Game 51, 2020

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40 PM PDT, TV: ATTSportsNet-RM, SPNLA

The Dodgers send LHP Julio Urias (3-0, 3.53 ERA) to the Coors Field mound to face the Rockies’ LHP Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.54 ERA). Urias gave up one run in six innings against the Astros last Saturday. This will be Freeland’s second start this year against the Dodgers; on August 22 he gave up three runs on four hits in six-plus innings.

Dustin May went 5 1/3 innings after Graterol and Kolarek went the first two innings and struck out six in the process.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1912 Casey Stengel of the Dodgers makes an impressive major league debut against the Pirates. The likable Brooklyn outfielder from Kansas City collects four hits, drives in two runs, and swipes a pair of bases.
  • 1963 Dodger ace Sandy Koufax tosses a four-hitter, blanking St. Louis at Sportsman’s Park, 4-0. The southpaw’s scoreless effort establishes a National League record for shutouts thrown by lefties in a season with 11, five shy of Grover Cleveland Alexander’s major league mark set in 1916 with the Phillies.
  • 1981 Dodgers southpaw Fernando Valenzuela ties White Sox freshman Ewell Russell’s 1913 rookie record when he hurls his eighth shutout of the season, blanking Atlanta on three hits. The 20 year-old Mexican’s 2-0 victory breaks the previous National League mark shared by Irving Young (Braves, 1905), Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies, 1911), and Jerry Koosman (Mets, 1968).
  • 1996 Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo no-hits the Rockies, 9-0, at Coor Field, becoming the only big league hurler to accomplish the feat in the thin air of Denver. Tornado Boy’s performance in Colorado is the best-attended no-no and is the only hitless game with a paid attendance of more than 50,000 fans.

  • 2010 Joe Torre, who will compile a 2326-1997 (.538) managerial record during his 30 seasons as a skipper with the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees, and Dodgers, announces he will be retiring at the end of the month. Los Angeles immediately hires the team’s hitting coach Don Mattingly to replace the 70 year-old.
  • 2014 Jacob DeGrom strikes out the first eight batters he faces in the Mets’ 6-5 loss in Miami, tying the modern-day major league mark to start a game. The Amazins’ rookie right-hander now shares the record with Jim Deshaies, who struck out the first eight Dodgers he faced with the Astros in a 1986 contest.

A whole lot of interesting things happened on this date in baseball history; take a look.

Lineup:

118 thoughts on “Game 51, 2020

  1. The sad decline of Wade Davis:
    2015 — Kansas City — 17 saves — 0.94 ERA — World Series champs
    2016 — Kansas City — 27 saves — 1.87
    2017 — Chicago Cubs — 32 saves — 2.30
    2018 — Colorado — 43 saves — 4.13
    2019 — Colorado — 15 saves — 8.65
    2020 — Colorado — 2 saves — 16.88

  2. The Dodgers will have a “bullpen day” against the Rockies on Friday. Roberts did not announce a starter, but he said the pitcher he chooses will not pitch the bulk of the game. Mitchell White, Keibert Ruiz and Scott Alexander are on the club’s taxi-squad.

  3. Ferguson will have TJ surgery.

    “Surgery is imminent, and I would expect it to be sometime next week,” Roberts said. “It’s a long road ahead, but we’re going to be with him every step of the way. He is a big part of what we’re doing and what we are planning on doing going forward. I just feel terrible.”

  4. May, not Kolarek, should have been awarded the win yesterday.
    A pitcher receives a win when he is the pitcher of record when his team takes the lead for good — with a couple rare exceptions. First, a starting pitcher must pitch at least five innings (in a traditional game’of nine innings or longer) to qualify for the win. If he does not, the official scorer awards the win to the most effective relief pitcher.
    There is also a rarely used clause where an official scorer can deem a relief pitcher’s appearance “brief and ineffective.” (For example, if a reliever relinquished a one-run lead by allowing three runs, but was still in line for a win after his team scored four runs in the following inning — that may qualify.) If that’s the case, the scorer can award the win to a pitcher who followed that “brief and ineffective” pitcher. Which relief pitcher earns the win specifically is also up to the judgment of the official scorer.
    Kolarek pitch 0.2 innings, allowed one hit, allowed the tying run to score, walked two and struck out no one. May pitched 5.1 innings, allowed three hits, one earned run, walked one and struck out five. Kolarek’s appearance was”brief and ineffective”; May’s wasn’t.

  5. Depending on what stats you consider the most significant, Arenado is having either his worst or second worst year in his eight-year career.

    • Not today, I don’t think. The AQI is presently 106 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) , and tomorrow’s forecast is “unhealthy.” Not great for somebody with heart issues, at that altitude.

  6. I have Zoom – see below. WBB sorry you hate it but it’s pretty easy and I’ve paid for a year of professional Zoom where we could video chat as long as we want…

    • Yeah. I don’t think Dodgers will be making a play for Realmuto as a free agent this off season.

  7. I have never seen 3 runners scoring from third on a ball that gets past the catcher in one game before

      • I was thinking today how much better he makes the team. I thought the Dodgers were loaded before getting him. Solid up and down the lineup, etc. But really – with out him the race with to win the division vs the Padres looks a lot different I’m guessing.

  8. I think this was more Bumsrap idea – but I keep thinking about doing a video chat game with everyone here. I was wondering if the final weekend would be good – either the Sat night or the Sun afternoon game against the Angels. I don’t know how we would both watch and video chat but I’m sure someone could figure it out. Thoughts?

        • I have a Zoom account where you can talk as long as you want. Extra innings allowed. I would need emails for everyone.

      • Discord

        Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android

        Price: Free

        For playing actual video games — controller and all — check out Discord. The Slack-like chat and video conferencing app lets you create multiple channels to chat about whatever you’d like, and integrates with supported games, making it dead simple to get into groups with friends for a few hours of Call of Duty: WWII, or Divinity: Original Sin 2, among a host of other titles. Group video chats are perfect for streaming your gameplay to friends and spectators, and the voice channels make chatting through Discord easy while you play with your buddies.

  9. Only 53 pitches through 4 innings. That’s quite the reversal as he was about 27+ in the first inning alone, that’s half of his total.

    • Maybe it was the red hots he was eating in the first that got on his lips and made them red that messed with him in the first.

  10. I hope you all have been safe and well! I have been even busier with the pandemic than before.

    Tho absent from here, I have thought of you and have been following the Dodgers.

    I wanted to comment at some point and yesterday’s game was the perfect time.
    .
    What a group of hitters this year! I was really happy — and pleased, based on recent results — that they were able to come back to take the series after the opening loss for Kershaw and lack of bats. (Makes it easier for me to visit Dad in San Diego next week, wearing my Dodger gear. 🙂 )

    But I must admit that I’m nervous about the postseason, for two reasons. I’m sure this has been discussed here before, but this is what’s bugging me:

    With this format, just two bad games in the first round means all the good of the previous 162 games – I mean 60 – is essentially for naught. We’ve seen how pitching or hitting or defense can fail them (Rockies series at home . . . the eight games through Monday . . . my Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup playoffs – okay, off topic but similar and still hurts a bit).

    The other reason I’m nervous is I really don’t think the Dodgers can win it all with Kenley as the closer. I’ve felt that way since at least 2017 (Game 2 of the WS didn’t help). Even when he gets the save, he rarely gets them out without creating drama (at least it sure feels that way!)

    I hope I’m wrong about Kenley, but Doc et. al have to look at present performance, not mystique or salary – to play the best team.

    That said, here’s hoping the Dodgers win the last game played in October!

    I may or may not be getting on here again this year, but when I’m listening to the games, I’m thinking of what I would post and others’ reactions.

    Stay safe & be well!

    • Good to hear from you Bob. Missed you being on here this year!! You are welcome any time you pop in to visit.

    • First of all, I hope the pandemic has not impacted you or your immediate family. Are you in the medical profession?
      Your worries about the Dodgers reflect what concerns us on this site, in particular the best-of-three game series to start the postseason, Kenley, and the virtually meaningless advantage of finishing first. Among other things, Lux is not ready, Bellinger is in a “mini-season” long slump, Muncy is spotty at best and Pederson, now apparently with family health issues — his wife just game birth — is a non-factor.

      Betts and Seager have been excellent, Pollock (whom I had given up on) has been a big contributor and the bullpen, with some blemishes, had done quite well.
      Hope you can join us again on a regular basis.

  11. Pillar is a lousy player who never takes walks. He doesn’t deserve anything in the strike zone.

    • Point taken. Pillar walked only 18 times in 2019 and 18 times in 2018, both full seasons. The most he has ever had in any one season was 33 in 2017. And he strikes out about four times as frequently as he walks.

  12. Yesterday I suggested the Link could set up “Illusion Fields” in lieu of Elysian Fields on Election Day. He asked why, but I didn’t see his question. I came up with that name because if one of the presidential candidates (unnamed) loses, he will say his defeat was just an illusion.

  13. Went to the pastime page, and there was a lot going on. Loved the vote on the B*nds dinger ball.