Oct 19

NLCS Game Three & ALCS Game Four, 2023

Philadelphia at Arizona, 2:07 PM PDT, TBS. The Phillies are up two games to none in the series.

LHP Ranger Suárez for the Phillies and RHP Brandon Pfaadt for the Diamondbacks.

Houston at Texas, 5:03 PM PDT, TV: FS1. The Rangers are up two games to one in the series.

RHP José Urquidy goes for the Astros and LHP Andrew Heaney pitches for the Rangers.

Today in baseball history:

  • 1949 In one of their best trades in franchise history, the White Sox obtain future Hall of Famer Nellie Fox from the A’s in exchange for catcher Joe Tipton. The hard-nosed second baseman will lead the league in hits four times, winning the 1959 American League MVP during his 14-year tenure with the team.
  • 1969 Three days after capturing the world championship, the Mets appear on The Ed Sullivan Show and sing “You Gotta Have Heart,” an inspiring song from the Broadway play Damn Yankees. The show’s host, concerned that some of the ball players imbibed too many mai tais following rehearsals at a nearby Chinese restaurant, brings in a choir to back up the performers, out of sight from the audience.

  • 1981 Dodger outfielder Rick Monday dashes the first Canadian pennant hopes with a ninth-inning two-out dramatic home run to beat the Expos, 2-1, in the NLCS’s deciding game. The series marks the first and last time in franchise history Montreal makes it into the postseason until 2012, when the Washington Nationals, the team’s new name and home for the past seven seasons, finishes first in the National League East Division.
  • 1993 The Dodgers trade future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to the Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields, who will hit .241 during his three seasons with Los Angeles. The 21-year-old Dominican right-hander will win 55 of 88 decisions in his four-year tenure with Montreal before being dealt to Boston before the 1998 campaign.
  • 2006 For a new generation, the term “the Catch” may conjure up memories of Endy Chavez’s NLCS Game 7 leaping catch when he grabs a ball with his outstretched glove destined to be a Scott Rolen two-run home run and starting an unbelievable double play. The Shea Stadium heroics are overshadowed in the ninth inning when Yadier Molina hits a two-run homer and Carlos Beltran, with the best HR ratio (11/81) in postseason history, looks at a third strike with the bases loaded with Mets, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 victory and the pennant.
Oct 12

NLDS Game Four, 2023

Braves at Phillies, 5:07 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Spencer Strider pitches for the Braves and LHP Ranger Suárez goes for the Phillies. The Phillies lead the series 2-1.

MLB attempts to explain the Dodgers’ poor performances in the postseason.

Today in baseball history

  • 1929 The A’s, trailing 8-0 during Game 4 of the World Series, erupt for ten runs in the seventh inning off three Cub pitchers en route to a 10-8 victory. Chicago’s Hack Wilson becomes one of the game’s goats when he loses two balls in the sun in center field.
  • 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.
  • 1986 The Angels, ahead 5-4 and one strike away from going to the World Series, see their lead vanish when Dave Henderson, who had Bobby Grich’s fly ball bounce over the fence off the heel of his glove, hits a two-run homer off Donnie Moore, putting the Red Sox ahead, 6-5. California will tie the Anaheim Stadium contest in the bottom of the frame, but Boston will prevail, scoring the deciding run in the 11th inning on a Henderson sac fly.
  • 2003 Thirty-five years after creating controversy with his non-traditional rendition of the song, Jose Feliciano sings the Star-Spangled Banner at the Marlins’ NLCS game against the Cubs at Pro Player Stadium. The singer’s gospelized version of the national anthem sung before Game 5 of the 1968 World Series at Tiger Stadium caused such a flap that some radio stations stopped playing his records on the air.
Oct 07

NLDS Games One, 2023

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 3:07 PM PDT, TV: TBS

LHP Ranger Suárez pitches for the Phillies and RHP Spencer Strider does so for the Braves. Here’s a Phillies – Braves preview.

Arizona at Los Angeles, 6:20 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Merrill Kelly gets the ball for the D-Backs and LHP Clayton Kershaw gets it for the Dodgers. Here’s a Diamondbacks – Dodgers preview.

Declining Kershaw is still very good Kershaw.

Jun 09

Game 64, 2023

Dodgers at Phillies, 4:10 PM PDT, TV: NBC10, SPNLA, TeleXitos

RHP Michael Grove (0-2, 8.14 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and Ranger Suárez (1-2, 5.47 ERA) goes for the Phillies.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1919 Dodger standout pitcher Rube Marquard breaks his leg running the bases, ending his season with a record of 3-3. The hard-throwing southpaw will finish his 18-year Hall of Fame career in 1925, after compiling a 201-177 record along with an ERA of 3.08.
  • 1973 Right-fielder Rusty Staub becomes the pivot man in a very unusual double play during a 4-2 Mets victory against the Dodgers at Shea Stadium. Racing in from the outfield, ‘Le Grand Orange’ gets a throw near second base from first baseman John Milner and tags Davey Lopes, who was picked-off from first, and then throws home to nail Tom Paciorek trying to score from second during the P-1B-SS-1B-2B-1B-2B-RF-C rundown.
  • 1990 Eddie Murray ties Mickey Mantle’s major league mark, hitting a homer from both sides of the plate for the tenth time in his career. The switch-hitting first baseman’s second home run of the game, batting left-handed against Eric Show, proves to be the eventual winning run in the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory over San Diego in the 11th inning at Jack Murphy Stadium.

Lineups when available.

Oct 31

World Series Game Three, 2022

Astros at Phillies, 5:03 PM PDT, TV: Fox

The Astros hand the ball to RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (4-2, 2.27 ERA regular season; 0-0, 2.45 ERA postseason). He’ll face the Phillies’ RHP Noah Syndergaard (5-2, 4.12 ERA regular season; 0-0, 1.69 ERA postseason) LHP Ranger Suárez (10-7, 3.65 ERA regular season; 1-0, 1.86 ERA postseason). The postponement helped the Phillies, as Syndergaard hasn’t pitched much recently and probably couldn’t have gone more than three or four innings. Suárez has been a workhorse for the Fightin’ Phils.

A Jeter home run, an A-Rod home run following the first use of instant replay, the first and last instance of the Cy Young Award being earned by the brother (Gaylord) of a previous winner (Jim) and a whole lot of hirings and firings of managers. That’s what took place October 31 in baseball history.

On November 1 in baseball history Campanella won the first of three MVP Awards, Koufax won the last of his three Cy Young Awards, in 2007 two Japanese pitchers combined for a perfect game to win the Japan Series and in 2015 the Royals won the World Series for the first time in 30 years.

In Dodgers news, Justin Turner is this year’s winner of the Roberto Clemente Award. Congratulations to him and his wife Kourtney!

Oct 21

NLDS Game Three, 2022

Padres at Phillies, 4:30 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The visiting Padres send RHP Joe Musgrove (10-7, 2.93 ERA regular season; 1-0, 1.38 ERA postseason) to the Citizens Bank Park mound. He’ll face the Phillies’ LHP Ranger Suãrez (10-7, 3.65 ERA regular season; 0-0, 2.70 ERA postseason).

Among many other events which occurred on this date in baseball history Carlton Fisk hit his famous home run, the Phillies won their first World Series and Justin Verlander made his first World Series appearance (in 2006).

May 20

Game 38, 2022

Dodgers at Phillies, 4:10 PM PDT, NBCSP, SPNLA

The visiting Dodgers send LHP Julio Urías (2-3, 3.00 ERA) to the Citizens Bank Park hill to face the Phillies’ LHP Ranger Suãrez (4-1, 3.72 ERA). These two pitchers met one another at Dodger Stadium on May 14, and Urías had a horrible game, giving up 8 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits in six innings. Suãrez got the win, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits while going seven innings.

The Phillies’ Bryce Harper won’t be playing right field for the next several months with his elbow troubles.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1979 Don Sutton becomes the franchise’s winningest pitcher when he is credited with the victory, tossing eight innings in the Dodgers 6-4 victory over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. The 34 year-old right-hander’s 210th win surpasses the team mark established in 1969 by Don Drysdale.

Lineups when available.

May 14

Game 32, 2022

Phillies at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: NBCSP, SPNLA

The Phillies hand the ball to Ranger Suárez (3-1, 3.68 ERA). He’ll face the Dodgers’ Julio Urías (2-2, 2.10 ERA).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1956 The Orioles, taking a gamble, purchase sore-armed Billy Loes from the Dodgers for a reported $25,000. The 26 year-old right-hander, who will be selected for American League All-Star team next season, will post a 21-30 (.412) record during his four years with Baltimore.
  • 1981 With a 3-2 win over Montreal in front of the largest Dodger Stadium crowd in seven years, rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela improves his record to 8-0. The 20 year-old southpaw, who has started the season with five shutouts and a minuscule ERA of 0.50, gets the victory when right fielder Pedro Guerrero hits a leadoff game-ending home run off Steve Ratzer in the bottom of the ninth inning at Chavez Ravine.
  • 2011 For the first time since 1914, the Dodgers are defeated after allowing just one hit, losing to the visiting Diamondbacks,1-0. Chad Billingsley, the hard-luck loser, gives up a leadoff double in the second to Stephen Drew, who scores the game’s only run when shortstop Jamey Carroll fails to cover the bag in an attempted pick-off play.

Lineups when available.

Aug 12

Game 115, 2021

Dodgers at Phillies, 10:05 AM PDT, TV: NBCSP, SPNLA

Whodaguy starts for the Dodgers (we’ll know more at game time) and LHP Ranger Suárez (5-3, 0.98 ERA) goes for the Phillies. That’s one heck of an ERA.

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1984 Former Dodgers Don Drysdale and Pee Wee Reese, along with Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew, American League hurler Rick Ferrell, and perennial All-Star shortstop Luis Aparicio are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

In 2006 the Portland Beavers honor Rodney McCray, the former Vancouver Canadian who gain everlasting notoriety in 1991 when he literally ran through the right field plywood fence trying to catch Chip Hale’s fly ball in Portland’s Civic Stadium. The PCL team commemorates the memorable play with a bobble head promotion which features the moment of impact and renames the right field area of their current ballpark “McCray Alley.”

In a great moment of fan history, in 2014 Tim Pinkard, attending his first game at Minute Maid Park, catches two home run balls, both off the bat of the Astros’ DH Chris Carter. In the third inning of Houston’s 10-4 victory over Minnesota, the Springfield (VA) resident gets his first souvenir of the night when the ball rebounds off a sign in left field, and then in the fifth frame, against astronomical odds, catches the second round-tripper stroked by the same batter, which is a laser shot hit directly to his seat.

Lineup when available.