Dodgers at Rockies, 12:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ATT Sportsnet RM, TBS (out-of-market only)
RHP Ross Stripling (3-5, 3.86 ERA) will start what looks like a bullpen game for the Dodgers and may go only a couple of innings. He’ll face LHP Tyler Anderson (6-6, 4.81 ERA). Anderson is 0-3 with a 7.00 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers this year, but overall since he returned from the DL on Sept. 11 he’s had a 1.19 ERA in four appearances.
This day in Dodgers’ history:
- 1944 Dixie Walker, an outfielder on the seventh-place Dodgers, wins the National League batting crown with a .357 batting average, finishing ten points higher than runner-up Stan Musial. In 1947, the “People’s Cherce’s” younger brother, Harry “the Hat”, will also lead the Senior Circuit, hitting .363 in the year when he is traded, after playing ten games for St. Louis, to Philadelphia.
- 1950 In the season finale, Robin Roberts, in the first of his six consecutive 20-win seasons, becomes the first Phillies right-hander to win twenty games for the team since Grover Cleveland Alexander accomplished the feat with a total of 30 victories in 1917. The complete-game, ten-inning 4-1 Ebbets Field victory over the Dodgers hurled by the Whiz Kid from Springfield (IL) clinches Philadelphia’s first NL pennant since 1915.
- 1950 After they retire today, Burt Shotton of the Dodgers and the A’s Connie Mack will become the last managers to wear street clothes. Although no edict specifically mandates a skipper must wear a uniform, there is now a rule that states that a person not wearing a uniform, except medical personnel, isn’t allowed on the field of play during a game.
- 1950 On the last day of the season, Pee Wee Reese, ignoring second base ump Frank Dascoli’s directive to slow down when his high outfield fly becomes stuck between the screen and the right field wall, continues sprinting around the bases at full speed, crossing home plate with the tying run in a game the team needs to win to finish tied with Philadelphia for the NL flag. The Dodgers shortstop’s unusual inside-the-park homer, due to an odd ground rule, will be the only run Robin Roberts gives in the Phillies’ pennant clinching 4-1 victory at Ebbets Field.
- 1951 The Giants’ 3-1 victory over the Dodgers in the first game of the National League playoffs is the first major league contest to be televised coast-to-coast. CBS, who obtained rights to the game, transmits the picture from Ebbets Field, but has to get the signal from ABC, who had made previous arrangements with WOR-TV, the New York station which carried Brooklyn’s regular season games.
- 1955 After losing the first two games in the Bronx, the Dodgers even the World Series at two games apiece when they defeat the Yankees at Ebbets Field, 8-5. Brooklyn will make it three victories in a row tomorrow with a 5-3 victory over the Bronx Bombers, but it will take a dramatic Game 7 for the ‘Bums’ to capture their first World Championship.
- 1961 The Wrigley Field on the West Coast hosts its last professional baseball game when the Angels, who will play at Dodger Stadium next season, are defeated by Cleveland, 8-5, in front of 9,868 fans at the 36 year-old ballpark, which will be torn down in five years to make room for an eventual public playground and senior center. In addition to being the home for the American League expansion team, the venue housed the PCL’s Angels from 1925 through 1957 and served as the location for the 1960 television series Home Run Derby.
- 1974 At the Astrodome, Mike Marshall establishes the major league mark for the most appearances by a pitcher when he throws two innings in the Dodgers’ 8-5 victory over Houston. With his 106 appearances, the right-handed reliever appears in 65% of the games that his team played this season.
- 1993 Mike Piazza scores Jose Offerman with a first-inning single to set a new team mark for runs driven in by a rookie with 107. The 24 year-old Dodgers catcher breaks the franchise record for rookie RBIs established by Del Bissonette, a freshman first baseman who played with Brooklyn in 1928.
- 2009 The Rockies’ 9-2 win over Milwaukee assures the team of a wild card berth in the postseason, and puts the team in position to still win the NL West by sweeping the Dodgers this weekend in L.A. Although the team was 12 games under .500 on June 3, today’s victory, their 91st – a club record – puts Colorado 23 games over .500, another first in the 17 year history of franchise.
Lineup when available.
Today's Dodger lineup at Rockies:
Taylor CF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Hernandez LF
Forsythe 2B
Grandal C
Puig RF
Stripling P— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 1, 2017
Heh. Locastro’s got work to do once he’s done with the Dodgers this season.
NPUT
MLB Network also predicts.
A week or so ago, the question was raised on how LA did vs. predictions on this site.
Here is how the Dodgers — and all the teams — did vs. Vegas oddsmakers (yes, today’s paper included content other than the tragedy): https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/betting/giants-were-biggest-underachievers-d-backs-biggest-overachievers/
SI Writers predict playoff results.
Liked several of those, especially the ones who said I’ll be able to use my ticket to the first LCS game! (And even more the ones who predicted the LA WS drought is over!)
Field preparation.
Bob_in_Vegas my thoughts are with you and yours. Be safe.
Sorry to hear about that tragedy
Thank you both. It is stunning to know that “Las Vegas” now means more than the entertainment capital of the world – – it is the answer to a sickening question.
The 273rd mass shooting this year.
And now this is the largest in the US.
I thought for sure things would change after Sandy Hook. As the flowers song asks, when will they ever learn?
No more “moments of silence.” Time for moments of speaking out!
A large part of the problem is Nuts Run America
I’m glad national expectations have been lowered for the Dodgers to go all the way. I prefer being a slight underdog. I am also hoping the four days off will refresh and revitalize our rookies. Look what two days off did for Taylor!
National experts at ESPN heavy favor Snakes to win WC and beat Dodgers. SBNation, made up of local experts for various teams favor Dodgers mostly.
Avilán will miss the Division Series but, fortunately, Watson and especially Cingrani have excelled: https://www.truebluela.com/2017/10/1/16393180/luis-avilan-injury-sore-shoulder-dodgers-nlds-roster-out
That’s a shame. He’s been good all year. I hope he can come back for Round 2 if we get that far.
Could force FO’s hand to have Wood in the pen as the third southpaw. Would mean Ryu as fourth starter, despite his last performance. He has a poor history pitching in Coors, but fairly good in Snake Pit.
ESPN has a series of Dodgers polls up. “Will they make it to the WS? The NLCS?” etc.
Let’s hear it for… https://twitter.com/BiertempfelTrib/status/914643609495965696
Further info re: Pirates and Puerto Rico.
What would Clemente do? “It’s an island surrounded by big water…”
Our president sure has a way with words, doesn’t he?
A “way,” yes. Not an intelligent one.
I really like that 8-2 stat. Way to finish on a strong note.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpGx4foRdPw
Maeda got the win and is 13-6 on the year, so he’s 29-17 in his 2-year MLB career. Ryu is 33-25 in his 4-year career.
He is exhibit A for why won-loss record is not an accurate stat for how well a person pitches.
He’s been a good pitcher for the Dodgers, if less than an ace.
I guess I’ll put up posts for the two Wild Card Games before the Dodgers’ Friday start. Who has a preference between the Yankees and the Twins? The Rockies vs. the D-Backs?
Ha!
Twins over Yankees. Rockies over D-backs, only because I like their team more, although I think they might be tougher for us to face….
Greinke and Robbie Ray are far better than any Rox starter.
104
104!
Woo-HOO (104 !s) Quite a year!
We win! And now back to supper!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMSNP6jdNEM
This year’s NL BA champ hit .276 on the road. .391 in Coors.
Going out for supper but hope this one will go into the books as win 104.
Poutine!
Poi!
This is for you WBB. Pablo just hit a walk-off HR in the final game and the win cost the Gnats a number one pick. Grant Brisbee is going to have a field day with that!
Ha!
That would actually be “WB”.
Now all they need is to give Phlablo a five-year, $150 million contract extension.
https://twitter.com/mccoveychron/status/914587328273715200
https://twitter.com/mccoveychron/status/914614118191001600
That is about what the Dodgers did.
Darn. Cody walks.
Scoring. Did any of you keep score when you were first becoming a fan? When I was ten I lived in Westwood. While listening to Vin and Jerry I’d be sitting on my bedroom floor, drawing a scorecard on 8 1/2 x 11 spiral notebook paper and learning how to draw circles around Ks to indicate swinging strikeouts, 4-3 to indicate 2nd-to-1st groundouts, and so on,.
Oh, yeah!
Vin not only described that particular game, he taught the game as well.
I would score the games, even when while listening to Vin and Jerry on the radio. My dad bought me a Scoremaster scorebook in 1962 and that made scoring a lot easier. I still have one — somewhere in the garage — dating back from that season, including Drysdale’s 20th win.
For sure.
I sometimes used my Strat-O-Matic score sheets to keep score of games at home.
So will McCarthy be in the pen?
Dog house!
Hahaha.
McCarthyism.
If we win today we end the season on an 8-2 run and enter the post-season with some momentum. I purchased two tickets to Saturday’s game through RBI and am looking forward to that immensely. I will shortly bid you farewell until later in the week. In a little bit, my wife and I are about to take our dog to a local pet shop to give him a bath. They provide a big sink, towels, an automatic soap dispenser and a hair dryer for $15 — less than it costs to park at Dodger Stadium.
What kind of dog have you?
Dirty dog!
Brilliant!
Elementary dear Watson.
We have a labradoodle, a big, friendly, funny guy. Our neighbors got his brother. One of the two people who owned them passed away 2 1/2 years ago and and the survivor would not split them up and wanted someone to take them both. That was one dog too many for us. Our neighbors were more than happy to take the other labradoodle. It has worked out splendidly.
Another cool story today.
Dogs are wonderful.
My buddy has one. Great dogs. Remind me of Portuguese water dogs, which I love, though I am a cat person.
While you’re at it, this guy needs a wash too… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bb46265282e86c4e366991d9fbcb46789960a8474307a109297c5dffbd42ba50.jpg
Mo just confirmed — rosters are due the morning of the first game of the series, at least LDS.
Barnes has some wheels.
I’m also appreciating the third base coach.
So great to see Joc hitting!
Franchise record with 9 players with 20+ Doubles. Logan with 19.
Pre-Elysian Fields, my son and I went to DS with a group of Dodger Thoughts fellows to meet McCourt, of all people. He was slick and sly even then. A few years later, I was wearing my Dodger Thoughts t-shirt at a game and Jon Weisman came over to introduce himself. It was like meeting a Beatle.
How cool!
So cool. Jon was there with his wife and baby boy, and now he has three, so that dates me!
So, Jon’s a bigamist?
3 bambini.
Big big of him to create Dodger Thoughts.
Polygamist!
You could time it with a sundial.
During an eclipse.
Remember April, when McCarthy and Kersh were the only effective starters and we were rhyming their appearances and bemoaning their absence?
Doc says Kersh won’t start on short rest in the LDS. http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/257017492/kershaw-wont-start-on-short-rest-in-nlds/?topicId=27118384
But as he says in the article, everything is on the table.
If the bats participate, Game 4 will be unnecessary.
Speaking of bats, I like that they’re awake today.
Good decision, I feel that this year it would not be necessary, as others have pitched almost as well as Kershaw has
Two months ago, I would’ve agreed, regarding the others pitching almost as well — they were!
Lately, tho, it’s up in the air.
Bottom line, tho I don’t think it’s worth damaging him, possibly for the long-term.
Dodgers starters have been pretty much lights out for the past two weeks.
Ironically, the worst SP performances during that stretch came from Kersh himself.
Perhaps not, unless the Dodgers are down 1-2, as they have been the past three years. The year before that he was even used when the Dodgers were up 2-1. Now that was done by Donnie Baseball with an eye towards setting up rotation for NLCS, which never happened. So, stay tuned.
And Walt Alston kept Don Drysdale ready for Game 1 of the World Series in 1962 and brought in Stan Williams instead in the 9th inning in Game 3 of the playoffs vs. the Giants, and our season imploded right then and there.
{deep sigh}
I still snarl about that inning at Alston’s ghost.
In yesterday’s history lesson: “1962 On the last day of the season, Gene Oliver’s eighth-inning homer off Johnny Podres proves to be the difference in St. Louis’ 1-0 victory over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The loss to the Cardinals forces Los Angeles into a best-of-three-game playoff with the Giants for the National League pennant, a series the team will lose to San Francisco.”
Had the Dodgers gotten two runs they could have avoided that playoff.
One of the great Dodgers teams.
You had to remind me. 😉
You’re forgetting Adrian.
Baez would take a lot of time before he decided to run.
Thank you Joc
John! Thanks – now I feel like I have been feted from all around the world!
Orel said earlier that Roberts’ goal was to get everyone into the game today so there’s no player-manager.
So, Kershaw and Kenley both pitch today? PH? Pinch-run?
As pinch-hitters.
I wanna see Báez pinch-run…
It would take him a long time to get to whatever base he would start from.
May want Kenley to go back-to-back, with no game until Friday.
ICYMI, Joe Davis tells us that the Dodgers have been playing baseball since 1883 and the Rockies since 1993. Even with the Dodgers’ 110-year edge, the Rockies have had the same number of NL batting champs: 10.
Should we relocate the Dodgers to Mt Everest?
Think of the travel expense!
Perhaps they could mount some rallies there.
Groan!
They could take charter flights. I hear everybody is doing that now.
Don’t think you’ll get a good Price match anymore.
The White House is now priceless.
Hmm. I counted 8 titles called coming into this year.
Seems that it is ten, but nine different players. Pretty damning evidence as regards role of Coors in all of this. Guess the trade off is that none of their pitchers has won ERA title.
Hau`oli Lā Hānau, Dave!
Thanks so much Link! I have must be living a charmed life. I have received birthday greetings from Hawaii, mainland USA, China, Sierra Leone, Serbia and of course Canada.
And here’s one from Mexico. Viva NAFTA!
Ha! Thanks so much Bob. I appreciate this community of commenters.
Oh, yeah,feliz cumple!
What? No birthday greetings from North Korea?
Happy birthday, eh?
Thanks! And nice use of a Canadian colloquialism!
Living in New Hampshire, I could have said have a wicked good one but I refuse to take on the accent here or use those NE colloquialisms. But I like Canada’s colloquialisms. I probably will move west within three years.
Happy birthday from SoCal!!!!
Milestones: Bellinger needs a homer today to reach 40 and three more RBIs to reach 100.
Were it not for that twisted ankle…
Meanwhile, Puig needs two dingers to reach 30.
Well, it is amazing to see game 162 up above!
Sure is. I went to the opener and when Joc hit a grand slam and had five RBIs I thought he would have a big year. After all, he was on a pace to hit 162 home runs and drive in 810!
WinnipegDave: Happy Birthday!
Thanks Scoop et al! May today mark the start of a remarkable month for Dodger baseball.
Link: This day in Dodgers’ history is a joy to read, day-in and day-out. Thanks, and thanks, of course, for keeping this site going on a daily basis for so many years. I have developed a group of friends over the years, only one of whom I have ever met.
Second all, including meeting one.
I agree with scoops words and I have met no one, but I feel I know a little about you all
Which means I’ve met at least two!
And reunion if you are going to LCS #1 AND the Dodgers go as well.
I’m afraid I have to miss game one. Game two, I will attend!
The anniversary of Gibson!
Thanks, that’s very kind of you.
I met the Man himself!
LIneup above.
CT, Seager, JT, Belli, Kike, Logan, Grande, Puig.
Thanks.
Still no lineup. Doc and Kenley must be fighting over it.
Understand that Kenley may manage today. So sure to see Baez out there!
Hmm. Offhand I can’t think of any relief pitchers who became managers. Catchers, sure. Starting pitchers, occasionally. Scrappy good field no hit infielders, plenty. But relief pitchers?
The Vulture!
Phil Regan?
O’s manager in 1995.
If I ever knew it I’d forgotten.
Pretty dismal experience as I recall.
Stan the Man in the previous year had won the batting crown and was MVP as a 22 year old! What a long storied career. Recall watching him on the tube as a youngster in the early 1960’s.
Everybody loved Stan, a true working-class hero.