Game 66, 2017

Dodgers at Indians, 4:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, Sportstime Ohio, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Brandon McCarthy (5-3, 3.28 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and Corey Kluber (5-2, 4.38 ERA) pitches for the Indians.

McCarthy credits much of his success this year (his ERA is at a five-year low) to a newfound reliance on his cutter. He’s now throwing one nearly 32 percent of the time, up from 13 percent the previous three seasons. “I noticed that even bad ones were better than they had been in the past,” McCarthy said. This will be Kluber’s third start since coming off the 10-day DL (lower back strain). In his last two starts he threw six innings in each game, with 18 strikeouts, three walks and just three runs allowed. Before his trip to the DL he gave up seven homers in six starts; he hasn’t given up one since he came back from it.

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 2003 After being activated from the disabled list by the Dodgers, first baseman Fred McGriff bats cleanup and goes 2-for-4 in his return against the Padres. It was the Crime Dog’s first trip to the DL during his 18-year career.
  • 2010 After just seven days in the major leagues, Stephen Strasburg is named National League Player of the Week. The Nationals’ right-handed flame thrower starts his career 2-0 with 22 strikeouts, second to only Karl Spooner, who fanned five more batters in his first two major league starts with the Dodgers in 1954.

Lineup:

85 thoughts on “Game 66, 2017

  1. I wonder if Link is aware that today’s game starts at 6 a.m. Hawai’i time…

    • Ah, the get away day early start. Maybe my local newspaper will actually have the box score in their Friday issue.

  2. Since I did not have eyes on the game last night, I did not totally know the whole story about the appealed double play. How did they call him out in the first place?

    • It was auto-play umpiring. González came nearly a yard across the bag to catch the ball before relaying it to first. Had he stayed on the bag, it would have been an easy DP. Under the new rule – no vicinity play – Bellinger was clearly safe.

      • Cleveland writer Max Schlichting summed it up this way: “Gonzalez is not in the neighborhood, somehow he hopped over the fence and ended up in the trailer park next door.”

  3. Not much of a battle of pens as might have been supposed coming into the series.

  4. Is Kenley available tonight? And should we perhaps bring him in? Like now?

  5. This feels scarily like the rest of the Dodgers bullpen homage to Hatcher.

    • I like that you call them the Spiders. I was going to type their team nickname but just couldn’t. I just called them Cleveland instead. But yes to the Spiders – good nod to history there.

  6. That is heads up baseball by the Dodgers and head in the clouds baseball by Cleveland.

  7. Not sure we can solve this guy and he has managed to slow the accumulation of pitches.

  8. see the vision now of the steal home. When I played catcher many year ago in strictly amateur league, if it was runners on first and third particularly with less than 2 outs, our manager said just let them have 2nd, it wasn’t worth the risk of the run scoring

  9. Gomes is one of only two Brazilians in MLB. The other is Paulo Orlando of the Royals.

  10. Was Joc picked off because he thought if Taylor could do it, so could he 🙂

  11. Nice story on Grandal commemorating the longest dinger hit in Cleveland (and said to be the 10th longest in history), which was off of Orel.

  12. Realizing yesterday that there is a good probability that the 5 NL playoff spots are locked in: LA, Colorado, Arizona, Washington – and whichever team bumbles their way into the NL Central title.

  13. WBBsAs noted a few hours ago on yesterday’s post that Edinson Volquez failed today in his effort to pitch his second no-hitter in a row. Tomorrow is the 79th anniversary of Johnny Vander Meer’s second consecutive no-hitter, a 6-0 win over the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, which was also the first night game ever played there. Leo Durocher made the last out. Vander Meer is the only one to throw back-to-back no-hitters in MLB history.

      • True. He lost that opportunity, as you noted several hours ago, in a big hurry. Walked in a run in the 1st (although not allowing a hit in the inning), gave up a leadoff double in the 2nd, and lasted only four innings. Anybody know what the closest Koufax ever game to pitching back-to-back no hitters?

        • First one 6/30/62. Next game 5 hits. 5 1/3 innings. Larry Sherry got the 4-3 win.
          Second one 5/11/63. Next game an 11-hitter (and won, 3-2)!
          Third one 6/4/64. Next game a 4-hit win (2-1)
          Last one 9/9/65. Next game a 5-hit loss (2-1)

    • One reason I hate interleague play – rescheduling rainouts is a nightmare when you make just one visit to a city.

      • If it’s rained out I’d guess there would be a DH tomorrow. Could be a day-night affair as the Dodgers travel to nearby Cincinnati to start a three-game series Friday night.

        • In this case, perhaps, but it often involves interrupting a later-season road trip.

          • I share your general sentiments on this matter. What if tomorrow’s game were rained out or, worse yet, both today’s and tomorrow’s?