Sep 03

Game 136, 2023

Braves at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports SE, SPNLA

The seemingly-ageless RHP Charlie Morton (14-10, 3.29 ERA) goes for the Braves and RHP Bobby Miller (8-3, 4.00 ERA) goes for the Dodgers, who’ll try to salvage one game of this four-game set.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1917 Grover Cleveland Alexander goes the distance in both games of the Phillies’ doubleheader sweep of Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. In his 18 innings of work, the Philadelphia right-hander limits the Dodgers to seven hits en route to posting 5-0 and 9-3 victories in the twin bill.
  • 1956 In front of the largest regular-season crowd in County Stadium history, the league-leading Braves split a twin bill with the Reds, 5-3 and 5-7. Much to the delight of many of the 47,604 fans attending the Labor Day double-dip, the home team ends the day 3.5 games in front of Cincinnati and the Dodgers, but Milwaukee will finish the season in second place, winning only 11 of 23 of its remaining games.
  • 1978 At Dodger Stadium, Lee Mazzilli becomes the first Mets player to hit a home run from each side of the plate in a game. The center fielder’s first and seventh inning blasts, respectively hit off southpaw Tommy John and right-hander Charlie Hough, pace the last-place club to an 8-5 victory.

Lineups when available.

May 22

Game 49, 2023

Dodgers at Braves, 4:20 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports South, SPNLA

The Dodgers’ rookie RHP Gavin Stone (0-0, 9.00 ERA) makes his second big league appearance this evening. He’ll face the Braves’ wily veteran RHP Charlie Morton (5-3, 2.85 ERA).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1998 The Mets trade Preston Wilson, Geoff Goetz, and Ed Yarnell to the Marlins for Mike Piazza. Florida had acquired the All-Star catcher last week from the Dodgers, along with Todd Zeile in exchange for Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich, and Manuel Barrios.
  • 1999 Mark McGwire becomes the third player to launch a ball out of Dodger Stadium when one of his two home runs travels 483 feet in the Cardinals’ 10-7 victory at Chavez Ravine. The slugging first baseman joins Willie Stargell, who accomplished the feat twice in 1969 and 1973, and Mike Piazza, whose Ruthian blast cleared the ballpark two seasons ago.

Lineups when available.

Oct 15

NLDS Games Four, 2022

Braves at Phillies, 11:07 AM PDT, TV: FS1

RHP Charlie Morton (9-6, 4.34 ERA) takes the ball for the Braves in this do-or-die game against the Phillies. The Phillies counter with RHP Noa Syndergaard (5-2, 4.12 ERA).

Dodgers at Padres, 6:37 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Dodgers’ backs are against the wall, and they hand the ball to LHP Tyler Anderson (15-5, 2.57 ERA). The Padres give their ball to RHP Joe Musgrove (10-7, 2.93 ERA).

Apr 20

Game 12, 2022

Braves at Dodgers, 12:10 PM PDT, TV: BS South, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

The Braves give the ball to RHP Charlie Morton (1-1, 6.10 ERA) while the Dodgers hand theirs to RHP Tony Gonsolin (0-0, 1.29 ERA). Morton beat the Reds in his first start and lost to San Diego in his second. His longest outing was his second at 5 1/3 innings. Gonsolin has made two starts and gone three innings against the Rockies and four against the Reds.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1999 A crowd of 37,317 fans enjoys a 3-2 victory over the Braves when LA surpasses the 100 million mark in attendance at Dodger Stadium. The ballpark opened in 1962, four seasons after the franchise moved from Brooklyn to the west coast.
  • 2011 Bud Selig announces MLB is taking over operations of the Dodgers because of concerns over team finances and the ability of Frank McCourt to run the franchise. Los Angeles is facing substantial debt payments, which the owner plans to meet by using funding from the club’s new $2.5 billion, 20-year media-rights deal with Fox Sports, but the Commissioner has withheld his approval of the agreement between the News Corp.’s media company and the team.
  • 2012 The Reds become the fifth major league team to record their 10,000th franchise victory with a 9-4 win over Chicago at Wrigley Field. Cincinnati joins the Giants, Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Braves in reaching the milestone.

Lineups when available.

Oct 31

World Series Game Five, 2021

Astros at Braves, 5:09 PM PDT, TV: Fox

LHP Framber Valdez (Postseason 1-1, 6.35 ERA) tries to halt the Braves’ march to the title, while LHP Tucker Davidson (0-0, 3.60 ERA) opens for the Braves. Valdez won Game Five of the ALCS, giving up just one run over eight innings to the Red Sox. Davidson was not initially on the World Series roster but replaced Charlie Morton, who broke his leg in Game One.

On this date in baseball history Derek Jeter hit a game-winning HR in the 10th inning of Game Four of the 2001 World Series, earning himself the nickname “Mr. November.” In Game Three of the 2009 World Series a fly ball off Alex Rodriguez’s bat became the subject of the first use of instant replay in a Series, and in 2010 the battery of Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey were the first rookies to start a World Series game since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra in 1947.

Lineups when available.

Astros:

Braves:

Oct 25

World Series Game One, 2021

Braves at Astros, 5:09 PM PDT, TV: Fox

The Braves send out righthander Charlie Morton (Postseason 0-1, 3.77 ERA), who’s got World Series experience with the Astros (2017) and the Rays (2020). He’ll face the Astros’ lefthander Framber Valdez (Postseason 1-0, 4.20 ERA). He had the longest outing of any starter this postseason on any team: eight innings of three-hit ball against the Red Sox in Game Five of the ALCS. This will be his first World Series.

I’m no fan of the Braves and their loathsome “tomahawk chop” and chant, but my disdain for the Houston Astros can be measured in metric tons, so I guess I’m very mildly rooting for the Atlanta team.

Addendum: Here’s what a guy at Deadspin says about these teams after making suggestions to improve the playoff system:

In the meantime, enjoy the baseball being played by two very good teams who were not the best in baseball this year but earned their way to the World Series. There’s no good rooting option — it’s the cheaters (yes, we’re still for Dusty Baker getting a ring) against the racists (yes, Freddie Freeman seems like a real good dude, and Tyler Matzek is a fantastic story, and so is Eddie Rosario, and not everyone who roots for that team is a racist, but seriously, we’ve been hearing the Chop for 30 years despite it being called out for what it is FROM THE JUMP — oh, and they had anti-vaxxer Travis Tritt sing the national anthem on Saturday) — but the games should be good.

Lineups when available.

Braves:

Astros:

Oct 19

NLCS Game Three, 2021

Braves at Dodgers, 2:08 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Charlie Morton (postseason 0-1, 3.36 ERA) takes the mound for the Braves to face RHP Walker Buehler (postseason 0-1, 3.38 ERA) of the Dodgers. The Braves lead the series 2 – 0.

Today in baseball history Rick Monday homered in Game Five of the 1981 NLCS to beat the Expos out of the World Series and Curt Schilling won Game Six of the 2004 World Series with a bloody sock.

Lineups when available.

Braves:

Dodgers:

Oct 12

NLDS Games Four, 2021

Game One: Brewers at Braves, 2:15 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Braves lead the series 2 – 1.

The Brewers send LHP Eric Lauer (7-5, 3.19 ERA) out to save their postseason hopes; the Braves counter with RHP Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.34 ERA).

Lineups:

Brewers:

Braves:

Game Two: Giants at Dodgers, 6:07 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Giants lead the series 2 – 1.

RHP Anthony DeSclafani (13-7, 3.17 ERA) tries to close the series out for the Giants; RHP Walker Buehler (16-4, 2.47 ERA) attempts to keep the Dodgers’ hopes alive.

Today in baseball history: the Dodgers lost their first World Series in 1920, the As scored ten runs in the seventh to overcome an 8-0 Cubs lead in Game Four of the 1929 World Series, the Rangers won their first playoff series ever in 2010, and much more at the link.

Lineups when available.

Giants:

Dodgers:

Oct 08

NLDS Games One, 2021

Game One: Braves at Brewers, 1:37 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.34 ERA) pitches for the Braves against the Brewers’ Cy Young candidate RHP Corbin Burnes (11-5, 2.43 ERA).

Game Two: Dodgers at Giants, 6:37 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Dodgers send out another of their Cy Young candidates, RHP Walker Buehler (16-4, 2.47 ERA) to face the Giants’ RHP Logan Webb (11-3, 3.03 ERA).

Today in baseball history in 1939 Joe DiMaggio scored from first as Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi “swooned” at home plate, Don Larsen pitched the only World Series perfect game in 1956, Walter O’Malley announced the Dodgers would move to Los Angeles in 1957, and the Dodgers defeated the White Sox 9-3 in Game Six of the 1959 World Series to win the whole shebang, among many other things.

Lineups when available.

Braves:

Brewers:

Dodgers:

Giants:

Aug 31

Game 133, 2021

Braves at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports South, SPNLA

RHP Charlie Morton (12-5, 3.60 ERA) goes for the Braves and RHP Walker Buehler (13-2, 2.02 ERA) does the same for the Dodgers.

On this date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1950 In front of 14,226 fans at Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges becomes the fourth major leaguer in the century to hit four home runs in one game as Brooklyn routs the Braves, 19-3. The Dodger first baseman also ties the major league record for total bases with 17.
  • 1959 Sandy Koufax fans 18 batters to establish a new National League record for a nine-inning game in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over San Francisco at the LA Memorial Coliseum. The left-hander’s performance equals the major league mark established in 1938 by Indians fireballer Bob Feller during a 4-1 loss to Detroit.
  • 2010 The Dodgers trade a player to be named (infielder Tony Abreu) to the Diamondbacks in exchange for starter Jon Garland. The 31 year-old right-hander will post a 3-2 record with a 2.72 ERA in his six late-season starts for the Dodgers, before signing as a free agent with San Diego.

Lineup: