Game 71, 2017

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Mets at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, SNY

This will be the first time the Mets’ RHP Zach Wheeler (3-4, 4.48 ERA) pitches against the Dodgers. He’ll face LHP Clayton Kershaw (9-2, 2.23 ERA).

Wheeler had a pretty good May and June until his last outing, when he was shelled by the Cubs, giving up eight runs in only 1 2/3 innings. He’s coming off Tommy John surgery and has already thrown 64 1/3 innings, which the Mets say is about halfway to the point where they want to shut him down. Kershaw threw seven good innings in his last start against the Indians, and he’s working on an extra day of rest, too. He has been more susceptible to the gopher ball this year than in the past; he’s given up 13 already this season, three short of his career high.

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1952 Carl Erskine throws a no-hitter against the Cubs in the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory at Ebbets Field. A third inning walk to the opposing pitcher, which accounts for the only runner to reach base, may have been a result of skipper Chuck Dressen telling the 25 year-old right-hander to speed up his pitches due to an impending storm.
  • 1972 At Three Rivers Stadium, Roberto Clemente hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to become the Pirates’ all-time RBI leader. The Pittsburgh right fielder’s three ribbies in the 13-3 drubbing of the Dodgers give the future Hall of Famer a total of 1,274 runs batted in for the Bucs.
  • 1973 In different games, the Reds’ Pete Rose and Dodger Willie Davis both collect their 2,000th career hit. The Cincinnati infielder, known as ‘Charlie Hustle’, reaches the milestone with a single against San Francisco in the Reds’ 4-0 victory at Candlestick Park, and the L.A. outfielder, known as 3-Dog, reaches the plateau in front of the home crowd with a two-run home run in the team’s 3-0 victory over Atlanta.
  • 2003 During a College World Series contest against Stanford, a pitch strikes Cal State Fullerton shortstop Justin Turner on the left side of his face as he attempts to bunt. Adding insult to injury, the future Mets infielder also suffers a broken ankle on the play when he unsuccessfully tries to avoid getting hit by the 87-mph fastball thrown by Matt Manship.

Lineup when available.

111 thoughts on “Game 71, 2017”

  3. I stocked up on antiacids just in case Hatcher pitches in tonight’s game, with less than a twenty run lead.

  6. From the LA Times’ game story:

    Kershaw walked off the field, stomped around the dugout, then kicked the bench with his right foot. He gave up six earned runs, the first time he had done so in more than three years. He said he had two options to rebound, the first of which involved extensive analysis to replay and rethink every pitch.

    “Or you can say screw it and come back tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to go with the latter.”

  7. I had to shut down listening and writing last night (sleep beckons earlier with a special project I’m heading for three weeks), but with the bases loaded K in the 8th, Hatcher had a Kershawian moment . . . while Kershaw had a Hatcher game.

  8. Not Klayton-like, but after all last year’s NL CYA gave up 31 dingers.

    • An interesting attempt at perspective, but it’s still worrying that – in Kershaw’s case – the atypical seems to be becoming typical.

      • I don’t take yesterday’s game as a new norm for him, just that one can be an effective pitcher with a high dinger rate, as Max showed last year.

        • Kershaw’s already matched his season-worst in dingers. That’s a different issue.

          • Even if he stays at the current rate, which seems unlikely, if he pitches his usual 220 innings, he would be at 37 dingers. Again, the fellow judged to be the best pitcher in the NL last year gave up 31. You can be a great pitcher and give up a lot of dingers and, you better be a great pitcher if you are going to give up a lot of dingers

          • Catfish Hunter gave up a couple of solo HRs in a World Series game and said afterwards that he had friends in the stands who’d never seen one so he gave them a couple. It helped that they didn’t affect the outcome of the game. Quoted by Roger Angell in one of his collections.

  9. Kershaw, while picking up another Cy Young, is swapping awesomeness in the regular season for awesomeness in the World Series.

    • I was listening to the Mets broadcast, and they mentioned that Kershaw has now given up 17 HR, one more than in any previous season. They were talking about it in terms of it being the downside of the current homer-mania trend. More home runs means that even great pitchers will give up more.

      Also, I am never going to say that a player can’t hit ever again prior to a game. Stupid Jose Reyes.

  15. Who’dve thought with a 7-run lead and Kershaw pitching that there would even be a thought of bringing in Kenley?

  16. I’m visiting L.A. and will be at Tuesday night’s game if any of you will be there and wants to say hello: Section 9RS, Row H, Seats 16-17. I will be wearing a blue Dodgers windbreaker and wearing a Dodgers cap.

    • For a game where LA scored 10 runs, there’s been a lot of that going on from me as well!

  26. That was too scary.
    C’mon, bats — you’ve done a lot this game but more makes it easier!

  33. So, we’ll go no more a-roving
    So late into the night,
    Though the heart be still as loving,
    And the moon be still as bright.

    Which is to say I will (very likely) sign off for tonight. Hoping for no big comebacks here.

  34. It makes sense the Dodgers scored this inning. They score when the Mets don’t – and vice-versa.

  38. What have they done with the really Clayton Kershaw and how do we get him back?

  42. I forgot about the leadoff walk, preceding the HR . . . double-dose of Bizarro Kershaw.

  43. As bad as it is that Kersh is giving up all these dingers is, this game is suddenly not a lock.

  44. So unlike Kershaw to give up all these dingers. Balls be flying tonight, that is for sure.

  45. Radio said it’s a cool 68 at the game.
    Vegas is now a cool 105 — after being up around 114.

    • It was 91° in Oakland yesterday, but it’s cooled off – now only 66°, with a predicted high of 78° tomorrow.

  48. Seems like Game Day goes through the first few pitches rather quickly then goes the full Pedro Baez on the final pitch to each batter. Arrrrrg!

  50. Way too many HRs given up by Kersh this year.
    Still, almost every other pitcher would take all his stats this year.

  51. I am finding it hard to get excited about innings where Bellinger is not expected to bat. I am spoiled.

  53. OK Kersh got that out of his system and pitches a scoreless outing from here.

  55. Turner did his part to get Kershaw off the bases and resting in the dugout. Bellinger extends the rest.

  57. Good start for our bats, now Kershaw just needs to keep the ball from going into the stands.

  58. I also just tuned in. Saw 4-0 and just knew that Bellinger hit another HR!

  60. I see Bellinger in the dugout after hitting one, and I wonder how he avoids smirking.

  68. In Atlanta, the Gnats get runners on first and third with nobody out, and then fail to score v. Dickey’s knuckler.

  69. The Mets can hit almost as well as the Dodgers, but they can’t pitch or field a lick.They’re also snakebit, with a huge number of guys on the DL (Syndergaard, Harvey, Familia (their closer) Walker, Lagares, Cabrera – Cespedes and Matz just came back). The medical staff is held in such high regard that the running joke on NY talk radio is that whatever estimate is given for a player’s return, add at least a month.

    Between the injuries and poor performances the starting pitching has been terrible, and the relief pitching has been worse. DeGrom is the best, and he pitched yesterday, so the Dodgers won’t see him. Wheeler, who pitches tonight, is coming off two years worth of Tommy John rehab and has been mostly effective, although they are limiting his innings (sort of like Ryu). The fielding isn’t good. The outfield is (l-r) Cespedes, Conforto, and Bruce who all hit a ton. Conforto is the young stud, but he flies under the radar in NYC because of the Aaron Judge experience. Fielding-wise, however, the outfield tends to resemble a scupture garden. Worse for the Mets is that since Cabrera is injured, and management doesn’t think their stud SS prospect is ready (or they don’t want to start his clock), they have Jose Reyes not hitting (OPS+ of 51) and not fielding at shortstop. It’s a tough summer to be a Mets fan.

  70. 1. Chase Utley (L) 2B
    2. Corey Seager (L) SS
    3. Justin Turner (R) 3B
    4. Cody Bellinger (L) 1B
    5. Chris Taylor (R) LF
    6. Joc Pederson (L) CF
    7. Yasmani Grandal (S) C
    8. Enrique Hernandez (R) RF
    9. Clayton Kershaw (L) P