Game 162, 2019

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Dodgers at Giants, 12:05 PM PDT, TV: NBCS BA, SPNLA

Every game in baseball begins at the same time today. I’m sure MLB is hoping for a repeat of the events of September 28, 2011, when within thirty minutes two teams were eliminated from the playoffs after leading in their respective games. There are two games which are important today, but neither has quite the same amount of weight as those games eight years ago:

The Cardinals’ magic number to win the NL Central is one. That means a St. Louis win or Milwaukee loss Sunday would make the Cardinals division champs, while a Brewers win and Cardinals loss would force a tiebreaker Monday at Busch Stadium (3:09 p.m ET on ESPN) to determine the division winner. If both teams win Sunday, the Cardinals win the NL Central.

The Dodgers will make the last game of the season a bullpen game, starting LHP Rich Hill (4-1, 2.59 ERA) but not allowing him to go more than three innings, I imagine, thanks to his balky knee. The Giants have changed their minds; Madison Bumgarner was originally scheduled to start but was scratched by manager Bruce Bochy after Friday night’s game. Instead they’ll give RHP Dereck Rodríguez (6-10, 5.27 ERA) his 16th start of the season. He’s 0-1 with an 11.32 ERA in four lifetime appearances against the Dodgers.

Here’s Mr. Ryu’s excellent game Saturday: seven strikeouts, an RBI base hit, seven scoreless innings and the NL ERA title.

On this day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1951 Don Newcombe becomes the first black pitcher to win twenty games in a season. In a must-win for the Dodgers, the right-hander bests Robin Roberts, also a 20-game-winner, when he blanks the Phillies at Shibe Park, 5-0.
  • 1959 At the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, the Dodgers capture the NL flag with a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Braves, taking the first two games of the three-game playoff necessitated by the teams being tied on the last day of the season. The deciding run comes in the bottom of the 12th inning, after the first two batters make outs, when Gil Hodges walks and scores on singles by Joe Pignatano and Carl Furillo.
  • 1976 Tommy Lasorda is named to succeed Walter Alston as Dodger manager. ‘Smokey’ compiled a 2040-1613 record (.558), during his 23-year tenure with the club, winning seven pennants and four world championships.
  • 1979 Manny Mota sets a major league record with his 146th career pinch hit, a single to right field, in LA’s 6-2 victory over Chicago at Dodger Stadium. The Dominican Republic native surpasses the all-time record set by Smoky Burgess, who collected his last hit as a pinch-hitter in 1967.
  • 2000 Gary Sheffield ties the Dodgers’ franchise single-season home run record when he goes deep off Woody Williams in the team’s 3-0 victory over San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium. The left fielder, with his career best 43rd round tripper, now shares the team mark with Duke Snider, who established the record in 1956 when he played for Brooklyn.

Lineup when available.

140 thoughts on “Game 162, 2019”

    • Hmmm…perhaps for one given post season in ’88, when he had ERA 1.05 in 42.2 innings. Madbum in 2014, however, was ERA 1.03 in 52.2 innings. Overall, Orel was ERA 2.59 in 132 innings, Madbum 1.93 in 102.1 innings. Of course Sandy was ERA 0.95 in 57 innings.

        • There we go. I looked up Whitey because I recall he had much success. He was ERA 2.71 in 146 innings. Baseball Reference doesn’t apply ERA+ to these numbers, so they are not easily compared across eras or ballparks.

  4. The Dodgers’ rotation for the NLDS is still unclear.

    Because the Dodgers have three All-Star starters they trust relatively equally — Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler. But one of them could be needed in the bullpen in Game 5, and only one is properly prepared for that.

    The most likely takeaway from Kershaw’s Sunday relief appearance — on two days’ rest after his previous start — is that Kershaw will be in the bullpen on two days’ rest if a Game 5 is played. For that to happen, he’d be starting Game 3. He could start Game 2 and either start or relieve in Game 5, but that would mean Ryu or Buehler would be starting Game 3 on the road.

  5. Can someone explain to me why depending on who wins the NLWC – the Dodgers second game of the NLDS will either be 9:37 (if Washington) or 9:47 (if Milwaukee). An hour difference I understand – but 10 minutes?

  7. With Thursday’s NLDS games being played in Atlanta and L.A., we will almost certainly host the later game. I would guess 4 p.m. PDT or perhaps 5 p.m.

  8. The 1953 Dodgers (105-49) finished 56 games above .500. The 2019 Dodgers finished 50 games above.

  9. Dylan Floro – his name fits in perfectly with the chant “Let’s go, Dodgers” ( or Giants I guess today)
    Dylan Floro – clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap.

  10. Floro making a final bid for post season, but I am afraid he has flown too close to the sun too many times for this to help.

  13. If Beaty can get in the game and hit a home run that would give the Dodgers 12 players with 10 home runs or more.

  15. Just purchased a single ticket for game one of the NLDS. Cody B. Bobble head. Is it time to paint my toes blue?

  16. I’ll have posts up for the Wild Card games Tuesday (NL) and Wednesday (AL). Then the Dodgers start the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.

    Tuesday: MIL at WSH, 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS
    Wednesday: TB at OAK, 8:09 p.m. ET, ESPN

  18. Most wins ever by the Dodgers, dating back to their inception in 1884. You all remember that first season, don’t you? We were only 40-64 with George Taylor as the manager.

    • Very much so. Enjoyable, as well, as always, exchanging observations with all of you. We resume on Thursday.

  25. Last season, with a lot riding on the line, the Dodgers ended the regular season by sweeping three games in San Francisco by a combined score of 28-7. Rich Hill was the starting and winning pitcher in the finale, 15-0.
    This season, with a lot less riding, the Dodgers ended the regular season by sweeping three games in San Francisco by a combined score of 20-2. Hill was the starting pitcher in the finale, 9-0.

  28. Through the first two games and 8 innings of today’s, the Giants are 0-for-19 with RISP and have left 28 runners on base.

    • MY MISTAKE: THEY STAYED 0-FOR-19 WITH RISP, BUT DID LEAVE 29 ON BASE…..Final update on the above numbers for the Giants this weekend: 0-for-21 with RISP, 29 left on base.

  30. As if BeerGuys haven’t had a bad enough weekend in Colorado, their ‘pen blew another lead in the ninth, and they’re now playing extra innings before they fly to DC for mild card game.

  37. MLB:

    But then there’s Dodgers reliever Yimi Garcia, owner of the above numbers. Fourteen is his number of home runs allowed. Eleven is his number of singles allowed. Garcia could become the first pitcher in history to give up a double-digit homer total while allowing fewer singles than home runs.

  40. With all the substitutions and Giants’ pitchers inability to throw strikes is making this a long game.

  45. Beat LA chants are funny/pathetic when your team is down 5-0 in the 7th inning and the Dodgers have the bases loaded and one out.

    • The origin of the chant is actually a bit inspiring as things go. It was Celtic fans chanting to the 76ers, when it became apparent they were going to beat Boston and move on to meet the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

  48. Mangerial openings starting to appear. Joe Madden is out in Chicago and so is Clint Hurdle in Pittsburgh.

  49. It looks like several Dodgers going to fall just short of some season stats – Muncy 100 RBI’s, Bellinger 49 or 50 HRs, Beaty 10 Hrs.

  51. The Budweisers are breaking bottles over the Cubbies, so no drama at all in baseball today. BeerGuys are beating Rox at Coors, but it doesn’t really matter.

  61. With the single (and the walk), Bellinger is assured of batting above. 300 this season. That is, I believe, a key factor in whether or not he will get the MVP award.

  62. Bellinger done early today. Oh well, here’s hoping he still breaks 50 home runs for the year (regular season + postseason).