Game 118, 2019

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Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: FS-A, SPNLA

LHP Robbie Ray (10-7, 4.03 ERA) pitches for the D-Backs opposing RHP Walker Buehler (10-2, 3.22 ERA) of the Dodgers. Ray had a horrible June (1-4) and an excellent July (4-1) and won his first start in August, although he went just five innings and gave up four runs on six hits to the Nats. Buehler had a spectacular game his last time out, striking out 15 while allowing the Padres one run on five hits in a complete game victory. If he goes past six innings today he’ll exceed last season’s number of innings pitched and set a new career record.

Here’s Kershaw’s 2,397th strikeout as a Dodger, surpassing Sandy Koufax and moving into third place on the Dodgers’ all-time list behind the two Dons, Sutton and Drysdale.

Player acquisition news: The Dodgers have acquired catcher Jose Lobaton from Seattle in exchange for cash considerations. Lobaton will report to Oklahoma City. This was likely prompted by the news that prospect C Kelbert Ruiz was hit by a pitch last Saturday and broke his finger; he’s out for the season.

Seager is optimistic he’ll hit as well as always.

This date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1975 At Shea Stadium, Davey Lopes steals his 32nd consecutive base without being caught, breaking Max Carey’s 1922 record in the Dodgers’ 2-0 victory over New York. The Dodger second baseman’s mark will be broken by Vince Coleman in 1989.
  • 1976 John Candelaria becomes the first Pirate since 1907 to throw a no-hitter in Pittsburgh. Nick Maddox threw the first and only Buc home no-hitter until the ‘Candyman’ beat the Dodgers at Three Rivers Stadium. (There was never a no-hitter pitched in the 61-year history of spacious Forbes Field.)
  • 2001 Mike Hampton ties the National League record for pitchers with his seventh homer when he goes deep off Felix Heredia in the Rockies’ 14-5 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Colorado southpaw equals the mark established by Dodger hurlers Don Drysdale (1958, 1965) and Don Newcombe (1955), and two shy of the major league standard set by Wes Ferrell, playing for the Indians in 1931.
  • 2013 The Dodgers rally for four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, overcoming a six-run, seventh-inning deficit, for their fifth walk-off victory of the season. The team’s 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay is their 11th consecutive win in a one-run games, a span in which they have defeated ten different clubs.

Also on this date, in 2013 Dan Haren becomes the thirteenth pitcher in history to record a victory over all 30 major league franchises when he hurls seven solid innings in the Nationals’ 9-2 win over Philadelphia. The 32 year-old right-hander joins Al Leiter, Randy Johnson, Barry Zito, A.J. Burnett, Kevin Brown, Terry Mulholland, Curt Schilling, Woody Williams, Jamie Moyer, Javier Vazquez, Vicente Padilla, and Derek Lowe in accomplishing the feat.

Lineup when available.

420 thoughts on “Game 118, 2019”

  2. Last night marked the beginning of a return to order. Dodgers lead Snakes by 18, Gnats by 19.5, Pads by 21.5, Rox by 25. Magic number is 27. Interestingly, FanGraphs projections now give the Pads a better shot at the mild card than the Gnats.

    For best in the NL, Dodgers are nine games up on the Barves (whose bullpen issues are far more grave than the Dodgers’; see last night’s box score for details). For best in baseball, Dodgers are one game up on Yanquis but .003 behind Minutes Maids in a virtual tie. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/422508b47f29c5323db58ed1b4b98e3919a51f8b09cb84dcf87887303ec3fc39.png

  7. Yanquis have lost, but Minute Maids are clobbering the Orangebirds. Meanwhile, the Barves have blown a four-run lead in the ninth against the Fish (!) and are now going to extras. Fish had winning run thrown out at plate with just one out.

  16. 3 more outs. The last 3 were the hardest to get last night. We will see what happens tonight.

  18. Ferguson looked good for 2 batters. But got the quick hook and replaced by Kelly.

  26. Wish they had scored more. But the mathematician in me sees and appreciates the beginning of the Fibonacci sequence in the line score: 0,1,1,2. Next few innings the Dodgers should score 3, 5, and 8 runs!

  30. Tonight we are getting the lucky hits and plays – most involving Russel Martin!

  33. I love the way we are executing different ways to score this year. We really needed to start doing that.

  39. Joe just said exactly what I was wondering – what makes Young’s 90mph fast ball so hard to hit?

  42. Random comment. I’ve always liked the coloured bands around Maeda’s neck. They remind me of coloured glow sticks that kids break open and wear at dance parties. (Yes I know that’s not what they are.)

  51. Nice pitching through 3 for Maeda. However with him though I am unfortunately thinking: which inning will he blow up and how bad will it be? I would be happy to be proved wrong tonight Kenta!

  52. The Barves blew it to the Fish in the tenth, so Dodgers can gain a game for best in NL.

  56. I think I misnumbered yesterday’s game as 119, so when I titled today’s game correctly it mucked up Disqus’s comments. I corrected the game number on yesterday’s post, but there’s no simple way of updated 300+ comments on a post to accurately reflect the correct game number.

    Meh. If we ever had occasion to go hunt up comments this might matter, but I’ve never had any reason to. Have any of you?

  57. I would rather watch Joc struggle against lefties than watch White, a player I am not into at all.

  60. Going to be one of those glimpsing-at-the-game-on-my-phone-under-the-table-dinners tonight.

  64. After last night, Dodgers still lead Snakes by 17, Gnats by 19.5, Pads by 21.5 and Rox by 24. For best in NL, the lead is eight over the Barves. However, for best in baseball, they now trail both the the Yanquis and the Minute Maids by .002 (a virtual tie in GB).

  65. Two hits? That’s all we got? Two lousy hits?

    Dodgers are now 23-14 when a lefty starts. One problem right now is that when a lefty starts, Doc starts Tyler White (even batting him lead off), who has responded by hitting .059 since joining the team. Have Joc play first, or even Beaty. Never thought I’d say it, but I can’t wait for Jed Gyorko to join the team.

    Went to a Hartford Yard Goats game last night (against the Binghampton Rumble Ponies). The Goats are the Rox AA team. Exciting game. Goats won 2-1 with the two coming in the bottom of the 8th. They attempted 4 steals and were successful once.

    • When Freese and/or Gyorko are ready, White’s probably not a keeper. He was a no-cost pickup who was good last year and probably deserved a shot for that.

  66. For me, AJ’s reaction at the plate was what was telling. No way was he faking that discomfort.

  69. Bottom of the order, at least. But Ketel Marte is a tough out.geeze I meant Ahmed. I guess. I should check. Still got a cold – that’s my excuse.

  72. The Mets are on a SF type role (bad team getting hot for a couple of weeks). Except with a much better starting rotation.

  75. Man on first, man on
    third, nobody out, heart of the line up… and Buehler says no problem.

  76. Roberts also clearly not mincing words about Kenley’s lack of movement on his pitches in the ninth.

  112. Got the juicy part of the line up at least in the bottom of the inning. Joc/Pollock/Turner and if guys get on Smith/Bellinger.

  131. I am late to the game tonight. Have the Dodgers had a baserunner since the 3rd inning?

  143. Feels like he is just lobbing them up there. And trying to direct them but not always finding the mark.

    • Guys that aren’t hitting at full capacity now that I want at full capacity for October baseball: A.J. Pollock and Corey Seager.

  157. Any Quentin Tarantino fans out there? Is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood worth the price of admission?

  158. That throw was just crazy accurate and a bullet. Most exciting player? I would say so!

  161. Things that won’t happen next year: Kolerack in for one batter to start an inning.

  166. Mets now at 14 wins out of the last 15 games. I have a soft spot for them – my old team. They are never boring, but fanship should come with a big bottle of antacids.

  168. MLB flashbacks on a loop during the commercial breaks. My take – I love the Dodger ones and the Bartolo Colon ones. Hate the Astros ones and the Steve Pearce ones.

  170. I am almost more impressed by Buehler tonight, when he was struggling a bit, than when he has everything going. He displayed a Kershaw-like ability to bear down.

  175. The ball has not been leaving the park the last few games. Lots of doubles (and long singles) instead. Is it humid in LA this week?

  185. This is classic grumpy old man talk – but I still don’t like the no pitch free pass to first base. It’s just not right that something happens to a batter/runner with no ball being in play.

    • I agree. I’ll never forget when the A’s set up for a free pass to Johnny Bench in the Series, and then double-crossed him for a called third strike.

  189. Out of curiosity – I’m watching MLBTV on a so-called SmartTV (Samsung), and every night it seems to take a couple innings to warm up to a sharp picture. When I watch on the iPad, it’s always sharp. Does anybody else have this issue?

  207. Anyone else watching the game via MLB.tv? The picture is very grainy tonight with a (faint) yellow stripe down the middle of the screen.

  211. From the situation room – After last night’s results, Dodgers lead Snakes by 18, Gnats by 19.5, Pads by 22.5 and Rox by 24. For best in NL, they now lead the Barves – who lost last night – by nine full games. For best in baseball, they now trail Yanquis by .003 in a virtual tie, but remain one full game ahead of the Minute Maids (who have a really soft schedule).

  213. Minute Maids win, but Yanquis lose, so Dodgers can reclaim baseball’s best record tonight.

    • Well not in the first inning. Dodgers skying up a bunch of balls but not getting them very far.

  217. Hey everybody I am back after spending a week in northern Virginia visiting our son and his wife. She is a chemistry professor at James Madison U. We took Amtrak from Iowa to Virginia and back and enjoyed our trip. They are big Nationals fans so we watched a couple of games at local bars.