Oct 07

ALDS Games One, 2021

The first game today is White Sox at Astros, 1:07 PM PDT, TV: FS1

Each starting pitcher is named Lance; how about that, as Curt Gowdy would say. It’ll be RHP Lance Lynn (11-6, 2.69 ERA) for the Sox and RHP Lance McCullers (13-5, 3.16 ERA) for the Astros in Minute Maid Park.

I don’t know much at all about the White Sox; I know more than I’d like about the Astros.

The second game is Red Sox at Rays, 5:07 PM PDT, TV: FS1

LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (13-8, 4.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Red Sox at Tropicana Field while LHP Shane McClanahan (10-6, 3.43 ERA) does the same for the Rays.

The Sox are somewhat familiar, as are the Rays after last year’s World Series.

On this date in baseball history in 1950 rookie Whitey Ford got his first World Series win (he’d end up with a 10-8 W-L record in the postseason), Curt Flood was traded to the Phillies, precipitating his challenge to the reserve clause, the Dodgers came from behind to win Game Three of the 1977 NLCS against the Phillies, the Dodgers beat the Phillies in Game Four of the 1978 NLCS to win the pennant, and Benny Agbayani hits a homer in the 13th inning of Game Three of the 2000 NLDS to end the longest game in divisional playoff history.

Lineups:
White Sox:

Astros:

Red Sox and Rays:

Oct 06

ALDS Game Two, 2020

Astros vs Athletics, 1:37 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Astros lead the series 1-0. LHP Framber Valdez goes for the Astros and LHP Sean Manaea pitches for the Athletics. Valdez gave the Astros five scoreless innings of relief in Game One of the Astros’ matchup with the Twins. Manaea didn’t pitch in the Wild Card Series against the ChiSox; his lone start against Houston this year came on September 10 when he went seven innings and gave up just one run to them.

Yankees vs Rays, 5:10 PM PDT, TV: TBS

The Yankees lead the series 1-0. They’ll start RHP Deivi Garcia. The rookie will be the youngest Yankee ever to start a postseason game; Whitey Ford was slightly older than Garcia’s 21 years and 140 days in 1950 when he started against the Phillies in the World Series. Garcia will face RHP Tyler Glasnow, who made three starts against the Yankees this year going 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in 14 1/3 innings.

Oct 06

NLDS Game One, 2020

In an attempt to eliminate any possible home field advantage, the National League is playing its Divisional and Championship Series in American League parks (Minute Maid in Houston and Globe Life in Arlington, TX) and the American League is playing its series at National League Parks (Petco Park and Dodger Stadium).

Marlins vs Braves, 11:08 AM PDT, TV: FS1

The Marlins send RHP Sandy Alcantara to the hill to face the Braves’ LHP Max Fried. Alcantara threw 6 2/3 innings in Game One of their Wild Card Series against the Cubs, giving up just one run. Fried started Game One of the Braves’ Wild Card Series against the Reds and pitched seven scoreless innings.

Padres vs. Dodgers, 6:38 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Padres have not yet named a starting pitcher as of 11:00 PM PDT Monday. The Dodgers will give the ball to Walker Buehler, who’s had blister troubles and whose innings have therefore been limited. He may go no more than four innings in this game.

Update: The Padres have selected Mike Clevinger, whose elbow injury has apparently healed enough to pitch.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1941 In Game 5 of the Fall Classic, Tiny Bonham goes the distance, limiting the Dodgers to just four hits to give the Yankees their 12th World Championship in franchise history. In one inning during the Bronx Bombers’ 3-1 victory at Ebbets Field, the New York fireballing right-hander will need just three pitches to retire the side.
  • 1949 In Game 2 of the World Series, only one run is scored again, but Preacher Roe and the Dodgers win this contest at Yankee Stadium, 1-0. Gil Hodges’ second inning single drives in Jackie Robinson to even up the Fall Classic at a game apiece.
  • 1959 The largest crowd ever to attend a major league game, 92,706 fans, watches a nail biter as White Sox hurler Bob Shaw beats Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 1-0, in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
  • 1963 The Dodgers complete a four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees as Sandy Koufax wins his second game, 2-1. Frank Howard leads the offense with a home run and a single, the only two hits Whitey Ford gives up, and New York’s first baseman Joe Pepitone’s error (loses a thrown ball in the white-shirted crowd) leads to the decisive run in the seventh inning.
  • 1965“Hey, skip, bet you wish I was Jewish today, too.” – Don Drysdale, commenting after the game about his poor performance on the mound with manager Walt Alston. Sandy Koufax declines to pitch the first game of the World Series against the Twins because the game is scheduled on Yom Kippur, the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. As the Dodger southpaw attends shul and fasts on the Day of Atonement, Don Drysdale gives up seven runs in three innings in the team’s 8-2 loss at Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium.
  • 1966 Jim Palmer becomes the youngest player to pitch a shutout in the World Series when the 20 year-old Oriole right-hander blanks Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 6-0. The contest will become more memorable next month when Koufax surprises the baseball world by announcing his retirement, making this game his last major league appearance.
  • 1966 In the same Game Two loss to the Orioles at Dodger Stadium, Willie Davis establishes a World Series record by committing three errors in one game. The center fielder’s blunders come on two consecutive plays in the fifth inning, the first by losing a fly ball in the sun, then by dropping the next fly ball, followed by overthrowing third base.
  • 1980 In the 163rd game of the season, 35 year-old knuckleballer Joe Niekro earns his 20th victory, going the distance to defeat the Dodgers, 7-1, in the winner-take-all contest for the NL West. With the win, the Astros hold on to capture their first title in the 19-year history of the franchise after losing a season-ending three game series to LA, (3-2, 2-1, and 4-3) that forced the one-game playoff.

Lineups when available.

Padres lineup:

Dodgers lineup:

Oct 07

ALDS Games Three, 2019

Here’s the road map which lays out how that might happen.

On this day in baseball history Whitey Ford beats the Phillies to complete a World Series sweep, Gil Hodges finishes a World Series 0-21 at the plate, Curt Flood is traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies and refuses to report, and Benny Agbayani hits a 13th-inning HR to beat the Cubs in the longest NLDS game ever played — 5 hours and 22 minutes.

The early game is really early for me at 7:05 AM my time. It features the Astros at Rays, 10:05 AM PDT, TV: MLBN

The Astros have a 2-0 lead in the series. They send out their third starter, RHP Zack Greinke, to face the Rays’ RHP Charlie Morton, who’s already distinguished himself this postseason by winning the Wild Card Game last week. Morton was 16-6 with a 3.05 ERA on the year, while Greinke was 8-1 with a 3.02 ERA for the Astros after coming over from the D-Backs at the trade deadline. He was 18-5 with a 2.93 ERA overall.

Astros lineup:

Rays lineup:

The late game showcases the Yankees at Twins, 5:40 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Yankees lead the series 2-0. They’ll send RHP Luis Severino to the mound in Minneapolis. He spent most of the season on the IL, making just three starts in September. He’s got a career 6.26 ERA in six postseason starts. His opponent will be RHP Jake Odorizzi, who gave up nine runs in four innings against the Yankees on July 24 and hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of the ten starts he’s made since.

Yankees lineup:

Twins lineup:

Oct 06

NLDS Games One

First Game:Cubs at Nationals, 4:30 PM PT, TV: TBS

The Cubs’ RHP Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03 ERA) faces off against RHP Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52 ERA) of the Nationals. Hendricks started Games Three and Seven of last year’s World Series. In the final game he went 4 2/3 innings, gave up four hits and two runs and left without the decision. Strasburg didn’t pitch last postseason and famously sat out the 2012 playoffs as well. He made his only playoff start in 2014.

Second Game: Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:30 PM PT, TV: TBS

The Diamondbacks used both of their aces in the Wild Card Game, so they’ll ask RHP Taijuan Walker (9-9, 3.49 ERA) to get them of on the right foot against the Dodgers’ LHP Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.31). Walker was 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA against the Dodgers this season in three starts. Kershaw was 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA against the D-Backs this year. This will be Kershaw’s 18th playoff appearance; it will be Walker’s first.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1941 In Game 5 of the Fall Classic, Tiny Bonham goes the distance, limiting the Dodgers to just four hits to give the Yankees their 12th World Championship in franchise history. In one inning during the Bronx Bombers’ 3-1 victory at Ebbets Field, the New York fireballing right-hander will need just three pitches to retire the side.
  • 1949 In Game 2 of the World Series, only one run is scored again, but Preacher Roe and the Dodgers win this contest at Yankee Stadium, 1-0. Gil Hodges’ second inning single drives in Jackie Robinson to even up the Fall Classic at a game apiece.
  • 1959 The largest crowd ever to attend a major league game, 92,706 fans, watches a nail biter as White Sox hurler Bob Shaw beats Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 1-0, in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
  • 1963 The Dodgers complete a four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees as Sandy Koufax wins his second game, 2-1. Frank Howard leads the offense with a home run and a single, the only two hits Whitey Ford gives up, and New York’s first baseman Joe Pepitone’s error (loses a thrown ball in the white-shirted crowd) leads to the decisive run in the seventh inning.
  • 1965“Hey, skip, bet you wish I was Jewish today, too.” – Don Drysdale, commenting after the game about his poor performance on the mound with manager Walt Alston. Sandy Koufax declines to pitch the first game of the World Series against the Twins because the game is scheduled on Yom Kippur, the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. As the Dodger southpaw attends shul and fasts on the Day of Atonement, Don Drysdale gives up seven runs in three innings in the team’s 8-2 loss at Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium.
  • 1966 Jim Palmer becomes the youngest player to pitch a shutout in the World Series when the 20 year-old Oriole right-hander blanks Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 6-0. The contest will become more memorable next month when Koufax surprises the baseball world by announcing his retirement, making this game his last major league appearance.
  • 1966 In the same Game Two loss to the Orioles at Dodger Stadium, Willie Davis establishes a World Series record by committing three errors in one game. The center fielder’s blunders come on two consecutive plays in the fifth inning, the first by losing a fly ball in the sun, then by dropping the next fly ball, followed by overthrowing third base.
  • 1980 In the 163rd game of the season, 35 year-old knuckleballer Joe Niekro earns his 20th victory, going the distance to defeat the Dodgers, 7-1, in the winner-take-all contest for the NL West. With the win, the Astros hold on to capture their first title in the 19-year history of the franchise after losing a season-ending three game series to LA, (3-2, 2-1, and 4-3) that forced the one-game playoff.

Lineup when available.