Game 78, 2017

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Angels at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-W

The Angels come to Dodger Stadium a game over .500 and playing without superstar Mike Trout, who’s out for at least two more weeks with a torn ulnar ligament in his thumb. They will also have Albert Pujols, he of the 600+ HRs, playing 1B in one of the two games in the NL park, something he’s done only four times this season.

An omen? “The Angels are 38-28 against the Dodgers since 2005, including winning the ’16 Freeway Series by a 3-1 margin.”

The Angels send old friend RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-9, 5.23 ERA) out to face the Dodgers’ LHP Rich Hill (4-3, 4.73 ERA). Nolasco got slammed for five runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Yankees in his last start and took the loss. He leads the AL in HRs allowed with 23. Hill got the win his last time out against the Mets, giving up only one run in five innings. He still hasn’t gotten into the sixth inning yet this year.

Cody Bellinger, your NL Player of the Week.

Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated praises the Dodgers for their exploits thus far.

This date 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.
  • 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.

Lineup when available.

103 thoughts on “Game 78, 2017”

  4. Just seeing that 2 teams scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th tonight. Both lost.

  12. OK Bellinger. We haven’t had a home run yet tonight. Need at least one, don’t we?

  29. Really good game by Rich . . . hurt mostly by that double steal. I didn’t see it — did Grandal hold the ball because of their jump?

  30. Link, those stats above must be wrong — based on the Dodger “output” tonight, Nolasco must be in contention for the Cy Young Award.

  32. Not exactly the pitcher one would think would shut down the Dodger “juggernaut.”

  33. Kole Calhoun. 1930’s gangster or Old West cowboy? I can never decide which he reminds me of more.

  34. Colorado down 3-0 to SF. Dodgers down 3-0 to Angels.
    Which team is more likely to win?

  37. “Should” is not a word we should use in predicting the outcome of any one game. Having said that, we “should” win tonight if Hill has a decent game. Nolasco shares the major league lead in losses with nine and has a 5.23 ERA, precisely half a run more than Hill.

    • I’ve never voted online and prefer to use the ASG as a mini-vacation from baseball – I’d sooner watch a spring training game. I was far more interested when the players chose their peers and there was no interleague play, so the game had the feeling of a genuine rivalry.

      • Interleague play has diminished the excitement of the All-Star Game. Additionally, it was much more fun when I was a kid. Of course. A splendid Tuesday early in the summer. The players should select the starting lineups. But, in lieu of that, I voted five times today, picking three Dodgers: Bellinger (as a write-in), Seager and Turner. I did pick Posey as catcher.

        • I enjoyed it into my forties. The last worthwhile game was 1994, when McGriff homered in the ninth to tie and Tony Gwynn scored the winner in the tenth.

          • Does the AL winning about the last 20 have anything to do with it being less fun?
            It has for me.

          • It’s not that. It’s the brain-dead marketing for a game that’s been consciously devalued – even though, thankfully, the homefield advantage crap is gone.

          • I certainly agree that having HFA for the World Series decided by an exhibition game was a really, really bad idea.

        • Those were the same 3 I voted for . . . I still have 10 more times (two days’ worth) to go.

          • We’re on the same track. I got in late and today was the first time I voted. So I have only 15 votes left. But, isn’t it crazy that each e-mail address can vote up to 35 times?

  40. Arizona beat Philadelphia this afternoon, 6-1. Greinke got the win, but he went only five innings, throwing 102 pitches, allowing the one run (earned), three hits, walking three and striking out five.