Aug 04

Game 108, 2023

Dodgers at Padres, 6:40 PM PDT, TV: Dodgers –SPNLA; Padres — DirecTV (channel 694-3), Spectrum (channel 305), AT&T U-Verse (channel 781), Cox (Back on good ol’ channel 4); streaming options here

All those optional channels are a result of Bally Sports SD and Diamond Sports failing to make a rights fees payment, resulting in Major League Baseball taking over the broadcasting rights.

RHP Bobby Miller (6-2, 4.37 ERA) takes the mound at Petco Park for the visiting Dodgers; he’ll face the Padres’ RHP Yu Darvish (8-7, 4.53 ERA).

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1908 In Brooklyn, the last-place Cardinals blank the Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers), 3-0. The entire Washington Park contest is played with just one ball.
  • 1941 Mickey Owens becomes the first catcher to handle three foul pop ups in one frame. The Brooklyn backstop’s third inning defense contributes to the Dodgers’ 11-6 victory over New York at Ebbets Field.
  • 1942 In a military relief game at the Polo Grounds, which will be the last war-time twilight game played, Pee Wee Reese’s grand slam in the top of the ninth, which puts the Dodgers up 5-1, doesn’t count, because of the 9:10 pm government curfew. The game ends up as a 1-1 tie with the Giants.
  • 1948 Ernie Harwell, filling in for Red Barber, who is recovering from a bleeding ulcer, calls his first major league game as the Dodgers beat the Cubs at Ebbets Field, 5-4. To obtain the future Hall of Fame broadcaster, Brooklyn general manager Branch Rickey trades minor league catcher Cliff Draper to the Atlanta Crackers.

Lineups when available:

Jun 21

Game 74, 2023

Dodgers at Angels, 6:40 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports West, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

RHP Michael Grove (0-2, 8.10 ERA) gets the ball for the visiting Dodgers and RHP Shohei Ohtana (6-2, 3.29 ERA) takes it for the Angels.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1900 Citing the Superbas’ poor attendance at Brooklyn’s Washington Park, National League president Ned Young discusses the possibility of transferring the franchise to the District of Columbia. En route to their second consecutive title, the reigning NL champions are averaging only a thousand fans on non-holiday dates.
  • 1957 In his first major league start, Von McDaniel‚ who graduated from Oklahoma’s Hollis High School last month, two-hits the Dodgers at Busch Stadium‚ 2-0. Brooklyn does not get a hit off the 18 year-old bonus baby until the sixth inning.
  • 1998 Bill Russell is released as Dodger manager and is replaced in the dugout by Glenn Hoffmann. In the front office, Tommy Lasorda assumes the general manager duties of the third-place club from Fred Claire.
  • 2016 Dean Kremer becomes the first-ever Israeli to sign a contract with a Major League baseball team when he comes to terms with the Dodgers, after being selected in the annual amateur draft earlier this month. The 20-year-old right-hander, who won Europe’s Most Valuable Pitcher award in both 2014 and 2015, has hurled for Israel’s national baseball team for the past three seasons. (Note: Kremer was traded to the Orioles in the Manny Machado deal in 2018; he’s 17-18 in four years with the Orioles).
  • 2021 Needing only 197 games, nine-year veteran Yu Darvish becomes the fastest pitcher to record 1,500 career strikeouts, easily eclipsing Randy Johnson, who needed nine more starts to reach the milestone. The Padres’ right-hander establishes the mark with the 11th and final strikeout of his six innings of work against the Dodgers.

Lineups when available.

May 05

Game 33, 2023

Dodgers at Padres, 6:40 PM PDT, TV: Bally Sports San Diego, MLBN (out-of-market only), SPNLA

LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 1.89 ERA) pitches for the visiting Dodgers while RHP Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.60 ERA) takes the ball for the Friars.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1953 In the second game of a twin bill at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, Braves’ hurler Max Surkont strikes out the hitter for the third out of the second inning, and will continue to fan batters until there is one out in the fifth inning en route to a 10-3 victory over the Reds. The eight consecutive strikeouts establish a new major league record, surpassing the mark of seven straight strikeouts shared by Dazzy Vance (Robins aka Dodgers, 1924) and Van Lingle Mungo (Dodgers, 1936).
  • 1955 In his first major league start, Dodger rookie starter Tommy Lasorda ties a record, throwing three wild pitches in the first inning of the team’s 4-3 victory over St. Louis at Ebbets Field. The future Dodgers’ Hall of Fame skipper, during his one inning of work, will be spiked by Wally Moon while covering a play at home plate after uncorking on of his errant pitches.
  • 1962 In just his fourth big league start, Bo Belinsky throws the first hitless game in Angels history and the first one ever tossed at Dodger Stadium, beating the Orioles, 2-0. The 25 year-old southpaw is only the tenth rookie to throw a no-hitter.
  • 2000 Former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda is named manager of the United States’ Olympic baseball team. The Hall of Fame pilot won four National League pennants and two World Series titles with Los Angeles.
  • 2008 At Coors Field, Derek Lowe throws 43 pitches before he retires the first Rockies batter of the game. The Dodgers starting pitcher never recovers from the 50-pitch, three-run first inning, leaving after the fifth of a 7-2 eventual loss to Colorado.
  • 2008 In the 4,000th game played at Dodger Stadium, Joe Torre’s Dodgers beat the Mets, 5-1. The Los Angeles skipper also managed in the 1,000th game at the Astrodome (Mets – 1977) and Coors Field (Yankees – 2007), the 2,000th at Busch Stadium (Cardinals – 1991), the 3,000th at Angel Stadium (Yankees – 2003), and the 6,000th at Yankee Stadium (Yankees -2001).
  • 2009 The Dodgers tie the major league record of 12 consecutive wins at home to start the season with their 3-1 victory over Arizona. L.A.’s 12-0 start at home equals the mark set by the Tigers in 1911.

Lineups when available.

Oct 23

NLCS Game Five, 2022

Padres at Phillies, 11:37 PM PDT, TV: FS1

The Padres ask RHP Yu Darvish (16-8, 3.10 ERA regular season; 2-1, 2.84 ERA postseason) to stop the Phillies, who will counter with RHP Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA regular season; 1-1, 1.40 ERA postseason).

Joe Carter hits a walk-off Series-winning home run, the Giants and Royals each win pennants, and much more occurred on this day in baseball history..

Oct 18

NLCS Game One, 2022

Phillies at Padres, 5:03 PM PDT, TV: FS1

RHP Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA) goes to the hill for the visiting Phillies. He’ll face RHP Yu Darvish (16-8, 3.10 ERA) of the Padres.

Managers being fired, the Yankees winning, the Red Sox winning, Reggie Jackson, Mark McGwire and Ed Sprague homering…there have been lots of interesting events on this day in baseball history.

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.

Sep 02

Game 131, 2022

Padres at Dodgers, 7:10 PM PDT, TV: BS SD, SPNLA

RHP Yu Darvish (11-7, 3.41 ERA) pitches for the visiting Padres; he’ll face the Dodgers’ RHP Dustin May (1-1, 1.64 ERA), freshly off the IL and Tommy John surgery.

On this date in Dodgers history:

  • 1944 Batting cleanup for the Dodgers, Dixie Walker completes a cycle when he hits a sixth-inning double off Rube Fischer in the team’s 8-4 win over the Giants. The Brooklyn right fielder’s four RBIs prove to be the difference in the Ebbets Field’s contest.
  • 1969 Willie Davis, with his sixth-inning double in the team’s 5-4 loss to New York at Dodger Stadium, breaks a 53 year-old franchise record by hitting safely in thirty consecutive games. The LA outfielder surpasses the streak established by Zack Wheat in 1916 when the team played in Brooklyn.
  • 1971 Cesar Cedeno hits an inside-the-park grand slam when Dodger second baseman Jim Lefebvre and right fielder Bill Buckner collide, trying to make the fifth inning catch. The 200-foot dropped bloop contributes to the Astros’ 9-3 victory over LA at the Astrodome.
  • 1972 In his major league debut, Doug Rau throws a three-hitter, beating St. Louis at Busch Stadium, 5-1. In his first big-league at-bat, the 23 year-old Dodger southpaw helps his cause with a RBI-triple in the second inning.
  • 1993 The Rockies, drawing a crowd of 47,699 for their 62nd home game, surpass the 1982 Dodgers when the team attracts 3,617,863 fans to Denver’s Mile High Stadium, setting a new National League single-season attendance record. The expansion club will also break the 1992 Blue Jays’ major league mark of 4,028,318 before the season is over.
  • 2002 In the top of the ninth inning, Diamondback first baseman Mark Grace hurls an inning of relief with the team trailing the Dodgers, 18-0. The All-Star infielder retires three of the four batters he faces in the Bank One Ballpark, yielding a two-out home run to David Ross.

Lineups when available.

Aug 07

Game 108, 2022

Padres at Dodgers, 4:00 PM PDT, TV: ESPN

RHP Yu Darvish (10-4, 3.30 ERA) comes back to the Dodger Stadium mound for one of the few times since his calamitous 2017 World Series appearances for the Dodgers. He’s having one of the best seasons of his 10-year career, reaching double-digits in wins for only the fifth time. He’ll face Tyler Anderson (12-1, 2.89 ERA), who’s having by far the best season of his seven-year career. In his last start he had a horrible fifth inning against the Giants; in that game he gave up five runs on six hits and a wild pitch but still had a 6-5 lead when he was pulled from the game and got the win.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 2003 Fireballer Eric Gagne ties the single-season record for consecutive saves to start a season, established in 1995 by Jose Mesa of the Indians. The Dodger closer strikes out the Reds’ side in the ninth inning for his 38th save this season and 46th consecutive regular-season save overall.

In other baseball history, in 1972 the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts pitchers Sandy Koufax (1st year of eligibility, 86.9% of the vote), the author of four no-hitters, and three hundred game winner Early Wynn (4th year, 76.0%). Yogi Berra (2nd year, 85.6%), who retired as the AL leader for catcher putouts with 8,723, is also enshrined in Cooperstown.

Lineups when available.

Jul 02

Game 77, 2022

Padres at Dodgers, 4:15 PM PDT, TV: FOX

The visiting Padres send RHP Yu Darvish (7-3, 3.26 ERA) out to do battle with the Dodgers’ LHP Tyler Anderson (8-1, 3.23 ERA). Darvish has a 1.61 ERA over his last four starts. He got no decision in the last one, giving up seven hits and three runs over six innings to the Phillies, who came back to win against the Padres’ bullpen. Anderson took his first loss of the year in his last start, giving up ten hits and four runs in six innings to the Rockies.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1962 Johnny Podres ties a major league mark record, striking out eight consecutive batters in LA’s 5-1 victory over Philadelphia. The 29 year-old southpaw’s streak begins with the third out in the top of the fourth frame and ends after the first out in the seventh inning of the Dodger Stadium contest.
  • 1995 Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo, who is leading the National League in strikeouts, becomes the first player from Japan to be selected for the major league All-Star game. As the starter for the Senior Circuit, the 26 year-old rookie tosses two scoreless innings in the National League’s 3-2 victory over their American League rivals at The Ballpark in Arlington.
  • 2019 The Dodgers overcome a 4-3 deficit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning when the Diamondbacks’ bullpen walks five consecutive batters, including Cody Bellinger’s base-on-balls forcing in the winning run. The last time the Chavez Ravine club got a walk-off win with a walk was when Bellinger drew the fourth consecutive free pass issued by the Royals relievers, plating the winning run in a 5-4 extra-inning victory in 2017.

Lineups when available.