Game 162, 2021

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Brewers at Dodgers, 12:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, SPNLA, TBS (out-of-market only)

In the last game of the year the Central Division champion Brewers hand the ball to LHP Brett Anderson (4-5, 4.26 ERA). The Dodgers counter with RHP Walker Buehler (15-4, 2.49 ERA).

If the Dodgers win and the Giants lose to the Padres up north, the two California teams will play a tiebreaker game tomorrow, Oct. 4, to determine who wins the NL West. Any other result sends the Dodgers to a wild card game against the Cardinals on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1947 In Game 4 of the Fall Classic, Bill Bevens comes within one out from pitching the first no-hitter in World Series history. The Yankee hurler loses his claim to fame and the game when Cookie Lavagetto, pinch-hitting for Eddie Stanky, hits a two-out ninth-inning double giving the Dodgers a 3-2 improbable victory.
  • 1951 In Game 3 of the National League playoff series at the Polo Grounds, Bobby Thomson’s one-out three-run homer off Ralph Branca beats the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, 5-4, and the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant. The round-tripper, better known as the ‘shot heard around the world,’ becomes one of the famous home runs in baseball history.

  • 1962 At Dodger Stadium, the Giants beat Los Angeles, 6-4, to take the rubber game of the best-of-three National League playoffs, clinching the National League pennant. LA shortstop Maury Wills sets a major league record for the most games played in a season, appearing in all of his team’s 165 games.
  • 1976 After being at the Dodger’s helm for 23 years, Walter Alston’s managerial career ends when the team drops a 3-2 decision to the Padres, finishing the campaign ten games behind the Reds. During his tenure, beginning in Brooklyn in 1954, the skipper known as Smokey to his players compiles a 2040-1613 (.523) record en route to capturing seven pennants and four World Series titles.
  • 1987 Benito Santiago’s consecutive game hitting streak ends at 34 when the backstop is held hitless in three trips to the plate by Dodger hurler Orel Hershiser, who tosses a complete game in a 1-0 loss to the Padres. The stretch of straight games with a hit by the 23-year-old represents a new mark for rookies and catchers.
  • 1993 The Giants, despite winning 103 games, are eliminated from the Western Division race when the Dodgers derail their division dreams, 12-1. Catcher Mike Piazza, who will be named the league’s Rookie of the Year, hits two home runs in the game.
  • 1999 In the final regular-season game played at the Astrodome, Mike Hampton (22-4) beats the Dodgers, 9-4. The victory clinches the division title as the Astros finish one game ahead of the Reds in the National League Central.
  • 2005 The ax begins to fall when two managers lose their jobs the day after the season ends. Skippers Jim Tracy (Dodgers/5 years/427-383) and Alan Trammell (Tigers/3 years/186-300) are the first to go.
  • 2009 Needing only a win or a Colorado loss for the past week, the Dodgers finally clinch the National League West title with a 5-0 victory over the wild-card Rockies. The title marks Joe Torre’s 14th consecutive season in the postseason, having won thirteen previous divisional titles, ten with the Yankees, one with the Braves, and now his second with LA.

Lineup:

117 thoughts on “Game 162, 2021”

  3. Most of Sports Illustrated’s baseball writers pick the Dodgers to survive the wild-card game and make it to the World Series. About half think they’ll win it, with Trea Turner as MVP.

  4. From The Athletic:

    To put this race into its final perspective — only four clubs in baseball history have finished better than the Dodgers did in going 44-13 after the trade deadline. In that span, the Dodgers made up just two games on the Giants.

  7. Wow. What a day. Heck of a season by our boys. I had pretty much written off winning the NL West with Webb going for the Gnats and the Puds basically having a bullpen game. Really wanted the Blue Jays and Mariners to prevail over the Yanks and Red Sox. Sure hope Muncy is OK. Well, time to get ready for all or nothing Wednesday. Go Dodgers.

  14. 50 games over .500 with all the losses due to injuries etc.? (Remember Big Red? He was so good – could have been one of our aces! Not to mention he-who-shall-not-be-named for his alleged assault.)

    • At least we are going to the wildcard game with the team in form(the bats are alive)

  20. Unfortunately, the Yanquis beat the Devil Rays. Scrub Jays winning easily, but they’ll need the Sawx to lose. M’s flailing in Seattle.

  35. I miss one day to watch a movie (Free Guy) with my family and all this happens?

    Looks like Dodgers will need to play on Wed…

    Time to bike home from the theatre. Catch you all in a bit.

  36. The Mariners are messing up. Toronto winning a blowout, Sawx trailing a close one, Yanquis tied.

    • Has enough trouble hitting without throwing him out there. Has only played 4 games this year at first.

  53. Since Nomar played for Boston and for LA, I wonder if anyone’s ever asked him which rivalry was more fun or more intense: Yankees – Sox or Dodgers – Giants.

  57. Are we rooting for the Mariners just because it would sew chaos or because of residual (possibly hereditary?) antipathy toward the Yankees?

    • I am rooting for the Jays and Mariners cuz nice to have something other than Yanks and Bosox, though haven’t bothered to read up on tiebreaker criteria.

        • Sorta my hometown team, though they arrived after I moved away. I rooted in person for the short-lived Seattle Pilots (now the MIL Beerboys), but I was later a huge Griffey fan – best player of his era.

    • From a different MLB article:

      The Yankees and Red Sox can each clinch a AL Wild Card spot with a win or losses by both the Blue Jays and Mariners, while Toronto and Seattle can both force a tiebreaker game with a win and a loss by either New York or Boston. The Yankees or Red Sox can also clinch the top AL Wild Card spot and home-field advantage for the winner-take-all game with a win and a loss by the other.