Tag Archives: Clayton Kershaw

Aug 10

Game 114, 2023

Posted on by

Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet-RM, SPNLA

LHP Ty Blach (1-1, 4.85 ERA) pitches for the Rockies and the Dodgers send out LHP Clayton Kershaw (10-4, 2.55 ERA).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1979 Dodger hurler Don Sutton sets a franchise record with his 50th shutout, blanking San Francisco at Candlestick Park, 9-0. The 34 year-old right-hander had previously shared the mark with Don Drysdale. (Ed. note: 50! In his twelfth year [now fifteenth] Clayton Kershaw has a career total of 15! In fact, Kershaw hasn’t thrown a complete game since 2017, which shows how the management of pitchers has changed.)
  • 1995 The first forfeit in the majors in sixteen years occurs when the fans for the third time during the night throw promotional souvenir baseballs onto the Dodger Stadium field. At the time of the decision to halt the game, Los Angeles is trailing the Cardinals, 2-1 with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

August 10 is a good day for pitchers: in 1971 at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, Juan Marichal records his 50th career shutout as the Giants blank the Expos, 1-0. The Dominican hurler’s ninth inning double helps to build the winning run.

Lineups when available.

Aug 01

Game 105, 2023

Posted on by

Athletics at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: MLBN (out-of-market only), NBCSCA, SPNLA

Oakland hasn’t yet named its starter, while the Dodgers hand the ball to the newly-acquired RHP Lance Lynn (6-9, 6.47 ERA).

Update: LHP Ken Waldichuk (2-6, 6.38 ERA) will start for the A’s.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1906 After pitching 10 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, Harry McIntire yields a single to Pirates second baseman Claude Ritchey. The Dodgers and McIntire lose the game in the 13th on an unearned run, 1-0.
  • 1924 Dazzy Vance strikes out seven consecutive batters to establish a major league record when the Brooklyn Robins defeat the Cubs at Ebbets Field, 4-0. The future Hall of Famer, who will compile a 28-6 record for the Brooks this season, will lead the National League in strikeouts with 262.
  • 1957 Gil Hodges, in a 12-3 win over the Cubs, hits his 13th and last career grand slam in Brooklyn Dodger history. The first baseman’s bases-loaded shot off Dick Littlefield establishes a new National League record, previously shared by Rogers Hornsby and Ralph Kiner.
  • 2011 After popping out in a pinch-hitting appearance, Craig Counsell remains without a hit in his last 45 at-bats, tying the longest single-season hitless streak by a position player in history, established by Brooklyn backstop Bill Bergen in 1909. The major league record is 0-for-70, established in 1970 by Bob Buhl, a pitcher who toiled with the Braves and Cubs that season. Counsell and Bergen’s record for position players has since been surpassed by the Orioles’ Chris Davis, who got it up to 54 straight hitless ABs in 2019 before getting a hit on April 13.
  • 2015 Clayton Kershaw strikes out Mike Trout looking with a wicked curveball, marking the first time that reigning MVPs have faced one another in a major league game. The interleague contest between the two LA teams ends with the Dodgers southpaw keeping the Angels outfielder 0-for-3 while hurling eight innings in the team’s 3-1 victory over the Halos at Chavez Ravine.

Lineups when available.

Late breaking news:

I don’t understand that move at all. The Dodgers are in need of starting pitchers, not cash.

Jul 05

Game 86, 2023

Posted on by

Pirates at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet-PIT, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Osvaldo Bido (0-1, 4.74 ERA) goes for the Buccos and RHP Bobby Miller (4-1, 4.23 ERA) becomes the third consecutive rookie pitcher to start for the Dodgers.

There was some good news last night:

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1935 The Cuccinellos become the third pair of brothers, following the Waners (2) and Ferrells, and the first on opposing teams to homer in the same game when Al goes deep in the bottom of the ninth in the Giants’ 14-4 loss to Brooklyn at the Polo Grounds. The New York’s third baseman’s sibling, Tony, playing second base for the Dodgers, had homered in the previous inning.
  • 1952 In their final season in Boston, the Braves play in front of the largest home crowd of the season when 13,405 fans watch Brooklyn beat their team for the 12th consecutive time, a 5-3 complete-game victory by Carl Erskine. The most memorable moment of the contest occurs in the second inning when the game is delayed because a small dog has to be escorted off the field by Dodger outfielders Carl Furillo and Duke Snider.
  • 1961 Cardinals first baseman Bill White collects 14 total bases when he hits three home runs and a double. The 27 year-old infielder’s offensive output helps the Redbirds rout the Dodgers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 9-1. (Note: White has written a very entertaining autobiography.)
  • 2004 At Dodger Stadium, Diamondback third baseman Chad Tracy’s ninth inning run-scoring single on an 0-2 changeup ends Eric Gagne’s record streak of 84 consecutive saves. The new mark established by the Los Angeles closer is 30 more than the prior mark set by Tom Gordon for the Red Sox in 1999.
  • 2007 At Dodger Stadium, Chipper Jones’ two solo home runs are the difference in the Braves’ 8-6 victory over Los Angeles. With his pair of round-trippers, the team’s third baseman surpasses Dale Murphy for the Atlanta team record of 372 homers.

Today is also the anniversary of the first game Larry Doby played for the Indians, integrating the American League. He ended up with 1,515 hits, only three behind Jackie Robinson. Also on this date in 1953, Robin Roberts pitched his 28th consecutive complete game, shutting out Pittsburgh at Forbes Field, 2-0. Twenty-eight straight complete games! We’ll never see that again!

Lineups when available.

Jul 03

Game 84, 2023

Posted on by

Pirates at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: ATTSportsNet-PIT, SPNLA

RHP Mitch Keller (9-3, 3.34 ERA) takes the mound for the Pirates and the Dodgers will send an as-yet unnamed pitcher RHP Michael Grove (0-2, 7.54 ERA) to the hill.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1925 Milt Stock sets a National League mark by having his fourth consecutive four-hit game, going 16-for-23 during the span to compile a .696 batting average. The 31 year-old second baseman’s offensive output, which includes three singles and a triple, helps the Robins beat the Giants at Ebbets Field, 6-3.
  • 1949 En route to a 16-0 shutout of the Dodgers at the Polo Grounds, starting pitcher Monte Kennedy hits a grand slam. Another 51 seasons will pass by before another Giants hurler hits a four-run homer when Shawn Estes accomplishes the feat in 2000.
  • 1958 In their 35th home date in L.A., the transplanted Dodgers reach the one million mark in attendance. Last season, the team drew only 1,028,258 fans, playing in Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field.
  • 2013 Yasiel Puig becomes the first player to be named Player of the Month for the first month he plays in the major leagues in the 55-year history of the award. The Dodger outfielder played in 26 games in June, compiling a .436 batting average, with his 44 base hits being the second-most ever by a first-month player, only behind Joe DiMaggio’s total of 48 in 1936.

Lineups when available.

Jun 27

Game 78, 2023

Posted on by

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

LHP Clayton Kershaw (9-4, 2.72 ERA) pitches for the visiting Dodgers and RHP Connor Seabold (1-3, 5.88 ERA) pitches for the home team.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1939 In front of 2,457 fans at Braves Field, the Dodgers, with Whit Wyatt pitching the first 16 frames, and Boston plays 23 innings in a game that ends in a 2-2 tie when plate umpire Babe Pinelli called the five-hour and 15-minute contest at 8:15 pm due to darkness. The same teams at the same field played 26 innings to a 1-1 tie in 1920.
  • 1940 To honor the lyricist of Take Me Out to the Ballgame, the Dodgers celebrate Jack Norworth Day at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field. The songwriter and his partner Albert Von Tilzer, who wrote the music, had never seen a game when they created the song in 1908.
    Carly Simon’s Take Me Out to the Ball Game illustrated by Amiko Hirao

  • 1980 Dodger southpaw Jerry Reuss, facing only 28 batters, no-hits the Giants at Candlestick Park, 8-0. Shortstop Bill Russell’s errant throw on Jack Clark’s grounder with two outs in the first inning deprives the 31 year-old left-hander from tossing a perfect game.
  • 2011 Citing MLB refusal to sign off on a transaction that would provide the team with $385 million, the Dodgers file for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court. Although there will be no disruption to the day-to-day status of the franchise, the Chapter 11 financing permits the Dodgers to use $150 million for daily operations and gives owner Frank McCourt time to seek a media deal that will ensure the club’s long-term financial stability.

Lineups when available.

Jun 20

Game 73, 2023

Posted on by

Dodgers at Angels, 7:07 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports West, SPNLA, TBS

LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-4, 2.95 ERA) takes the mound at the Big A for the Dodgers and LHP Reid Detmers (1-5, 4.48 ERA) does so for the hometown Angels.

MLB.com speculates that the Dodgers may be in the market for starting pitching at the trade deadline.

the club’s pitching staff has uncharacteristically struggled in 2023. Los Angeles has given up 4.82 runs per game, tied for the seventh most in MLB.

[snip]

Los Angeles could look to add a starting pitcher in a trade this summer.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated as much while talking to The Athletic (subscription required) on Monday.

“In Spring Training, I did not expect that in July we would aggressively be looking for pitching,” Friedman said. “With the injuries and where we are, I think that focus has shifted. There’s no question that [targeting pitching] is more likely than it was in March.”

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand looked at potential fits for some of MLB’s top trade candidates on Monday and listed the Dodgers among the possible suitors for starting pitchers Shane Bieber, Eduardo Rodriguez, Marcus Stroman and Lucas Giolito.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 2008 In recognition of their significant contributions to the community, the Dodgers become the first sports franchise to be honored by the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The team receives an Award of Excellence star, which is placed in the Walk of Fame, which includes a constellation of celebrities, real and fictional, who have had a major impact on the entertainment industry.
  • 2009 Jeff Weaver beats his kid brother Jered when the visiting Dodgers best the Halos, 6-5, at Angel Stadium. The Northridge, California natives become the eighth set of siblings in major league history to start against one another.

Lineups when available.

Jun 14

Game 68, 2023

Posted on by

White Sox at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

RHP Mike Clevinger (3-4, 4.19 ERA) takes the hill for the White Sox and LHP Clayton Kershaw (8-4, 2.95 ERA) does so for the Dodgers.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1948 In front of a crowd of 12,622 at Ebbets Field, Jackie Robinson, who hits a third-inning two-run homer, and Cleveland’s Larry Doby, the only two African-Americans big leaguers, play against each other for the first time. In the Sunday evening charity exhibition game, the Dodgers best the first-place Indians, 6-2, raising $15,000 for the Brooklyn Amateur Baseball Federation, which benefits sandlot ballplayers in Flatbush.
  • 2003 After being activated from the disabled list by the Dodgers, first baseman Fred McGriff bats cleanup and goes 2-for-4 in his return against the Padres. It was the Crime Dog’s first trip to the DL during his 18-year career.
  • 2010 After just seven days in the major leagues, Stephen Strasburg is named National League Player of the Week. The Nationals’ right-handed flamethrower starts his career 2-0 with 22 strikeouts, second to only Karl Spooner, who fanned five more batters in his first two major league starts with the Dodgers in 1954.

Lineups when available.

Jun 08

Game 63, 2023

Posted on by

Dodgers at Reds, 9:35 AM PDT, TV: BS Ohio, SPNLA

LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-4, 3.29 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and RHP Graham Ashcraft (3-4, 6.64 ERA) takes the ball for the Reds.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1952 Prior to the start of a twin bill against the Reds, Dodger manager Chuck Dressen tells Cal Abrams if he wants to stay with the team that the benchwarmer will need to verbally taunt the skipper of the opposing club. Much to his chagrin, the spare outfielder, who spends the entire first game of a double-header severely heckling his opponents and their leader, is informed between games he has been traded to Cincinnati, effective tomorrow, and will need to report to his new field boss, one very angry Roger Hornsby.
  • 1955 After only eight games and 13 innings of work, the Dodgers option rookie left-handed pitcher Tom Lasorda to Montreal to make room for a bonus baby who is also a southpaw. Sandy Koufax, who had injured his ankle, comes off the 30-day disabled list.
  • 1968 Dodger right-hander Don Drysdale’s scoreless streak ends at a record 58 2/3 consecutive innings when Tony Taylor is driven in by Howie Bedell’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. It will be the Phillies outfielder’s only RBI for the season.
  • 2007 With their 3-0 victory over Detroit at Comerica Park, the Mets begin a span of 18 games to become the first team in baseball history to play six consecutive series against six different clubs that all participated in the playoffs the previous season. New York will compile an 8-10 record during the stretch playing against the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, A’s, and the Cardinals.
  • 2012 Six Mariners pitchers combine to hurl the franchise’s third no-hitter when starter Kevin Millwood leaves the game with an injury and five relievers, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen, keep the Dodgers hitless in the team’s 1-0 victory at Safeco Field. Brian Runge, the home plate umpire, was also behind the dish for Philip Humber’s perfect game, making him the first ump to call balls and strikes for two no-hitters in one season since Drew Coble accomplished the feat in 1990.

Lineups when available.

Jun 02

Game 58, 2023

Posted on by

Yankees at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA, YES

RHP Luis Severino (0-0, 1.59 ERA) goes for the Yankees and LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-4, 3.32 ERA) goes for the Dodgers. This is just the third appearance for Severino this year; he’s had a lat strain since spring training. Kershaw’s had three uncharacteristically poor starts in a row.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1995 Hideo Nomo, limiting the Mets to one run on two hits in 8+ innings of work, picks up his first major league win, a 2-1 decision at Dodger Stadium. L.A. signed the 26 year-old former Japanese All-Star in the off-season.
  • 2021 On the date that marked the beginning of his streak in 1925 and his death of ALS 16 years later in 1941, MLB celebrates the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day, continuing a tradition that began a few seasons ago with the reading of his “I am the luckiest person on Earth” speech. In addition to raising money to find a cure for the dreaded disease, every team will display “4-ALS” logos highlighting the Hall of Famer’s jersey number with players, managers, and coaches wearing a special commemorative patch on their uniforms.

In another game of note, in 2010 after retiring 26 consecutive Cleveland batters, Tigers starter Armando Galarraga appears to have hurled the season’s third perfect game when the throw from the first baseman to the pitcher, covering the bag, clearly beats the batter-runner for the final out. Umpire Jim Joyce emphatically calls Jason Donald safe. After seeing the replay, the first base arbiter tearfully admits his error, apologizing to the 28 year-old Venezuelan pitcher for his blown call.

Lineups when available.

May 27

Game 53, 2023

Posted on by

Dodgers at Rays, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: BS Sun, SPNLA

LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-4, 2.98 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers and RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his season debut for the Rays. Interestingly, these two paired off against one another twice in the 2020 World Series, and Kershaw and the Dodgers defeated Glasnow and the Rays twice. He’s been recovering from a left oblique strain.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1904 In the team’s 3-1 victory over the Superbas at the Polo Grounds, Giants first baseman Dan McGann steals five bases to establish a major league record. The 32-year-old Kentucky native’s mark will be surpassed in 1912 by A’s second baseman Eddie Collins who will swipe six bags in a game twice during the season.

Pop culture history: In 2017

“We are honored to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of “Homer at the Bat.” The Simpsons has left an impressive imprint on our culture as the longest-running American sitcom, and ‘Homer at the Bat’ remains as popular today as when the episode aired in 1992.” – Hall of Fame President JEFF IDELSON, commenting about the Cooperstown celebration of the animated series.

The Baseball Hall of Fame inducts the fictional cartoon character Homer Simpson as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Simpsons episode ‘Homer at the Bat.’ A discussion of the much-beloved episode includes comments by real Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Ozzie Smith, who played themselves on the animated show, as well as executive producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss, director Jim Reardon, and executive story editor Jeff Martin.

Lineups when available.