive day, an umpire at Ebbets Field is the target of fan abuse. Arbiter Frank Wilson needs a police escort after the Robins (Dodgers) drop a twin bill to the Cubs.
  • 1952 The Dodgers score a major league record fifteen first-inning runs en route to a 19-1 rout over the Reds at Ebbets Field. After Ewell Blackwell retires the first batter, the next 19 Brooklyn batters reached base (10 hits, 7 walks, and 2 HBP), including Pee Wee Reese getting to first base three times during the frame.
  • 1963 Jim Maloney ties a major league record shared by Max Surkont (1953 Braves) and Johnny Podres (1962 Dodgers) when he strikes out eight consecutive batters, beginning with the last out in the first inning, in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Milwaukee at County Stadium. The Cincinnati right-hander also equals the franchise mark with 16 strikeouts in one game, established by Noodles Hahn in 1901.
  • 2000 Major League Baseball has its first six grand-slam day less than one year after establishing the mark with five, with Garret Anderson (Angels), J.T. Snow (Giants), Brian Hunter (Phillies), Jason Giambi (A’s), and Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green (Dodgers) all contributing to the record. The NL also set a league record, blasting four of the six base-loaded homers.

Lineup:

May 21

Game 49, 2019

Dodgers at Rays, 4:10 PM PDT, TV: Fox Sports Sun, SPNLA

It’ll be Dodger LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 3.40 ERA) versus some guy named TBD of the Rays. This will be the second (!) time Kershaw has faced the Rays in his career. The first was six years ago when he gave up one run and struck out eight in eight innings of an 8-2 Dodgers win.

Does it strike anyone else odd that Kershaw’s ERA in May is above 3.00? It looks weird to me.

More on Kenley Jansen and his cutter-love from Houston Mitchell of the Times:

Rick Honeycutt put it this way: “Truth of the matter [is] we want Kenley to pitch more. We want him to use his two-seam. We want him to use his slider. He throws the cutter to both sides so … everybody says, ‘What’s the big deal? You only got two pitches. Your cutter, slider.’ Well, he doesn’t. He’s got more than that.”

Jansen throws his cutter 85% of the time. This season, hitters are batting .254 against Jansen’s cutter. Last season, they hit .185.

So, on one side, you have those who wish Jansen would use all his pitches, and on the other side you have Jansen, who owes his success to his cutter and is not willing to give up on it so quickly.

Mitchell also had fun with the question: “If you wanted to pit an all-time L.A. Dodgers team against an all-time Angels team, how would you pick the players? One way is by using the Wins Above Replacement stat, or WAR.” So he does the work and lists the two best starters for each team at each position except pitcher. He lists five starters and four relievers. Startlingly, the best Dodger relief pitcher is not named Jansen or Gagne. Nope, by WAR it’s…Jim Brewer. Take a look.

Urias has been reinstated by MLB but the investigation continues. LAPD has not pressed charges. To make room for him the Dodgers sent OF Kyle Garlick back to OKC.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1927 For the second consecutive day, an umpire at Ebbets Field is the target of fan abuse. Arbitrator Frank Wilson needs a police escort after the Robins (Dodgers) drop a twin bill to the Cubs.
  • 1952 The Dodgers score a major league record fifteen first-inning runs en route to a 19-1 rout over the Reds at Ebbets Field. After Ewell Blackwell retires the first batter, the next 19 Brooklyn batters reached base (10 hits, 7 walks, and 2 HBP), including Pee Wee Reese getting to first base three times during the frame.
  • 1963 Jim Maloney ties a major league record shared by Max Surkont (1953 Braves) and Johnny Podres (1962 Dodgers) when he strikes out eight consecutive batters, beginning with the last out in the first inning, in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Milwaukee at County Stadium. The Cincinnati right-hander also equals the franchise mark with 16 strikeouts in one game, established by Noodles Hahn in 1901.
  • 2000 Major League Baseball has its first six grand-slam day less than one year after establishing the mark with five, with Garret Anderson (Angels), J.T. Snow (Giants), Brian Hunter (Phillies), Jason Giambi (A’s), and Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green (Dodgers) all contributing to the record. The NL also set a league record, blasting four of the six base-loaded homers.

Lineup when available.


May 21

Game 47, 2018

Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: SPNLA, ATT SportsNet-RM

The visiting Rockies send RHP German Marquez (2-5, 5.15 ERA) to the mound to face the Dodgers’ rookie RHP Walker Buehler (2-1, 2.67 ERA). Marquez has a 2.25 ERA on the road, but he’s also got a 13.50 ERA in first innings so far this season. Buehler’s last outing was his least successful of the year; he gave up five runs in five innings but avoided the loss when the Dodgers rallied to tie the game, which they later lost.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1927 For the second consecutive day, an umpire at Ebbets Field is the target of fan abuse. Arbitrator Frank Wilson needs a police escort after the Robins (Dodgers) drop a twin bill to Cubs.
  • 1952 The Dodgers score a major league record fifteen first-inning runs en route to a 19-1 rout over the Reds at Ebbets Field. After Ewell Blackwell retires the first batter, the next 19 Brooklyn batters reached base (10 hits, 7 walks, and 2 HBP), including Captain Pee Wee Reese getting to first base three times during the frame.
  • 1963 Jim Maloney ties a major league record shared by Max Surkont (1953 Braves) and Johnny Podres (1962 Dodgers) when he strikes out eight consecutive batters, beginning with the last out in the first inning, in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Milwaukee at County Stadium. The Cincinnati right-hander also equals the franchise mark with 16 strikeouts in one game, established by Noodles Hahn in 1901.
  • 2000 Major League Baseball has its first six grand-slam day less than one year after establishing the mark with five, with Garret Anderson (Angels), J.T. Snow (Giants), Brian Hunter (Phillies), Jason Giambi (A’s), and Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green (Dodgers) all contributing to the record. The NL also set a league record, blasting four of the six base-loaded homers.

Lineup when available.

May 21

Game 45, 2017

Marlins at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-F, KTLA

The Marlins ask RHP Vance Worley (2-5, 4.43 ERA in AAA New Orleans) to make his 2017 debut against the Dodgers, a team he’s faced in four games (three starts) over his career and posted a 5.63 ERA for his trouble. He first got to the major leagues in 2010 with the Phillies. He spent two more years with them, then one with Minnesota, two with Pittsburgh and one with Baltimore. He’s 33-30 for his career with a 3.75 ERA, and over that time righties have hit him better than lefties, .758 OPS vs. RHB, .747 OPS vs. LHB.

The Dodgers will send RHP Brandon McCarthy (3-1, 4.15 ERA) to the hill to recover his pre-disabled list form when he gave up two runs or fewer in his first four starts. This will be only the second time he’s faced the Marlins; the first time he gave them only three hits in a 1-0 complete game for the D-Backs in 2013.

This day in Dodgers history:

  • 1952 The Dodgers score a major league record fifteen first-inning runs en route to a 19-1 rout over the Reds at Ebbets Field. After retiring the first batter, the next 19 Brooklyn batters reached base (10 hits, 7 walks, and 2 HBP). Captain Pee Wee Reese reaches first base three times in the inning.
  • 2000 Major League Baseball has its first six grand-slam day less than one year after establishing the mark with five, with Garret Anderson (Angels), J.T. Snow (Giants), Brian Hunter (Phillies), Jason Giambi (A’s), and Adrian Beltre and Shawn Green (Dodgers) all contributing to the record. The NL also set a league record, blasting four of the six base-loaded homers.

Julio Urias has been optioned to OKC and Josh Ravin has been brought up.

Lineup when available.