Category: Dailies
Two Can Also Be a Lonely Number
Fans of the Milwaukee Braves in the 1950’s invoked the mantra of “Spahn and Sain, and pray for rain” to express their extreme confidence in the front end of the team’s pitching rotation, and their extreme concern over the quality of the back end of the rotation. For the Dodgers in 2011 there’s no catchy phrase to demonstrate fans’ joy when Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are at bat and their trepidation when the other seven players in the lineup are at bat, but the void between Kemp/Ethier and the rest of the Dodgers’ hitters is wider than former umpire Eric Gregg’s strike zone.
Using the OPS+ tool to track a player’s performance, Ethier (at 168 through Saturday before his homer today) and Kemp (at 172) are 77 points better than the team’s overall 93 OPS+ rating. Granted it is just Mother’s Day and things can change drastically over the next four and a half months, but the 77 point difference, if it holds up, would be the largest since the Dodgers began playing their home games at Dodger Stadiium in 1962.
The largest gap between the top two performers and the team’s overall average for a full season for the Dodgers since 1962 came in 1997 when Mike Piazza (185) and Raul Mondesi (140) averaged a 163 OPS+, which was 62 points higher than the team overall number of 101. Other large gap seasons include:
2000 61 point difference
Gary Sheffield 176/Todd Hundley 143 Avg 160 Team overall 99
2001 60 point difference
Gary Sheffield 164/Shawn Green 154 Avg 159 Team 99
1995 60 point difference
Mike Piazza 172/Eric Karros 145 Avg 159 Team 99
1985 60 point difference
Pedro Guerrero 181/Mike Marshall 140 Avg 161 Team 101
1990 59 point difference
Eddie Murray/Kal Daniels 154 Avg 156 Team 97
The lofty numbers Ethier and Kemp are putting up this year give the slugging outfielders a chance at joining the ranks of the elite for the Dodgers in the OPS+ category for a season. Since 1962, the best figure was Piazza’s 185 in 1997, followed by Guerrero’s 181 in 1985, Sheffield’s 176 in 2000, Piazza’s 172 in 1995 and Reggie Smith’s 167 in 1977.
The Dodgers’ 93 overall number so far this year is poor, but is far from the worst in team history since 1962. In 2003, the Dodgers’ overall OPS+ was 79, and the team posted an 81 overall OPS+ in 1987.
Miami Nice
After their midweek visit to the chamber of horrors that is Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Nats headed south to another place that hasn’t been kind to them over the years, Sun Life Stadium outside of Miami, Florida. With a 3-2 Nats lead going into the bottom of the tenth things looked good, but we’ve come to expect the worst when the Nats play the Fish in Florida. When the first two Marlins reached base in the 10th it looked like another loss was imminent, but Drew Storen and Sean Burnett held down the fort and Washington escaped with a much needed 3-2 win.
The Nats won despite striking out 17 times against Florida’s Ricky Nolasco and a stable of hard throwing relievers. The 17 punchouts were the most the Nats have ever had in a game that they won. The previous strikeout high for Washington in a game the Nats won was 16, set in April 2010 when they fanned 16 times in a 7-1 win over the Marlins and Nolasco in Florida. Over the past five plus years, the Nats have fanned 13 or more times in 38 games. They have only won nine of those contests.
Florida’s hurlers weren’t the only ones punching out hitters on Friday night. Washington’s Tyler Clippard faced six Marlins hitters over the seventh and eighth innings and struck out all six of them. The six strikeouts marked the second highest total for Clippard as a relief pitcher in his career. Clippard fanned seven Mets (10 batters faced) on April 10th at New York last year, and struck out seven Padres (14 batters faced) at Nationals Park in July 2009.
Last night’s winning run was scored by Jayson Werth, who reached base in the top of the 10th with his third base on balls of the night. On the season, Werth has 17 walks in 31 games. The game winning run was driven in on an Adam LaRoche sacrifice fly. LaRoche has 16 free passes so far this year. The patient Nats’ free agent acquisitions both appear headed, barring injury, to taking spots among the Nats’ season high marks for walks by a batter. The top five in bases on balls from 2005 through 2010 are as follows:
Adam Dunn 116 2009
Nick Johnson 110 2006
Brad Wilkerson 84 2005
Johnson 80 2005
Dunn 77 2010
Finally, last night’s win gave the Nats a 2-1 record against the Marlins in extra-inning contests played at Florida this season. From 2005 to 2010, the Nationals won only two of five games in Florida that went more than nine innings.
Nationals’ April Has Its Ups and Downs
While a 12-14 record in the 2011 season’s opening month is certainly not cause for parades in the streets of the Nation’s Capitol, there were some positives for the Nats over the past four weeks. With 12 wins in the month, the 2011 team fell one win short of tying the 2010 (13-10 in April) and 2005 (13-11) for the most wins by a Nationals team in a season’s opening month. For the most part the team played competitive games in the month, relying on strong pitching to keep the team in games while the Nats’ struggled to score runs.
Here’s a look at some of the best and worst of April 2011.
APRIL 2011 MVP
1) Jason Marquis- After suffering through an injury plagued 2-9 campaign in 2010, the veteran starter was determined to right his ship this season. So far, he’s done that and way more. Marquis is 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA on the season with 24 strikeouts and only five walks allowed.
2) Wilson Ramos- Last year’s trade of all-star Matt Capps to Minnesota for Ramos may be a deal that is remembered fondly by Nats fans for years to come. The rookie catcher has hit the ground running in 2011, hitting .385 in the season’s first month and playing solid defense behind the plate.
3) Livan Hernandez- The steady and unflappable pitcher has, with Marquis, given the Nats a surprisingly effective one-two punch at the top of the team’s pitching rotation. Hernandez is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA so far, and he’s shown no signs of losing the effectiveness he showed in 2010.
BEST GAMES
1) Sunday April 17- Doubleheader sweep of Milwaukee 8-4 and 5-1- Both Marquis and Hernandez were tremendous on this beautiful day for baseball in DC, and Danny Espinosa had three RBI in each game to pace Washington’s attack.
2 ) Friday April 29- 3-0 over San Francisco- Marquis outdueled San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum, throwing a complete game shutout and chipping in at the plate with a RBI single. Old-time baseball fans may have thought they’d gone back in time, as the Nats put a curly W in the books in a crisp two hours and nine minutes.
3) Tuesday April 12- 7-4 win over Philadelphia- The win didn’t come against one of the Phils’ big four starters and Philly ended up winning the series 2-1, but getting a victory against the reigning division champion was a sweet way to start the 2011 18 game trek against the Phils.
TOUGHEST LOSS
Saturday April 30- 2-1 loss to San Francisco- Looking to extend its modest winning streak to three games, the Nats left 12 men on base and wasted opportunity against the Giants.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Veteran outfielder Laynce Nix had a successful first month in DC, providing power (he hit three home runs in the month) and a take no prisoners approach to the game.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
1) Ryan Zimmerman’s injury- Losing the team’s centerpiece for at least two months of the season is a sobering thought for a squad that was hoping to show dramatic improvement in 2011. Zim’s absence from the lineup puts added pressure on the other middle of the order hitters, pressure that they’ve so far been unable to respond to.
2) The lack of production by the Nats’ outfielders- Opening day starters Werth, Rick Ankiel and Michael Morse all struggled at the plate, with none of them hitting better than .227 in April.
3) Jordan Zimmernan’s struggles- Perhaps it was too much to expect a young pitcher coming off of Tommy John surgery to be great right away, but the Nats’ certainly have to be disappointed with Zimmerman’s 1-4, 4.55 ERA in April. The numbers were somewhat deceiving as Zimmerman showed flashes of brilliance on the month, but he didn’t get off to the start many thought he would.
Nats Notes
Rookie Danny Espinosa’s six runs driven in during Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of Milwaukee gave the second baseman a team leading 14 on the year. With 11 games to go in the month, Espinosa has the chance to join the Nats’ 20 plus RBI per month club. Nats who have achieved the 20 plus mark include:
Adam Dunn 27 RBI May 2009
Ryan Zimmerman 25 RBI August 2007
Dunn 24 RBI August 2010
Alfonso Soriano 23 RBI May 2006
Josh Willingham 23 RBI July 2009
Zimmerman 23 RBI July 2009
Zimmerman 23 RBI August 2009
Elijah Dukes 22 RBI August 2009
Willingham 22 RBI May 2010
Nick Johnson 21 RBI May 2005
Zimmerman 21 RBI September 2006
Johnson 21 RBI May 2009
Zimmerman 20 RBI August 2006
Dunn 20 RBI June 2010
Zimmerman 20 RBI August 2010
It’s early in the season and an above .500 record in mid-April isn’t cause for frenzied celebration, but there are signs that the Nationals may be joining the ranks of the living in 2011. One particularly good sign is the team’s pitchers’ quality start rate. While some claim that the stat is not a good indicator of a pitcher’s value, the fact remains that giving up three earned runs or less in six or more innings sounds pretty good for Nats’ fans who have watched the team struggle on the hill over the past seasons. So far, the Nats have 10 quality starts in their 15 games. The team’s best mark came in 2005 when Washington had 84 quality starts in its 162 games. The next best mark for the Nats came in 2010 when Washington had 69 quality starts.
Washington’s three game sweep over the Brew Crew over the weekend came on the heels of two tough Nats’ losses against the Phillies. If those watching those two games came away with the impression that the contests may have been the best two games in a sequence pitched against Washington, they wouldn’t have been far off. Using the Bill James-created pitcher’s game score totals for Roy Halladay (74) and Cliff Lee (92), the duo registered a combined 166 score. That mark is the second highest in consecutive games against the Nats, trailing only Milwaukee’s C.C. Sabathia (85) and Ben Sheets (83) who combined for 168 in wins over Washington in August 2008. The only other consecutive games with a total score of 160 or more came last June when Gavin Floyd (74) and Jake Peavey (86) combined for 160 in back to back White Sox’s wins at Nationals Park.
A Diamond in the Rough
A 6-8 start that has featured less than clutch hitting, inconsistent pitching and plenty of key injuries has made the start of the 2011 season less than pleasing for most Dodgers’ fans. We are having the chance, however, to witness what appears to be the start of something very big for Dodgers’ centerfielder Matt Kemp.
With the caveat in place that judging Kemp’s 2011 performance on 14 games is patently ridiculous, the talented outfielder has started the season in exemplary fashion. Kemp’s .449 average, nine RBI and eight stolen bases (in nine attempts) lead the team, and he’s behind only Rod Barajas in home runs (Barajas has three to Kemp’s two).
Kemp has the chance to become the first player in Los Angeles Dodgers’ history to lead the team in the three Triple Crown categories and in stolen bases in a season. Nine Dodgers’ have led the team outright in three of the four categories since 1958:
1982- Pedro Guerrero led in avg (.304), HR (23) and RBI (100). Steve Sax led in steals with 49.
1983- Guerrero again led in the Triple Crown categories (.304, 32, 103) while Sax’s 56 steals paced the team.
1987- Guerrero led in the Triple Crown categories (.338, 27, 89) with Sax leading in steals with 37.
1988- League MVP Kirk Gibson led the team in average (.290), homers (25) and RBI (76) with Sax’s 42 steals pacing the Dodgers.
1993- Mike Piazza’s Triple Crown category numbers led the way (.318, 35, 112) with Brett Butler leading in steals with 39.
1994- Piazza led the way with a .319 average, 24 homers and 92 RBI,with Delino Deshields and Butler leading in steals with 27 during the strike-shortened season.
1997- In his finest year, Piazza’s .362 average, 40 homers and 124 RBI led the Dodgers, with Raul Mondesi capturing the team stolen base title with 32.
2001- Shawn Green led in homers (49), RBI (125) and steals (20), but lost out to Paul Loduca (.320) in batting average.
2004- Adrian Beltre’s monster season included a team leading .334 average, 48 homers and 121 RBI. Cesar Izturis led in steals with 25.
Two other Dodgers deserve mention in this discussion. In 1979, Steve Garvey tied for the team lead with 28 homers and paced the team with a .315 average and 110 RBI. The top base stealer in 1979 was Davey Lopes with 48. In 1972, Willie Davis tied Frank Robinson with a team-high 19 homers and led the team with 79 RBI and 20 steals, but Manny Mota led the way in batting average with .323 (in 371 at bats).
One aspect of Kemp’s game that appears to be vastly improved in 2011 is his base running, with much of the credit being given to new Dodgers’ first base coach Davey Lopes. Kemp’s current career stolen base success percentage is 74%, but there’s evidence that the number will get much better under Lopes’ leadership.
Lopes not only preaches efficent and effective use of the stolen base, he practiced it as well. Lopes is second in all-time stolen bases for the Dodgers with 418, but he leads the way in success rate among the top team LA Dodger base stealers:
Maury Wills 490 steals 74% success rate
Davey Lopes 418/83.1%
Willie Davis 335/74%
Steve Sax 290/69%
Brett Butler 179/65%
Bill Russell 167/71%
Raul Mondesi 140/72%
Juan Pierre 134/77%
Ken Landreaux 119/68%
Dave Roberts 118/82.5%
It Seems to Happen Every Spring
While Spring brings the promise of warmer weather and the assurance of longer days, fans of the Washington Nationals have had something else they can count on when the calendar turns to the fourth month. So far in 2011, Nats’ reliever Tyler Clippard has thrown 8 2/3 scoreless innings, fanning 10 batters while walking only two. Clippard’s performance is in keeping with a career in which the lanky righthander is 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings pitched. His WHIP in April for his career is an amazing 0.788 and he’s never allowed a home run in the month.
Clippard’s history of no home runs in April is certainly going to be tested this week as the Nats’ host two teams with plenty of power, the defending NL East champion Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers.
DIVISIONAL BATTLES
Sunday’s victory in New York got the Nats’ their first series win of the year and a rare series win in a National League East road series. Since 2005, the Nationals are a paltry 18-49-7 in road series’ against divisional rivals. They haven’t fared much better at home, going 26-36-11. The team’s record against its rivals ranges from the suprisingly competent (15-14-7 against the Braves) to the embarrasingly inept (8-25-3 against the Phillies and 9-26-1 against the Marlins). The most divisional series wins the Nats have in a season is nine in 2006 when their overall record was 9-13-2. The lowpoint for the Nats in series against their chief rivals came in 2007 when the team went 5-15-4.
ODDS AND ENDS
On Sunday, Jason Marquis struck out nine Mets’ batters in six innings pitched to help keep the team in a game that they’d eventually win in 11 innings. Marquis nine strikeout performance was the most he’s registered since 2004, when struck out nine Dodgers in a 5-1 for the Cardinals over Los Angeles. His career high for strikeouts came all the way back in 2001 when Marquis, while pitching for the Braves, fanned 13 Brewers.
Laynce Nix’s homer in the 11th off the Mets on Sunday was the icing on the cake in Washington’s third win over its last four games. It was the third extra-inning homer for the outfielder in his career. Nix’s first extra-frame round-tripper came in 2009 against current teammate Tood Coffey when Nix (playing for the Reds) hit a 13th inning solo blast against the burly reliever (who was pitching for Milwaukee). Nix also hit a walk-off homer against New York’s Manny Acosta in the 11th innning on May 3, 2010 in a 3-2 Cincinnati win over the Mets.
A Walk in the (Citi)Park for the Nats
Over the years, countless scores of Little Leaguers have heard their parents and coaches yell out “A walk is as good as a hit” On Friday afternoon in Citi Field in New York, the Washington Nationals proved that old axiom has some teeth to it.
The Nats walked nine times, with three of the batters reaching via a base on balls scoring and another run coming in when Michael Morse walked with the bases loaded. At the end of the dreary and cold afternoon, the Nats had a 6-2 win and their first back to back wins of the 2011 season.
The game marked the 16th time the Nats have walked at least nine times in a nine inning game. Washington is 9-7 in those contests, 13 of which have come on the road. The Nats’ record for most walks in a nine inning game is 11. In the 2005 season, the Nats received 11 free passes in an 11-8 win at San Francisco and they repeated the feat at RFK Stadium on August 9, 2006 in a 5-2 win over the Florida Marlins.
Time has shown that patience is a virtue for Major League batters, and the Nats have shown signs of improvement in that category. Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche all have demonstrated good patience at the plate, and pinch-hitter deluxe Matt Stairs has shown the same ability in his limited opportunities. The Nats’ all-time best season for base on balls came in 2009 when Washington walked 617 times, finishing fifth best in the Major Leagues. Averaging 3.5 walks per game in the early stages of the 2011 season, the Nats will fall short of that mark if they continue on their pace. The would, however, finish well ahead of their walk numbers in every other season besides 2006 when they walked 594 times (the seventh most in the Majors).
A Thorn In Our Side
Try to think of the opposition players who have ruined the most Dodger baseball games for you. Long-time fans probably remember the dynamic duo of Willie Mays and Willie McCovey for the hated Giants. Fans of the Dodgers in the 1970’s saw more than enough of Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and the entire Big Red Machine, and don’t get those of us who are older fans (or former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda for that matter) started regarding Reggie Jackson of the Yankees. St. Louis’ Jack Clark and Ozzie Smith ruined a couple of otherwise wonderful days in October 1985, and cocky collection of New York Mets’ stars in the mid to late years of the decade of the 80’s got under many a Dodger fans’ skin. In the 1990’s, we were frustrated by the pitching excellence of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and experienced the agony of watching Barry Bonds excel against the Dodgers for what seemed to be a century.
In my book, there’s one player who seemingly has ruined more games than others for me. He’s not an unlikeable player and in fact when rumors of his possibly being traded to the Dodgers came about years ago, I was excited about the possibility of his coming to Los Angeles. He’s no longer even the best player on his own team, being replaced by his squad’s all-world shortstop, a five tool outfielder and an ace pitcher as the faces of the franchise. I’m talking, of course, about Colorado’s Todd Helton who contributed mightily to some indigestion I experienced on Wednesday when the Rockies finished off a two game sweep of the Dodgers. Helton’s three run homer on Wednesday helped the Rockies to a lead they wouldn’t give up and while the blast was the 42nd he’s hit against Los Angeles (the most against any one team), it seemed like number 422 to me.
Chad Billingsley gave up the homer to Helton on Wednesday, but he already became a member of this less than desireable Mile High Club in 2010 when he gave up a solo blast to Helton at Coors Field on August 28th. On Wednesday, Billingsley joined Odalis Perez (5), Chan Ho Park (4), Eric Gagne (2), Jeff Weaver (2), Hideo Nomo (2) and Scott Proctor (2) as Dodger pitchers who have given up multiple home runs to the Rockies’ slugger. A total of 30 Dodger pitchers have been taken deep by Helton while pitching for the Dodgers, including four current Los Angeles pitchers (Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda and Jonathan Broxton). Ten of Helton’s first 14 homers against the Dodgers came at Dodger Stadium but of late, he’s done his damage against the Blue Crew at home with 26 of his last 28 coming at Coors Field.
Part of following a team is also following its closest rivals and while Helton has brought a lot of pain to Dodger fans in general and me in particular over the years, I have enjoyed watching him play. The homers against the Dodgers are coming less frequently for the lefthanded hitter now (Helton’s hit only nine since 2006 after slugging 14 from 2003 through 2005), but Wednedsay’s drive showed that some of the old magic is still there. I wish that he’d just display that magic against the Giants, Padres or Diamondbacks.
Nats-Braves: Top of the Head Thoughts
On a cold damp day more suitable for a Falcons-Redskins contest, I was lucky enough to attend today’s National League opener between the Braves and Nationals. Here are some quick, off the top of my head thoughts on what I saw.
1) Chipper Jones looked healthy- Jones first inning double was the result of his being able to accelerate between first and second to beat Jayson Werth’s throw (it probably helped that Werth was throwing a wet ball). Jones motored into second at a pretty good clip and showed no ill effects of his 2010 injury.
2) The Braves’ 3-4-5-6 hitters are scary, but I have my doubts about the rest of the lineup- One game does not a season make, but it looked to me like the middle of the order (Jones, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward) are going to have to do all of the heavy lifting for the Braves’ offense in 2011. Heyward’s laser shot homer in the second was impressive and while the Nats’ kept the Braves middle four from breaking the game open, you always felt (at least as a Nats’ fan) that trouble was brewing when the middle order guys came to the plate for Atlanta.
3) The Nats’ defense looked sharp- Werth made a few nice plays in right, Danny Espinosa had a very good play, and Adam LaRoche and Ryan Zimmerman added solid defense on the infield corners. For a team that has played pretty poor defense over the past few seasons, this was a ray of hope on a dreary day.
4) Slow sometimes beats fast- Livan Hernandez’ strikeout of Dan Uggla on a 60 mile per hour breaking ball was another Nats’ highlight. Uggla practically screwed himself into the ground on the swing which came during a period when the Nats’ starter retired 15 Braves in a row. Livo pitched well enough to win.
5) Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbral can pitch- The Braves pen was automatic in the eighth and ninth. It looks like our NL East rivals will have an awesome pen in 2011.
Remembering Dodgers’ Opening Day Heroes
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter today’s 2011 opener against San Francisco with a 26-27 record in the first game of seasons since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958. And while the team’s overall record in openers is the definition of mediocre, there’s been no shortage of superb performances by Dodgers’ players in those games. Here’s a look at some of the best individual performances by the boys in blue in season opening games.
1960- LA 3 Cubs 2
Don Drysdale was known for his toughness, durability and power pitching. All of those attributes were on display in the first game of 1960, as Drysdale threw an 11 inning, 14 strikeout complete game to earn the win. Drysdale’s heroics might have gone for naught if not for the unexpected contribution of Chuck Essegian. Essegian hit the only walk-off homer of his Major League career to win the game for Los Angeles in the bottom of the 11th.
1964- LA 4 Cardinals 0
Sandy Koufax was synonomous with dominance on the pitching mound in the mid-60s, and the eventual World Series champion Cards experienced that first hand in the opener of 1964. The Dodgers’ Hall of Famer shut the Cards out with a complete game, five strikeout performance.
1965- LA 6 @ Mets 1
Speedy Willie Davis provided many thrills for Dodgers fans during his time in Los Angeles, and his three hits, including a double and a homer, led the Dodgers to a victory in the first game of 1965.
1969- LA 3 @ Reds 2
Bill Singer won 20 games for the Dodgers in 1969, but his contribution in the opening game of that season came out of the bullpen. Singer threw three innings of one hit ball to earn the only save he’d get as a Dodger (he had only two in his Major League career).
1974- LA 8 Padres 0
The 1974 Dodger team was one full of players with star power, and the talents of two of those stars were on display in this rout of the Dodgers’ neighbors to the south. Don Sutton’s complete game, eight strikeout performance kept the Padres at bay at the plate, and fan favorite Jimmy Wynn had three hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs to pace the Dodgers’ attack.
1978- LA 13 @ Braves 4
Rick Monday is remembered by many as the player who saved the flag from being burned on at Dodger Stadium in July 1976 and by others as a long-time Dodger broadcaster. Monday was also, however, a very good player in his days in Los Angeles. In the opener of 1978, the left-handed hitting outfielder’s four hits (including a double and a homer) and four RBI led the team to victory. The homer was one of eight Monday would hit in April 1978.
1981- LA 2 Astros 0
Youth was served at Chavez Ravine in 1981 as precocious lefty Fernando Valenzuela dominated the Astros in a complete game shutout performance. The eventual Rookie-of-the Year would go on to win his first eight games, throwing five shutouts in the process, in one of the best starts for a pitcher in a season in Major League history.
1982- LA 4 Giants 3
A game ending hit is at the top of the list of exciting things to watch for baseball fans and when that hit comes against an arch-rival, the excitement is taken to a new level. In 1982, Dusty Baker’s bases loaded RBI single gave Los Angeles a victory over the hated Giants. Baker would enjoy an All-Star season in 1982, hitting .300 wiht 23 homers and 83 RBI.
1983- LA 16 @ Astros 7
The Houston Astrodome was known as a pitchers’ park, but the hometown team and its fans may have disputed that following the 1983 season opener. Kenny Landreaux (three hits and a career high tying six RBI) and Pedro Guerrero (a homer with five RBI) turned the game into a slow-pitch softball-like hitfest as the Dodgers won in a rout.
1986- LA 2 Padres 1
In a year when he’d post his only 20 win season, Fernando Valenzuela got off to a good start with a complete game victory over San Diego. The Dodger lefty shut San Diego out through the first eight innings, but had to retire Bruce Bochy on a groundout with the tying run on base in the top of the ninth to secure the win.
1990- LA 4 Padres 2
Hubie Brooks played only one year in a Dodger uniform, but he got that year off to a great start as his three run homer in the bottom of the eighth gave Los Angeles a 4-2 comeback win. Brooks would hit 20 homers and drive in 91 runs for Los Angeles in the 1990 campaign.
1995- LA 8 @ Marlins 7
Raul Mondesi’s monster game (three hits, including two homers, and four RBI) helped the Dodgers build an 8-2 lead, and the bullpen hung on to secure the win despite surrendering five runs in the final two innings.
1999- LA 8 Diamondbacks 6
It’s hard to top the 1999 season opener for dramatic action and once again, Raul Mondesi was the opening day hero. Mondesi’s two out, three run homer in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 6-6 and his two out two run homer in the bottom of the 11th won the contest for the Dodgers.
2001- LA 1 @ Brewers 0
Two Dodgers in their final seasons in Los Angeles led the team to victory in the season opener in Milwaukee. Chan Ho Park, who would go 75-49 in his final five years as a Dodger, was the pitching star with seven innings of shutout ball. At the plate, Gary Sheffield’s sixth inning homer was all that was needed to gain the win. Sheffield’s final year in LA would be a strong one, as the talented outfielder hit .300 with 36 round trippers and 100 RBI.
2003- LA 8 @ Diamondbacks 0
In this battle of well-known starting pitchers, the Dodgers Hideo Nomo outdueled a less than effective Randy Johnson of Arizona. Nomo’s complete game performance was one of the high points of his very successful 2003 campaign, a year that would see him win 16 games.
2008- LA 5 Giants 0
Former Giant Jeff Kent’s two run homer in the first inning got things off on the right foot, and Brad Penny and three relievers did the rest as Los Angeles dominated San Francisco.
From A(lston) to Z(immerman) 