Jun 20

Game 73, 2023

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.

Oct 17

ALDS Game Five, 2022

Guardians at Yankees, 4:07 PM PDT, TV: TBS

In a winner-take-all game, the pitchers for each team are obscure, at least to me. The Guardians start RHP Aaron Civale (5-6, 4.92 ERA) and the Yankees counter with RHP Jameson Taillon (14-5, 3.91 ERA).

Update: The game has been postponed till Tuesday due to rain, and the Yankees have changed their pitcher from Taillon to LHP Nestor Cortes (12-4, 2.44 ERA), who’ll be pitching on short (three days) rest for only the second time in his career. The first time didn’t go well — in 2019 he gave up four runs on six hits and came out after 2 1/3 innings.

The Guardians have not yet said whether they’ll stick with their announced pitcher Civale or perhaps call on their ace Shane Bieber, who would also be pitching on three days rest.

Today in baseball history:

“Well, I don’t know if we’re on the air or not and I’m not sure I care at this particular moment but we are. Well folks, that’s the greatest open in the history of television, bar none. We’re still here. We are still as we can well on the air, and I guess you are hearing us, even though we have no picture and no return audio. And we will be back, we hope, from San Francisco in just a moment.” – AL MICHAELS, the ABC-TV play-by-play announcer, reacting to the Bay Area earthquake.

As the Giants and A’s get ready to play Game 3 of the 1989 World Series, a massive 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake hits the Bay Area, which will be responsible for 63 deaths. Commissioner Fay Vincent quickly postponed the Candlestick Park contest, wisely ordering the ballpark’s evacuation.

Oct 13

ALDS Games Two, 2022

Mariners at Astros, 12:37 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Luis Castillo (4-2, 3.17 ERA) pitches for the Mariners and LHP Framber Valdez (17-6, 2.82 ERA) pitches for the Astros.

Guardians at Yankees, 4:37 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Shane Bieber (13-8, 2.88 ERA) gets the ball for the Guardians and LHP Nestor Cortes (12-4, 2.44 ERA) gets it for the Yankees.

Oct 07

Wild Card Games One, 2022

ALWC Game One: Rays at Guardians, 9:07 AM PDT, TV: ESPN

LHP Shane McLanahan (12-8, 2.54 ERA) goes for the Rays and RHP Shane Bieber (13-8, 2.88 ERA) goes for the Guardians.

NLWC Game One: Phillies at Cardinals, 11:07 AM PDT, TV: ABC

RHP Zach Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA) pitches for the Phillies and LHP José Quintana (3-2, 2.01 ERA) does the same for the Cardinals.

ALWC Game One: Mariners at Blue Jays, 1:07 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

RHP Luis Castillo (4-2, 3.17 ERA) gets the ball for the Mariners and the Blue Jays hand their ball to RHP Alek Manoah (16-7, 2.24 ERA).

NLWC Game One: Padres at Mets, 5:07 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

RHP Yu Darvish (16-8, 3.10 ERA) takes the mound for the Padres and RHP Max Scherzer (11-5, 2.29 ERA) does so for the Mets.

Jun 19

Game 65, 2022

Guardians at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes, SPNLA

RHP Shane Bieber (3-3, 3.01 ERA) takes the hill for the Guardians and LHP Andrew Heaney (1-0, 0.00 ERA) does the same for the Dodgers. Bieber won a Cy Young award in 2019 but suffered multiple injuries in 2021; he’s not yet back to his best. It will be Heaney’s first start since going onto the IL on April 21 with shoulder stiffness.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1952 Carl Erskine throws a no-hitter against the Cubs in the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory at Ebbets Field. A third inning walk to the opposing pitcher, which accounts for the only runner to reach base, may have been a result of skipper Chuck Dressen telling the 25 year-old right-hander to speed up his pitches due to an impending storm.
  • 1963 At Yankee Stadium, the Mayor’s Trophy Game is revived, with the cellar-dwelling Mets beating the mighty Yanks, 6-2. Prior to leaving for the West Coast, the Dodgers would play the Bronx Bombers in the annual midsummer exhibition contest to raise money for sandlot baseball teams.
  • 1972 At Three Rivers Stadium, Roberto Clemente hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to become the Pirates’ all-time RBI leader. The Pittsburgh right fielder’s three ribbies in the 13-3 drubbing of the Dodgers give the future Hall of Famer a total of 1,274 runs batted in for the Bucs.
  • 1973 In different games, the Reds’ Pete Rose and Dodger Willie Davis both collect their 2,000th career hit. The Cincinnati infielder, known as ‘Charlie Hustle’, reaches the milestone with a single against San Francisco in the Reds’ 4-0 victory at Candlestick Park, and the L.A. outfielder, known as ‘3-Dog’, reaches the plateau in front of the home crowd with a two-run home run in the team’s 3-0 victory over Atlanta.
  • 1990 Gary Carter breaks a National League mark when he catches his 1,862nd career game in the Giants’ 4-3 loss to San Diego. ‘The Kid’ surpasses Al Lopez, who had established the record for backstops in 1946 after playing 18 seasons in the Senior Circuit with the Dodgers, Braves, and Pirates. Ivan Rodriguez, Carlton Fisk, Bob Boone and the still-active Yadier Molina have since surpassed Carter.

Also of note: In 2003 during a College World Series contest against Stanford, a pitch strikes Cal State Fullerton shortstop Justin Turner on the left side of his face as he attempts to bunt. Adding insult to injury, the future Mets and Dodgers infielder also suffers a broken ankle on the play when he unsuccessfully tries to avoid getting hit by the 87-mph fastball thrown by Matt Manship.

Lineups when available.

Sep 29

AL Wild Card Series Game One, 2020

Astros at Twins, 11:08 AM PDT, TV: ABC (ABC? Really? When’s the last time ABC broadcast baseball? The network is going to draft some broadcasters from its sister cable network ESPN)

Two old friends start against one another: RHP Zack Greinke for the Astros meets RHP Kenta Maeda of the Twins. Greinke’s first five starts netted him a 1-0 record with a 1.84 ERA. He then fell off a cliff, going 2-3 with a 5.73 ERA in his last seven outings. Maeda will make his first postseason start since 2016 (he made 21 postseason relief appearances for the Dodgers from 2017-2019), and he earned it. He was 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA for the season.

White Sox at Athletics, 12:08 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

The White Sox hand the ball to RHP Lucas Giolito; he’ll make his 85th career start but first ever in Oakland. He was 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA this season. He’ll face LHP Jésus Luzardo, who was 3-2 with a 4.12 ERA and 59 Ks (second among AL rookies) for the year.

Blue Jays at Rays, 2:07 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Matt Shoemaker (0-1, 4.71 ERA) is a surprise starter for the Jays, one who’s not expected to go deep into the game. He’ll face the Rays’ LHP Blake Snell (4-2, 3.24 ERA). Shoemaker was held out of his last regularly scheduled start to keep him fresh for this game. Snell faced the Blue Jays twice this year and surrendered just two runs to them over 7 2/3 innings.

Yankees at Indians, 4:08 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

The Yankees signed RHP Gerrit Cole last offseason for just this event: Game One of a postseason series. Cole did his part, leading the team in wins, starts, complete games, innings and strikeouts. He wound up 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA. He’s gone 6-4 with a 2.60 ERA in his postseason career. The Indians counter with RHP Shane Bieber (8-1, 1.63 ERA). He came close to postseason experience in 2018: he was scheduled to start Game Four of the Division Series that season but the Indians were swept in three games by the Astros.