Tag Archives: Clayton Kershaw

Jul 30

Game 100, 2022

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Dodgers at Rockies, 5:10 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet RM, SPNLA

Third in a string of lefthanders the Dodgers have trotted out to face the Rockies, Clayton Kershaw brings his 7-2 record and his 2.49 ERA to the Coors Field mound this evening. He’ll face the Rockies’ lefthanded Kyle Freeland (5-7, 4.64 ERA). Kershaw’s only made one start against the Rockies this year, and it was less than stellar. He went four innings, gave up six runs on nine hits and took the loss. Freeland is 1-2 this year against the Dodgers; in his most recent start against them he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 2004 In a blockbuster trade, the Marlins deal Brad Penny, the winner of two World Series games last season, first baseman Hee Seop Choi, and southpaw prospect Bill Murphy (who will be traded to the Diamondbacks tomorrow) to the Dodgers for backstop Paul Lo Duca, relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, and much-traveled outfielder Juan Encarnacion.
  • 2017 Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre collects his 3000th hit when he doubles in the fourth inning in the Rangers’ 10-6 loss to the Orioles at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The twenty-year veteran, who has also spent time with the Dodgers, Mariners, and the Red Sox, is the first-ever Dominican-born player to reach the coveted milestone.

Lineups when available.

Jul 29

Game 99, 2022

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Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet RM, SPNLA

LHP Julio Urías (9-6, 2.72 ERA) takes the hill for the Dodgers and RHP Chad Kuhl (6-5, 4.48 ERA) does the same for the Rockies. Urías is 3-0 for July with a 3.00 ERA. Did you know that his lifetime W-L record of 41-16 puts him ahead of Clayton Kershaw’s pace at the same moment in his career? Kershaw’s ERA was lower than Julio’s 3.02, but not by much. Kuhl has had a bad July; he’s 1-0 for the month but he’s got a 9.00 ERA. He’s given up 17 runs on 25 hits in 17 innings.

From the LA Times, news of rehabbing pitchers:

Unlike last week, when May struggled with his command during a two-inning appearance, the 24-year-old struck out six batters over three scoreless innings. He gave up only two hits. He touched 99.9 mph with his sinker. And he found the zone with 32 of his 46 pitches.

[snip]

Roberts announced Thursday afternoon that Treinen, who stayed in Los Angeles, is scheduled to face live hitters Friday for the first time since injuring his shoulder in April — a key step in the reliever’s carefully managed recovery process.

The news came just two days after Roberts had initially said the right-hander was still a couple of weeks away from facing live hitting.

Since then, however, Treinen said he felt ready to take the next progression in his rehab, after several weeks of routine bullpen sessions.

“[He’s] getting closer,” Roberts said of when Treinen could return to the active roster. “I still don’t see Blake being back within the next three weeks. So end of August makes sense.”

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1915 Pirates third baseman Honus Wagner reaches Robins hurler Jeff Pfeffer for a grand slam in the eighth inning, helping Pittsburgh beat Brooklyn at Forbes Field, 8-2. The inside-the-park round-tripper makes the 41 year-old infielder the oldest player ever to hit a home run with the bases full, a record which will last until 1985.
  • 1996 After a mild heart attack last month, Tommy Lasorda, 68 year-old Dodger manager of twenty years, announces his retirement due to his health. The future Hall of Fame skipper, who was named the National League Manager of the Year in 1983 and ’88, led Los Angeles to four pennants and two World Series championships during his 21 seasons at the helm.

    Lineups when available.

Jul 24

Game 94, 2022

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Giants at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: NBCS BA, SPNLA

RHP Alex Cobb (3-4, 4.09 ERA) goes for the Giants while LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 2.13 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers. Cobb has had a modest July, going 0-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. Kershaw is fresh off a start in the All Star Game and has otherwise gone 2-0 with an ERA of 0.40 in July. He needs eight wins to get to 200 for his career.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1909 At Washington Park, the Superbas sweep a twin bill from the visiting Cardinals with identical 1-0 scores. Brooklyn’s southpaw Nap Rucker, who will finish second in the NL with 200 strikeouts, whiffs 16 Redbirds in one of the contests.
  • 1931 For the second time in ten days, Babe Herman hits for the cycle. The Dodger outfielder joins “Long John” Reilly and Bob Meusel as one of only three ‘tricyclists’ to have accomplished the feat of collecting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game three times.
  • 1965 Unbeknownst to him at the time, 75 year-old Mets skipper Casey Stengel, who compiled a managerial record of 1,905-1,842 with the Dodgers, Braves, Yankees, and Mets, manages his final baseball game, a 5-1 loss to Philadelphia at Shea Stadium. After leaving a party after midnight at Toots Shor’s, the ‘Old Perfesser’ loses his balance and fractures his left hip, resulting in the unexpected retirement with the team.
  • 1968 ChiSox reliever Hoyt Wilhelm breaks Cy Young’s record when he makes his 907th career appearance, pitching a third of an inning in which he gives up a run on two hits to be on the short side of the team’s 3-2 loss to Oakland. The 45 year-old knuckleballer, who will retire in 1972 after pitching in 1,070 games, will finish his 21-year major league career with a 143-122 (.540) won-loss record and 228 saves, hurling for the Giants, Cardinals, Indians, Orioles, White Sox, Angels, Braves, Cubs, and Dodgers.
  • 1970 Tommy Agee steals home with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, giving the Mets a 2-1 walk-off victory over the Dodgers at Shea Stadium. After reaching on a fielder’s choice, the New York center fielder stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before scoring the winning run with his thievery of home plate.
  • 1977 After his two-out foul pop-up is dropped by Mets’ right fielder Bruce Boisclair, Davey Lopes responds with a game-ending three-run home run off Bob Apodaca. The L.A. second baseman’s ninth-inning dramatics provide the Dodgers with a 5-3 win and spoil the opportunity for a win for Nino Espinosa, who left the game needing just one more out for a complete-game victory.
  • 1993 Following the game at Dodger Stadium, Vince Coleman tosses an M-80 from a car, resulting in reported injuries to three fans in the Chavez Ravine parking lot, including an 11 year-old boy and a two year-old girl. The Mets’ player was a passenger in the 1991 Jeep Cherokee driven by LA outfielder Eric Davis, who acknowledges Coleman flipped the firecracker out of his vehicle as a ‘joke,’ but not into a crowd of people.
  • 1993 In a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, Mets right-hander Anthony Young extends his record losing streak to 27 games. The latest defeat is the result of the hard-luck hurler walking Dave Hansen in with the winning run with two outs in the 10th inning.
  • 2015 Michael Conforto becomes the 1,000th player in Mets history when he makes his major league debut, going 0-3 in the team’s 7-2 loss to the Dodgers at Citi Field. Tomorrow, the 24 year-old rookie left fielder will enjoy a 4-for-4 day at the plate when he will collect three singles and a double en route scoring four runs.
  • 2020 For only the second time in baseball history, all four starting infielders are the sons of former major leaguers, when shortstop Bo Bichette (Dante), second baseman Cavan Biggio (Craig), first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Vladimir), and third baseman Travis Shaw (Jeff) top the order for the Blue Jays on Opening Day. In 2012, the Dodgers’ lineup featured an infield consisting of third baseman Ivan DeJesus Jr. (Ivan), second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. (Jerry), shortstop Dee Gordon (Tom), and first baseman Scott Van Slyke (Andy), with outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. (Tony) patrolling center field.

Lineups when available.

Jul 18

All Star Game and HR Derby, 2022

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The best of news: Clayton Kershaw has been named to start the game in his home park. MLB made the announcement in a Monday news conference.

Kershaw had come close to being the All-Star Game starter several times before.

During Kershaw’s first All-Star-caliber and Cy Young-winning season in 2011, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies got the nod. For the 2013 game hosted by the New York Mets, the host team’s ace, Matt Harvey, was picked over him.

In his 2014 MVP season, Kershaw was second in line again, following Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals. And since then, he’s twice seen teammates get the honor, with Zach Greinke starting in 2015 and Hyun-Jin Ryu in 2019.

The honor, however, had always eluded the best pitcher of the club’s generation.

Until this year, that is, with Kershaw now set to achieve one more milestone at the mound in Dodger Stadium.

The Home Run Derby can take a toll on its participants. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to this year’s group. It’s televised on ESPN beginning at 8:00 PM EDT, 5:00 PM PDT, 2:00 HST.

In case you’re paying attention to the MLB Draft, “The Dodgers were the one team without a first-round pick in 2022. Their top pick fell 10 spots due to exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold, and their first selection is No. 40 overall.” They used that pick on a catcher: Dalton Rushing of Louisville. He just completed his junior year there, and he did pretty well: he batted .310 with 62 RBIs, 23 home runs, 68 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Mookie Betts has bouts of self-doubt, just like the rest of us.

Just in time for the ASG, screenwriter/director Ron Shelton has published a book detailing the making of Bull Durham, one of the most beloved of baseball movies. It’s called “The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit.”

Jul 15

Game 89, 2022

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Dodgers at Angels, 6:38 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports West, SPNLA

All Star LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-2, 2.40 ERA) takes the hill for the Dodgers in Anaheim against LHP Patrick Sandoval (3-4, 2.95 ERA) of the host Angels. In Kershaw’s last start he went 7 2/3 innings, gave up five hits and two runs and got the win. Sandoval’s last start was unfortunate. He went 6 1/3 innings, gave up five hits and just one run and took the loss.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1960 Home plate umpire Frank Dascoli stops play for 24 minutes when Willie McCovey hits a pitch into shallow left field that no one can see because of the dense fog. The Giants first baseman’s second inning “invisible triple” doesn’t deter the Dodgers when they go on to win the Candlestick Park contest, 5-3.
  • 2003 At the All-Star Game played in Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field, Angels outfielder Garret Anderson goes 3-for-4, including a two-run homer and a double, helping the American League to beat the NL, 7-6. Pinch-hitting in the eighth inning, Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock hits a go-ahead two-run homer off the usually untouchable reliever of the Dodgers, Eric Gagne.
  • 2004 Eric Gagne surpasses Jeff Shaw for the most career saves in franchise history, collecting his 130th save in a Dodger uniform. The 28 year-old right-handed closer pitches a perfect ninth, striking out the side, in the team’s 5-2 victory over Arizona at Bank One Ballpark.
  • 2017 Cody Bellinger becomes the first Dodger rookie to hit for the cycle when he collects a seventh-inning triple in the team’s 7-1 victory over the Marlins in Miami. The 22-year old freshman goes 4-for-5, driving in three runs en route to his historic accomplishment.

Also: in 1939 National League president Ford Frick orders two-foot screens affixed inside all foul poles after Billy Jurges of the Giants and umpire George Magerkurth spit at each other after a foul ball call down the left field line is disputed at the Polo Grounds. The American League will soon follow the Senior Circuit lead and will also install foul ball screens.

And: in 1994 after being confiscated in the first inning of the Indians-White Sox contest at Comiskey Park, Albert Belle’s bat, suspected of being corked, is placed in umpire Dave Phillips’ locker for further examination. The attempt to take and replace the suspected bat by a bungling burglar, who gains access to the umpire’s room by squirming through the stadium’s overhead crawl space, a thievery Jason Grimsley will confess to five-years later, is immediately uncovered with the discovery of pieces of broken ceiling tile on the floor, and a new name on the “clean” bat which now reads Paul Sorrento.

Lineups when available.

Jul 09

Game 84, 2022

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Cubs at Dodgers, Marquee Sports Network, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

It’ll be the Cubs’ RHP Marcus Stroman (2-5, 5.32 ERA) vs the Dodgers’ LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-2, 2.57 ERA) this evening at Chavez Ravine. Stroman had his worst outing of the year in his last start; he gave up nine runs on ten hits in just four innings. That pushed his ERA up nearly 1 1/2 points from 3.95 to 5.32. Kershaw deserved a win in his last start: he went seven shutout innings and gave up just one hit to the Padres, but the Dodgers only scored one run for him and the bullpen gave up four runs in the ninth and lost the game.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1956 The BBWAA, by a narrow margin of 14-12, votes to establish the Cy Young Award to honor the major leagues’ most outstanding pitcher. Commissioner Ford Frick initiated the idea because he felt hurlers were not recognized in the MVP voting, but ironically the first recipient of the Cy Young Award, Dodger Don Newcombe, also won the Most Valuable Player Award.
  • 1996 In Philadelphia, Dodger backstop Mike Piazza hits a moon shot into the upper-deck at Veterans Stadium and also bangs a RBI double, helping the NL to blank the AL, 6-0, in All-Star action.

In non-Dodger history, it seems fitting that in 1968, the Year of the Pitcher, the All Star Game would play out this way: in the first All-Star game played indoors, American Leaguers are held to just three hits in the Astrodome, with the National League winning the first Mid-Summer Classic to end with a score of 1-0. The contest’s lone tally comes in the bottom of the first frame when Willie Mays, who had been picked off but stayed on the bases due to Luis Tiant’s throwing error, scores an unearned run on a double play ball.

In 2002 despite chants of “Let them play!” from the sellout crowd of 41,871 at Milwaukee’s Miller Park, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig declares the 73rd All-Star Game a 7-7 tie after 11 innings. No player is selected to receive the first Ted Williams Most Valuable Player award, an honor named for the late Red Sox legend who died five days ago. This would be the nadir of Selig’s term as Commissioner of Baseball on the anniversary of his selection to the job seven years earlier.

Lineups when available.

Jul 04

Game 79, 2022

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Rockies at Dodgers, 6:10 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet RM, SPNLA

LHP Kyle Freeland (4-5, 4.31 ERA) pitches for the visiting Rockies and LHP Julio Urías (6-6, 2.64 ERA) goes for the Dodgers. In his last start Freeland took advantage of his team’s rare success against Clayton Kershaw and got the 7-4 win. One day later Urías was the beneficiary of Germán Márquez’s bad day.

Ever wonder what a team eats on its flights? Here’s the Rockies’ menu from yesterday’s trip to LA:

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1884 In American Association action, Louisville right-hander Guy Hecker pitches complete games to win both ends of a doubleheader. The Youngsville, Pennsylvania native does not walk a single batter when he beats the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers at Eclipse Park, 5-4 and 8-2.
  • 1998 The National Baseball Facility of Ireland, considered the main home of the Irish National baseball team, officially opens in Corkagh Demesne Park in Clondalkin, West Dublin when U.S. Ambassador Jean Kennedy throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Dodger owner Peter O’Malley played an instrumental role in the construction of the diamonds now known as the Fields of Dreams, which includes a regulation sized adult field and an international standard Little League field.
  • 2006 Nomar Garciaparra ties the major league record for being hit by a pitch in a game as he is plunked three times by three different Diamondback pitchers in a 10-4 Dodger victory. The LA first baseman is the first National Leaguer to equal the mark, both literally and figuratively, since the 2000 season, when Astros outfielder Richard Hidalgo got thwacked thrice in a game in April.

Lineups when available.

Jul 03

Game 78, 2022

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Padres at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally SD, SPNLA

LHP MacKenzie Gore (4-3, 3.34 ERA) takes the ball for the Padres and LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-2, 2.94 ERA) does the same for the Dodgers. Gore is a rookie who debuted on April 15 of this year. He won his first two starts in April but is 2-3 since. He’s got 14 walks and 18 strikeouts in June, which is not a recipe for success. Kershaw’s last start was his worst of the year; he gave up six runs on nine hits in just four innings and saw his ERA jump nearly a full run, from 2.00 to 2.94.

This date 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 28

Game 73, 2022

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Dodgers at Rockies, 5:30 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet RM, SPNLA

LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 2.00 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers, facing LHP Kyle Freeland (3-5, 4.29 ERA). Kershaw is 11-6 lifetime at Coors with a 4.57 ERA in 145 innings. Freeland pitched against the Dodgers on Opening Day in April and took the loss when he gave up five runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1969 After ending an 11-game losing streak in their previous contest, the expansion Padres are the victims of a 19-0 shutout for the second time this season when Dodgers right-hander Don Drysdale equals the National League-record for the largest margin of victory in a shutout. L.A. will score more than half of their runs when they tally ten times in the third inning.
  • 2000 The Rockies draw their 20 millionth fan to one ballpark faster than any other team in major league history. Taking less than six years, Colorado eclipses the Dodgers’ mark of taking nine years in two stadiums to reach the milestone.
  • 2008 In Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers, without the benefit of a hit for the entire game, defeat the Angels, 1-0. The combined losing effort of Halo hurlers Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo isn’t considered officially as a no-hitter because the home team didn’t have to bat in the ninth (a nitpick if I ever heard one).

Lineups when available.

Jun 23

Game 68, 2022

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

The Dodgers send LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.08 ERA) to make his third start after returning from the IL where he’d been with a sacroiliac injury. He’ll face the Reds’ rookie RHP Hunter Greene (3-7, 5.26 ERA), who made his MLB debut in April of this year.

On this date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1930 The Dodgers get twelve consecutive hits in a 19-6 win over the Pirates at Forbes Field. Two of the dozen hits in the eight-run sixth inning include a pair of homers hit by Brooklyn outfielder Babe Herman.
  • 1986 The Braves strand 18 runners on base, establishing a National League record. Enough Atlanta players do score to give the team a 6-5 victory over L.A. at Dodger Stadium.

Other notable events in baseball on this date include Ernie Shore’s near-perfect game in 1917, when he relieved Babe Ruth (ejected for arguing balls and strikes and possibly punching the umpire) and retired 26 consecutive batters.

Lineups when available.