Game 51, 2017

Cubs at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-C, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Two lefties go at one another in a Sunday afternoon game: Jon Lester (3-2, 3.19 ERA) of the Cubs faces Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 2.01 ERA) of the Dodgers. The last six times the Dodgers have beaten the Cubs they’ve shut them out.

Lester pitched a four-hit complete game against the Giants his last time on the mound, giving up one run, striking out ten and still keeping his pitch count at 99. Kershaw didn’t get a decision in his last outing against the Cardinals despite going nine innings and giving up only one run and three hits with a pitch count of 104.

Numerology: “Kershaw has a 2.18 ERA vs. the Cubs and has limited Chicago batters to a .218 batting average.”

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1957 Walter O’Malley and Horace Stoneham are given permission by the National League to negotiate deals with cities on the West Coast, with the proviso that the future location of their respective clubs, the Dodgers and the Giants, be known by October 1. The Brooklyn and New York owners both deny there is any significance to the unanimous vote other than being given an opportunity to explore all the available options for their possible relocation of their clubs.
  • 1988 The Expos scored a run in the 10th off Jay Howell in Montreal as the Dodgers wasted a nine-inning five-hitter from Fernando Valenzuela.
  • 2001 In an 11-inning slugfest with Colorado, LA catcher Paul Lo Duca goes 6-for-6 in the team’s 11-10 victory at Dodger Stadium. The backstop’s five singles and a three-run homer tie a National League record for hits in an extra-inning game.

Lineup when available.

108 thoughts on “Game 51, 2017

  1. NPUT.

    Somebody knocked over a power pole at the bottom of my hill around 4:00PM yesterday afternoon and took my cable TV, Phone and Internet with it. It came back on five minutes ago.

  2. We’ll see whether, after a great homestand followed by a long flight and late arrival, the Dodgers can take a Leake.

  3. Cards came in to Dodger Stadium in first place in the NL Central and left in 2nd.

    Cubs came in to Dodger Stadium in first place in the NL Central and left in 3rd.

    • Maybe we should go back to when we only scored two or three runs for him and he had to pitch his best if he wanted to get a win.

  4. Good win for The Dodgers, especially on a day when Kershaw was not at the level we have come to expect.

  5. Who wudda thunk it? So far the only pitcher that the Cubbies has scored on this series is Klayton.

  6. Also, the Dodgers traded Darnell Sweeney to the Reds. Poor Sweeney has been property of the Dodgers twice now and been traded away twice, once to get Utley in 2015 and now for “future considerations.” They reacquired him in return for Howie Kendrick last off-season.

  7. Steiner just said Kershaw gave up 6 runs today. Only 4 so far – but it feels like 6. And it still could be.

        • Can’t agree. He had gotten 99 ineffective pitches of work in already.

          • Obviously not all 99 were ineffective. But he was clearly struggling. And we have a good pen!

          • I guess I would say it would depend on Doc’s reasons. If it was to try and get him the win – then I think it was not a good decision.

  8. This is where the pitching win is clouding the issue of whether Kershaw should stay in – or how much longer he does.

    • I think Doc just wants to get at least another inning out of him with the bottom of the order before going to the pen.

  9. I wonder if that last 9 inning game from Kershaw left him more depleted today?

  10. That last half inning (and Kershaw’s performance in general) was not super fun. To make me more frustrated, I just returned from a very rainy weekend of watching my son’s Ultimate team go 0-6 in their tournament.

  11. That works. OK Kersh – let’s get some more innings out of you for the win.

  12. 19-25 hits for XB!

    What that means is that Hernandez has 25 hits this season and 19 of them have been for extra bases. I was caught up in the moment. 😉

  13. Glad to see the Dodgers getting some soft contact, well placed hits too.

  14. Kershaw still with a chance of getting through 5. But needs some quicker innings to be sure.

  15. 42 pitches. Look forward to some easier innings. Pen nice and rested in any event.

  16. Not too surprising the Dodgers gave up a run today to the Cubs. They do have some talent on their side of the field.

  17. Puig pinch-hitting in the first inning? Monday speculating Gutierrez didn’t/couldn’t run real hard after that fly ball in the top half of the inning.

  18. From ESPN Stats & Info

    Dodgers: back-to-back shutouts of Cubs, allow 3/fewer hits in each. A reigning WS champion hadn’t had that done to them in almost 100 years