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.

Aug 31

Game 133, 2023

Braves at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports SE, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

The Braves send their ace RHP Spencer Strider (15-4, 3.46 ERA) to the mound. He’ll face the Dodgers’ newly-acquired RHP Lance Lynn (10-9, 5.56 ERA).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1950 In front of 14,226 fans at Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges becomes the fourth major leaguer in the century to hit four home runs in one game as Brooklyn routs the Braves, 19-3. The Dodger first baseman also ties the major league record for total bases with 17.
  • 1959 Sandy Koufax fans 18 batters to establish a new National League record for a nine-inning game in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over San Francisco at the LA Memorial Coliseum. The left-hander’s performance equals the major league mark established in 1938 by Indians fireballer Bob Feller during a 4-1 loss to Detroit.
  • 2010 The Dodgers trade a player to be named (infielder Tony Abreu) to the Diamondbacks in exchange for starter Jon Garland. The 31 year-old right-hander will post a 3-2 record with a 2.72 ERA in his six late-season starts for the Dodgers, before signing as a free agent with San Diego.

Lineups when available.

May 23

Game 50, 2023

Dodgers at Braves, 4:30 PM PDT, TV: BS South, SPNLA, TBS

The Dodgers have brought up one of their best pitching prospects to start this game. RHP Bobby Miller was 1-1 with a 5.65 ERA at Oklahoma City. He’s only made four starts there and gone just 14 1/3 innings. He spent all of April at the Arizona Complex League, which is Rookie level. He’ll face the Braves’ RHP Spencer Strider (4-1, 2.96 ERA), who got eight first-place votes for Rookie of the Year last season, finishing second in the voting to his Braves teammate Michael Harris.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 2002 Shawn Green hits four home runs in one game to become the 14th player in major league history, the second this month, to accomplish the feat. The Dodger right fielder’s 6-for-6 performance in Milwaukee’s Miller Park, which also includes a single and double, breaks Joe Adcock’s 1954 mark for total bases by one, with a total of 19. In the same game the Dodgers set a franchise mark when the team hits eight homers in one contest, bashing the Brewers, 16-3. Shawn Green’s four round-trippers accounts for half of the record-breaking barrage with Brian Jordan, Hiram Bocachica, Adrian Beltre, and Dave Hansen also contributing four-baggers in the Miller Park contest.

Lineups when available.

Oct 14

NLDS Games Three, 2022

Braves at Phillies, 1:37 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Braves have not yet named their starter, while the Phillies are giving the ball to RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA).

RHP Spencer Strider (11-5, 2.67 ERA) has now been named as the Braves starter. He’s very possibly the National League Rookie of the Year.

Dodgers at Padres, 5:37 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Dodgers give the ball to RHP Tony Gonsolin (16-1, 2.13 ERA) and the Padres give it to LHP Blake Snell (8-10, 3.38 ERA).

Jun 26

Game 71, 2022

Dodgers at Braves, 4:08 PM PDT, TV: ESPN, MLBN (out-of-market only)

There’s kind of a “Lord of the Rings” flair to this game today; both pitchers names are close to those found in the books. RHP Tony Gonsolin (9-0, 10.58 ERA) faces RHP Spencer Strider (3-2, 3.40 ERA). Gondolin was an Elvish city in Beleriand, while Strider is the Rangers’ name for Aragorn, ultimately King of Gondor and Arnor.

Gonsolin has flirted with the league lead in ERA all year and is tied for the MLB lead in wins. Not bad for a guy who’s celebrating the anniversary of his major league debut in 2019. Strider was strictly a reliever until May 30, when he made his first start. His June appearances have all been as a starter.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1944 At the Polo Grounds with over 50,000 fans looking on, the New York major league teams face each other in a six inning three-team game (a team played consecutive innings against the other two teams then sat out an inning) to raise money for war bonds. The charity contest, billed as the Tri-Cornered Baseball Game, ends with the final score of Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0.

  • 1968 Cardinals right-hander Bob Gibson tosses his fifth consecutive shutout as he blanks the Pirates, 3-0, in the first game of a doubleheader played at Busch Stadium. The future Hall of Famer’s accomplishment is one shy of the major league mark, set earlier in the month by Don Drysdale of the Dodgers.
  • 1993 Hall of Fame (1969) catcher Roy Campanella passes away at 71 after suffering a heart attack in Woodland Hills (CA). The wheel-chair-bound former Brooklyn Dodgers backstop, permanently disabled in a 1958 traffic accident, ten-year career included three NL MVP seasons, 242 home runs, 856 RBIs, and five World Series appearances.
  • 1999 At Candlestick Park, Todd Hundley’s second homer of the day, a ninth inning three-run shot to deep right field off Giants’ closer Robb Nen, sparks the Dodgers’ 7-6 comeback win. Ellis Burks had put San Francisco ahead in the bottom of the eighth, 6-4, with a three-run homer off Alan Mills.
  • 2011 Three days after Jim Riggleman’s sudden resignation, the Nationals name senior advisor Davey Johnson as the team’s manager for the remainder of the season. The 68 year-old former skipper compiled an 1148-888 (.564) record during his 14 years in the dugout with the Mets, Dodgers, Reds, and Orioles, finishing lower than third place on only three occasions.

Lineups when available.