Tag Archives: Mel Ott

Jul 25

Game 95, 2022

Posted on by

Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: MASN2, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Paolo Espino (0-3, 3.57 ERA) takes the ball for the Nationals and Tony Gonsolin (11-0, 2.02 ERA) gets it for the Dodgers. In three career appearances (one start) against the Dodgers, Espino does not have a decision with a 3.68 ERA. He’s appeared in 27 games this season, seven of them starts. Gonsolin had a rough All Star Game showing; he and his team hope that was an aberration.

The worst All-Star game ever? So thinks Ken Levine, ex-broadcaster and comedy writer.

Ken Rosenthal notes at The Athletic:

…while the Giants-Dodgers rivalry remains among the most intense in the game, it does not preclude former teammates — and their wives — from remaining close. On Friday, two Dodgers wives, Ellen Kershaw and Nicole Barnes, helped host a baby shower in Los Angeles for two Giants wives whose husbands used to play for the Dodgers, Suzanna Wood and Kelsey Pederson.

Suzanna and Alex Wood are expecting their first child in September. Kelsey and Joc Pederson are expecting their third in October.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1962 At Sportsman’s Park, Stan Musial surpasses Giants’ legend Mel Ott as the National League’s all-time RBI leader. ‘Stan the Man’s’ two-run home run off Don Drysdale in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers gives the Cardinals’ right fielder 1,862 career runs batted in with the Redbirds.
  • 2017 The Dodgers defeat the Minnesota Twins to run their record to 70-31. Kenta Maeda gets his ninth win of the season and Josh Ravin posts his first save.

Lineups when available.

Jul 16

Game 90, 2022

Posted on by

Dodgers at Angels, 7:07 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports West, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

LHP Julio Urías (7-6, 3.01 ERA) takes the mound at the Big A (is it still called that?); he’ll face LHP José Suarez (1-3, 4.79 ERA). This will be Urías’s third start in July. His first was a six-inning five-hitter which he won. His second was a two-inning outing in which he hit two guys in the first inning and then gave up a grand slam home run. After all that, he was taken off the hook as the Dodgers wound up winning the game after a six-run third inning. Suarez has also had two starts this month but rather than winning one he lost one. In neither game did he go more than 4 2/3 innings.

Anderson replaces the Giants’ Carlos Rodón. The Giants may want to let him rest as their bullpen is overworked and if he can pitch deeper into games that will help.

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1913 In a game against the Cubs, Superbas’ second baseman George Cutshaw handles 14 chances without an error. The infielder’s defensive prowess helps Brooklyn beat Chicago at Ebbets Field, 4-2.
  • 1948 Brooklyn’s Branch Rickey agrees on a deal with Giants owner Horace Stoneham that releases his manager Leo Durocher to become the Giants’ skipper, replacing the popular Mel Ott. Burt Shotton will take the ‘Lip’s’ place in the Dodger dugout.

On this date in 1990 Steve Lyons embarrassed himself dreadfully by dropping his uniform pants while standing at first base after sliding into the bag to beat out a bunt.


Lineups when available.

May 04

Game 23, 2022

Posted on by

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: NBCBS Bay Area, SPNLA

Old friend LHP Alex Wood (2-1, 4.19 ERA) faces RHP Tony Gonsolin (1-0, 1.59 ERA). Wood had two good outings before his last one, which he lost while giving up five runs on six hits. He has yet to go longer than five innings this season. Gonsolin got his lone win in his next-to-last start when he went six innings and gave up no runs on just one hit to the Braves. That was his longest start of the year thus far.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1919 A SRO crowd attends the first-ever major league game played on a Sunday in Brooklyn. The Ebbets Field contest, in which the Dodgers beat the Braves, 6-2, was made possible when the New York Legislature passed the Sunday Baseball Bill into law.
  • 1966 In a 6-1 victory over L.A. at Candlestick Park, Willie Mays becomes the all-time National League home run leader when he strokes his 512th career round-tripper off Dodger starter Claude Osteen. The San Francisco center fielder passes another Giant, breaking the mark established by Mel Ott in 1946.
  • 1976 Illinois state Rep. Eugene F. Schlickman, co-author of the House of Representative Resolution 747 declaring today as Rick Monday Day, will be in attendance when Los Angeles vice president and GM Al Campanis presents the Cub outfielder with the flag he saved that was about to burned on the field at Dodger Stadium. Last month, the former Marine reservist, in a game played in Los Angeles, ran in from his position, swiping the ‘Stars and Stripes’ away from a father and a son, who were intent on setting it afire.
  • 2009 In the bottom of the second inning, with two runners aboard at Dodger Stadium, the Diamondbacks pull off their second triple play in franchise history. The 6-4-3 triple killing starts with shortstop Josh Wilson’s backhanded grab of Casey Blake’s scorching line drive (1), with his throw to Felipe Lopez doubling off Russell Marin at second (2), and Matt Kemp becoming the third out when the relay easily beats him back to first base (3).

  • 2009 In the same game the Dodgers establish a National League record for consecutive victories to open a season at home. Their 11-0 start surpasses the NL mark shared by the 1918 Giants, 1970 Cubs, and 1983 Atlanta Braves, and is one shy of the major-league record set by the Tigers in 1911.

Lineups when available.

Apr 30

Game 20, 2022

Posted on by

Tigers at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: BS Detroit, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

The visiting Tigers give the ball to RHP Beau Brieske (0-1, 5.40 ERA); the 24-year-old will be making his second big league start. He’ll face the Dodgers’ LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 2.65 ERA), who’s ten years older and fifteen years into a Hall of Fame career.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1940 The Dodgers tie the major league mark for consecutive wins from the beginning of the season with style as James ‘Tex’ Carleton no-hits the Reds, 3-0, for the team’s ninth straight victory since Opening Day.
  • 1944 In the first game of a doubleheader split, first baseman Phil Weintraub gets 11 RBIs, and player-manager Mel Ott scores six runs, drawing five walks in the Giants’ 26-8 rout of the Dodgers. Brooklyn wins the nightcap 5-4 in a game shortened due to darkness.
  • 1988 Dave Winfield ties the major league RBI record for April established by Dodger infielder Ron Cey in 1977 and matched by Dale Murphy of the Braves in 1985. The right fielder, who was on base at least once in every game, drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the month in the Yankees’ 15-3 rout of Texas in New York.

Lineups when available.

Jul 25

Game 101, 2021

Posted on by

Rockies at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: ATT SportsNet RM, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Jon Gray (6-8, 3.68 ERA) goes for the Rockies and rookie RHP Josiah Gray (0-0, 9.00 ERA) does the same for the Dodgers.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1962 At Sportsman’s Park, Stan Musial surpasses Giants’ legend Mel Ott as the National League’s all-time RBI leader. ‘Stan the Man’s’ two-run home run off Don Drysdale in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers gives the Cardinals’ right fielder 1,862 career runs batted in with the Redbirds.
  • 2017 The Dodgers defeat the Minnesota Twins to run their record to 70-31. Kenta Maeda gets his ninth win of the season and Josh Ravin posts his first save.

Lineup when available.

Jul 16

Game 92, 2021

Posted on by

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

The visiting Dodgers send LHP Julio Urías (11-3, 3.64 ERA) to the Coors Field hill to face the Rockies’ RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-8, 4.58 ERA).

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1913 In a game against the Cubs, Superbas’ second baseman George Cutshaw handles 14 chances without an error. The infielder’s defensive prowess helps Brooklyn beat Chicago at Ebbets Field, 4-2.
  • 1948 Brooklyn’s Branch Rickey agrees on a deal with Giants owner Horace Stoneham that releases his manager Leo Durocher to become the Giants’ skipper, replacing the popular Mel Ott. Burt Shotton will take the ‘Lip’s’ place in the Dodger dugout.

On this date in 1990 Steve Lyons embarrassed himself dreadfully by dropping his uniform pants while standing at first base after sliding into the bag to beat out a bunt.

Lineup:

Jul 16

Game 97, 2019

Posted on by

Dodgers at Phillies, 4:05 PM PDT, TV: MLBN (out-of-market only), NBCSP, SPNLA

RHP Walker Buehler (8-1, 3.46 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers against RHP Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.63 ERA) of the Phillies. Buehler hasn’t started since July 3 but made an appearance in the All Star Game a week ago. In that last start he struck out nine D-Backs in seven innings but was gone by the time Bellinger hit a home run in the bottom of the 10th for the Dodgers’ fifth consecutive walk-off win. He’s 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA at Citizens Bank Park. Velasquez briefly lost his spot in the rotation but has seemingly gotten it back. This despite being 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA in his last four starts and lasting 4, 1, 6 and 6 innings in them, respectively.

Bellinger had a 4-hit 2-HR game on Monday:

This day in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1913 In a game against the Cubs, Superbas’ second baseman George Cutshaw handles 14 chances without an error. The infielder’s defensive prowess helps Brooklyn beat Chicago at Ebbets Field, 4-2.
  • 1948 Brooklyn’s Branch Rickey agrees on a deal with Giants owner Horace Stoneham that releases his manager Leo Durocher to become the Giants’ skipper, replacing the popular Mel Ott. Burt Shotton will take the ‘Lip’s’ place in the Dodger dugout.

On this date in 1990 Steve Lyons embarrassed himself dreadfully by dropping his uniform pants while standing at first base after sliding into the bag to beat out a bunt.


Lineup when available.

May 04

Game 35, 2019

Posted on by

Dodgers at Padres, 5:40 PM PDT, TV: FSSD, SPNLA

LHP Rich Hill (0-0, 1.50 ERA) makes his second start of the season for the Dodgers, while LHP Joey Lucchesi (3-2, 4.94 ERA) goes for the Padres. In Hill’s first start he went six innings, struck out six, walked none and gave up one earned run. This season Lucchesi has had outings in which he’s given up seven, five and five runs in a total of fifteen innings. Last year he gave up 13 runs in 12 2/3 innings while making three starts against the Dodgers. Oddly, one of his starts against them was last year on this date when the two teams met in Monterrey, Mexico.

Sad news about The Bison: The Reds released him today. He was hitting .200 with one HR and five RBI for Cincinnati and was on the 10-day IL. I suspect he’ll get picked up by an AL team looking for a DH at some point this year.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1919 A SRO crowd attends the first-ever major league game played on a Sunday in Brooklyn. The Ebbets Field contest, in which the Dodgers beat the Braves, 6-2, was made possible when the New York Legislature passed the Sunday Baseball Bill into law.
  • 1966 In a 6-1 victory over L.A. at Candlestick Park, Willie Mays becomes the all-time National League home run leader when he strokes his 512th career round-tripper off Dodger starter Claude Osteen. The San Francisco center fielder passes another Giant, breaking the mark established by Mel Ott in 1946.
  • 1976 Illinois state Rep. Eugene F. Schlickman, co-author of the House of Representative Resolution 747 declaring today as Rick Monday Day, will be in attendance when Los Angeles vice president and GM Al Campanis presents the Cub outfielder with the flag he saved that was about to burned on the field at Dodger Stadium. Last month, the former Marine reservist, in a game played in Los Angeles, ran in from his position, swiping the ‘Stars and Stripes’ away from a father and a son, who were intent on setting it afire.
  • 2009 With their 7-2 win over Arizona, the Dodgers establish a National League record for consecutive victories to open a season at home. Their 11-0 start surpasses the NL mark shared by the 1918 Giants, 1970 Cubs, and 1983 Atlanta Braves, and is one shy of the major-league record set by the Tigers in 1911.

Lineup when available.


Bellinger separated his shoulder in last night’s game and is day-to-day.

Apr 30

Game 32, 2019

Posted on by

Dodgers at Giants, 6:45 PM PDT, TV: NBCS Bay Area, SPNLA

RHP Walker Buehler (2-0, 5.25 ERA) takes the hill for the Dodgers, while his mound opponent will be LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-2, 3.65 ERA) of the Giants. Blue-gloved Buehler (see photo at link above) pitched 5 2/3 innings of good baseball his last time out but then hung a curve ball which Javy Baez hit for a three-run homer. Pomeranz went six scoreless innings against the Blue Jays in his last start.

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com has written an excellent story about the Dodgers’ pitching heritage, from Branch Rickey and the days of 26 farm clubs all the way up to Kershaw and Buehler today.

Beginning in 1940 (a span of almost 80 seasons), the Dodgers’ staff has ranked either first or second in the NL in ERA 40 times, including last year, when it ranked first. Pitching is the Dodgers’ brand.

Their pitchers have won 12 Cy Young Awards (no other team has more than seven), a string that started with the late Don Newcombe in the award’s inaugural season of 1956 and includes three plaques each for Koufax (‘63, ‘65, ‘66) and his protégé, Kershaw (‘11, ‘13, ‘14). The other five winners were Don Drysdale (‘62), Mike Marshall (‘74), Fernando Valenzuela (‘81), Hershiser (‘88), and Gagne (‘03).

Five additional Cy Youngs were won elsewhere by pitchers trained in the Dodgers’ farm system — three by Pedro Martinez (1997 NL, ‘99 AL, 2000 AL) and one each by Rick Sutcliffe (‘84 NL) and Bob Welch (‘90 AL).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1940 The Dodgers tie the major league mark for consecutive wins from the beginning of the season with style as James ‘Tex’ Carleton no-hits the Reds, 3-0, for the team’s ninth straight victory since Opening Day.
  • 1944 In the first game of a doubleheader split, first baseman Phil Weintraub gets 11 RBIs, and player-manager Mel Ott scores six runs, drawing five walks in the Giants’ 26-8 rout of the Dodgers. Brooklyn wins the nightcap 5-4 in a game shortened due to darkness.
  • 1988 Dave Winfield ties the major league RBI record for April established by Dodger infielder Ron Cey in 1977 and matched by Dale Murphy of the Braves in 1985. The right fielder, who was on base at least once in every game, drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the month in the Yankees’ 15-3 rout of Texas in New York.

A.J. Pollock has an elbow infection and is likely headed to the IL. This is the same elbow he’s broken twice before, and it has a plate and screws in it.

Lineup when available.


Jul 25

Game 102, 2018

Posted on by

Dodgers at Phillies, 9:35 AM PDT, TV: SPNLA, NBCSP, MLBN (out-of-market only)

If any member of either team is awake enough to play well behind the two rested starting pitchers I’ll be surprised. The Dodgers send out their young righthander Walker Buehler (4-2, 3.45 ERA) to face the Phillies’ righty Jake Arrieta (7-6, 3.47 ERA). Buehler arrived in Philadelphia from Oklahoma City Tuesday. He’d been sent there as a roster move before the All Star break but didn’t pitch an inning for the team there on this latest visit. Arrieta started the year with two good months, going 5-2 in April and May. His June was awful: he lost four out of five starts. He’s bounced back in July to win two games and lose none so far.

Manager Dave Roberts says he expects Buehler “to stick around for a while.”

Injury updates were announced before Tuesday’s marathon. Tom Koehler is done for the year without throwing a pitch for the Dodgers. Puig and Baez are rehabbing in OKC and will be back for Thursday’s game in Atlanta, and Ryu is about to start rehabbing in the minors. The Dodgers expect him to make at least four starts before returning to the big club.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1962 At Sportsman’s Park, Stan Musial surpasses Giants’ legend Mel Ott as the National League’s all-time RBI leader. ‘Stan the Man’s’ two-run home run off Don Drysdale in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers gives the Cardinals’ right fielder 1,862 career runs batted in with the Redbirds.
  • 2017 The Dodgers defeat the Minnesota Twins to run their record to 70-31. Kenta Maeda gets his ninth win of the season and Josh Ravin posts his first save.

Lineup when available.