Jul 07

Game 88, 2018

Dodgers at Angels, 4:15 PM PDT, TV: FOX

RHP Ross Stripling (6-2, 2.27 ERA) goes for the Dodgers against the Angels’ RHP Deck McGuire (0-1, 7.56 ERA), who’ll be making his second big league start. His first didn’t go well: last Sunday he gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings to the Orioles. Stripling himself hasn’t won in his last four starts.

Maeda to paternity list, RHP Dylan Floro called up.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1953 The Dodgers set a major league mark for the most consecutive games with a home run by a team with a least one round-tripper in their 24 contests. Brooklyn starter Preacher Roe hits the record-breaking homer with a third-inning blast in the team’s 9-5 victory over Pittsburgh at Forbes Field.
  • 1998 Jeff Shaw becomes the first player to participate in an All-Star Game wearing a uniform for a team he hasn’t yet played for when he works an inning, allowing three hits and a run pitching for the National League squad before appearing in a regular season game for the Dodgers. The 32 year-old closer, who posted a 1.81 ERA along with 23 saves in the first half of the season for the Reds, was traded three days ago by Cincinnati to Los Angeles for Paul Konerko and Dennys Reyes.
  • 2004 Kazuhisa Ishii tosses a one-hitter in the Dodgers’ 11-0 defeat of Arizona. The 30 year-old Japanese southpaw retires the first 12 batters he faces before issuing a leadoff walk to Luis Gonzalez, which is followed with a single by Shea Hillenbrand, but then the left-hander proceeds to mow down 15 consecutive D-Backs to finish his masterpiece.

Lineup when available.


Jul 06

Game 87, 2018

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

The Dodgers take the 40-mile drive southeast to Angels Stadium for Game One of the Freeway Series. They’ll send RHP Kenta Maeda (5-5, 3.36 ERA) to the mound for his third career start against the Halos. He pitched well enough to win in his last start against the Rockies, but German Marquez was better, holding the Dodgers to two hits and one run over eight innings. The Angels counter with Felix Peña (1-0, 3.71 ERA), who will be making just his fourth big league start tonight. He got his first win as a starter a week ago when he pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Orioles while giving up just five hits. He’s still learning: he’s only pitched 60 1/3 innings in the major leagues since his debut in 2016.

Down on the farm: Verdugo and Toles are hot at OKC, AAA All-Stars include four OKC players and two Dodger prospects lead their respective leagues (Texas and California) in home runs.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1938 At Crosley Field, Yankees’ hurler Lefty Gomez is defeated for the first time in four All-Star starts as the NL wins the All-Star game 4-1. National League shortstop Leo Durocher becomes the first Dodger to start in an All-Star Game and gets a ‘bunt’ home run.
  • 1953 In his first major league start, 24 year-old right-hander Al Worthington throws a two-hitter, blanking the Pirates, 6-0. The Giants’ rookie, known as ‘Red’, will become the first National League freshman to throw consecutive shutouts at the start of a career, when he repeats the feat in his next outing, also blanking the Dodgers, 6-0.
  • 2000 Vin Scully, 72, is voted the No. 1 sportscaster of the 20th century by members of the American Sportscasters Association. The Dodger veteran broadcaster’s 51-year career has included play-by-play of 25 Fall Classics and a dozen All-Star Games.

Lineup when available.


Jul 04

Game 86, 2018

Happy Fourth of July from the Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber.

Pirates at Dodgers, 5:10 PM PDT, TV: SPNLA, ATT SportsNet-PIT

The Dodgers ask lefty Rich Hill (1-3, 4.68 ERA) to complete the sweep of the hapless Buccos, who will send RHP Clay Holmes to the mound for his first big league start. He’s 6-3 with a 3.39 ERA for AAA Indianapolis and has made two relief appearances for the Pirates, giving up two hits in four innings while striking out two.

The Dodgers and Reds made a deal today.

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired RHP Dylan Floro, minor-league RHP Zach Neal and international signing bonus pool space from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league RHPs James Marinan and Aneurys Zabala.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1884 In American Association action, Louisville right-hander Guy Hecker pitches complete games to win both ends of a doubleheader. The Youngsville, Pennsylvania native does not walk a single batter when he beats the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers at Eclipse Park, 5-4 and 8-2.
  • 1998 The National Baseball Facility of Ireland, considered the main home of the Irish National baseball team, officially opens in Corkagh Demesne Park in Clondalkin, West Dublin when U.S. Ambassador Jean Kennedy throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Dodger owner Peter O’Malley played an instrumental role in the construction of the diamonds now known as the Fields of Dreams, which includes a regulation sized adult field and an international standard Little League field.
  • 2006 Nomar Garciaparra ties the major league record for being hit by a pitch in a game as he is plunked three times by three different Diamondback pitchers in a 10-4 Dodger victory. The LA first baseman is the first National Leaguer to equal the mark, both literally and figuratively, since the 2000 season, when Astros outfielder Richard Hidalgo got thwacked thrice in a game in April.

Lineup:


Jul 03

Game 85, 2018

Pirates at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: SPNLA, ATT SportsNet-PIT

The Pirates ask RHP Ivan Nova (4-5, 4.02) to stem the tide of Dodgers’ bats after last night’s swamping. He’s 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA over his four starts since he came off the DL. He’ll face the Dodgers’ LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-4, 2.84 ERA), who’ll be making his third start since coming off the DL himself. His last start on Thursday against the Cubs was very good; he went five innings, gave up four hits and struck out six. He then watched poor Walker Buehler throw a rehab stint at the major league level and get crushed as the bullpen gave up 9 runs and the Dodgers lost 11-5.

This date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1925 Milt Stock sets a National League mark by having his fourth consecutive four-hit game, going 16-for-23 during the span to compile a .696 batting average. The 31 year-old second baseman’s offensive output, which includes three singles and a triple, helps the Robins beat the Giants at Ebbets Field, 6-3.
  • 1949 En route to a 16-0 shutout of the Dodgers at the Polo Grounds, starting pitcher Monte Kennedy hits a grand slam. Another 51 seasons will pass by before another Giants hurler hits a four-run homer when Shawn Estes accomplishes the feat in 2000.
  • 1958 In their 35th home date in L.A., the transplanted Dodgers reach the one million mark in attendance. Last season, the team drew only 1,028,258 fans, playing in Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field.
  • 2013 Yasiel Puig becomes the first player to be named Player of the Month for the first month he plays in the major leagues in the 55-year history of the award. The Dodger outfielder played in 26 games in June, compiling a .436 batting average, with his 44 base hits being the second-most ever by a first-month player, only behind Joe DiMaggio’s total of 48 in 1936.

Lineup:


Jul 02

Game 84, 2018

Pirates at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: SPNLA, ATT SportsNet-PIT, MLBN (out-of-market only)

The 40-43 Buccaneers come to LA losers of 6 of their last 10 games. They hope to right their ship with RHP Nick Kingham (2-3, 3.82 ERA), who has been on an elevator between AAA Indianapolis and Pittsburgh this season. He’s made six starts for the Pirates, the last on June 9. He’ll face the Dodgers’ LHP Alex Wood (4-5, 4.00 ERA), who has resolved whatever was plaguing him earlier in the year and won his last three starts.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1962 Johnny Podres ties a major league mark record, striking out eight consecutive batters in LA’s 5-1 victory over Philadelphia. The 29 year-old southpaw’s streak begins with the third out in the top of the fourth frame and ends after the first out in the seventh inning of the Dodger Stadium contest.
  • 1995 Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo, who is leading the National League in strikeouts, becomes the first player from Japan to be selected for the major league All-Star game. As the starter for the Senior Circuit, the 26 year-old rookie tosses two scoreless innings in the National League’s 3-2 victory over their American League rivals at The Ballpark in Arlington.

Lineup:


Jul 01

Game 83, 2018

Rockies at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: SPNLA, ATT SportsNet-RM

Hoping to complete the sweep, the Rockies send RHP Chad Bettis (5-1, 5.07 ERA) out to duel with the Dodgers’ RHP Ross Stripling (6-2, 1.98 ERA). Bettis allowed the Giants just two runs over 6 1/3 innings last Tuesday; prior to that he’d given up at least five runs in each of his previous five starts. Stripling went five innings against the Cubs in his last start and gave up just one run but got a no-decision for his efforts.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1968 Bob Gibson’s scoreless inning streak ends abruptly at 47 with a questionable call when the official scorer rules a wild pitch, and not a passed ball, allowed Len Gabrielson to score in the first inning of the Cardinals’ 5-1 victory over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Without the hometown decision, the Redbird right-hander, who will blank San Francisco in his next start, would have been within three innings of breaking the mark of 58 scoreless frames established in June by Don Drysdale, tonight’s losing pitcher.
  • 2011 Dee Gordon, in the seventh inning of a 5-0 inter-league victory over the Angels in Anaheim, steals second and third base, and then completes the stolen base cycle by swiping home. The Dodger shortstop becomes the 40th major leaguer to accomplish the trifecta in the same frame.

Lineup when available.