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The Team Spirit Extra Innings website begins where the Team Spirit books end.
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Updates
2023 Season
April 18, 2022: Clayton Kershaw beats the Mets for the 200th win of his career. More than 100 pitchers have won 200, but Kershaw is one of only six to do so without losing 100 games.
April 1, 2023: Trayce Thompson clubbed three homers and drove in 8 runs in a game against the Diamondbacks.
Season Preview: The Dodgers made enough small changes in the off-season to remain a 90-to-100 win team in 2023. As always, they will depend on their farm system to supply them with the players they need. This season, LA opens the schedule with James Outman in centerfield, Miguel Vargas at second base and Evan Phillips closing out games in relief. None of them were household names a year ago. All-Stars Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Mookie Betts will carry the hitting load, while Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw lead the pitching staff. The team’s only obvious weakness is at shortstop, but the Dodgers have the pieces to trade for one if they are unable to fill it themselves.
2022 Season
Season Recap: For most of 2022, baseball fans simply assumed that the Dodgers would win the pennant and, probably, the World Series. LA won 111 games and did not have a single weakness. For the fifth year in a row, they scored the most runs in the league while allowing the fewest. The Dodgers entered the playoffs on a roll, having outscored opponents by more than 100 runs—in the final third of the season alone! But that did not impress the Padres, who swept them in the Division Series. Even so, the Dodgers got fantastic seasons out of a number of players, including Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Tyler Anderson. Freeman, a newcomer to the club, fell just short of the NL batting title and, along with Turner, scored and drove in 100 runs in 2022.
June 4, 2022: The Dodgers retired the #14 jersey of Gil Hodges, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier in the year. Hodges starred for the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
Season Preview: No one is sure what happened to Cody Bellinger last year, but if he can return to his 2019 or 2020 form, the Dodgers will not have an easy out in their lineup. They already have Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and Trea Turner—along with pitchers Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Clayton Kershaw, and Craig Kimbrel. In other words, anything short of a trip to the World Series would be a massive disappointment. More bad news for NL West clubs: LA has a bunch of talented hitters and pitchers in the minors patiently waiting for a chance to play.
2021 Season
Season Recap: The Dodgers won 106 games but could not pass the Giants in the NL West and had to settle for a Wild Card spot. Julio Urias led the majors with 20 wins, but he may only have been the team’s fourth-best pitcher; Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, and Max Scherzer all pitcher brilliantly, too. The LA offense was powered by Max Muncy, Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, and Trea Turner, who came to the Dodgers in a trade with the Nationals, along with Scherzer. LA defeated the Cardinals in the Wild Card game and the Giants in the Division Series, but their bats went cold in the NLCS against the Braves to end hopes for another pennant.
October 06, 2021: Chris Taylor homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card game. It was just the third walk-off homer in a Wild Card game.
October 03, 2021: Trea Turner, who joined the club in a July trade with the Nationals, finished the season with the highest batting average (.328) and most hits (195) in the major leagues. He also led the NL with 32 stolen bases and 319 total bases.
September 12, 2021: Max Scherzer, who joined the Dodgers in an August trade with the Nationals, struck out the 3,000th batter of his career. On the same day, Scherzer struck out the side on nine pitches for the third “immaculate inning” or his career—tying him with Sandy Koufax and Chris Sale.
May 29, 2021: Albert Pujols’s homer against the Giants was the 1,356th extra-base hit of his career. That tied Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth for fourth on the all-time list.
Season Preview: Unless injuries destroy their lineup, the Dodgers have no real weaknesses heading into 2021. Trevor Bauer joins a pitching staff that was already great, while Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, and Corey Seager should be part of the MVP race this summer. Behind all of the team’s veteran talent are rising stars Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, and Keibert Ruiz. If the Dodgers have to plug any holes this year, they have young players to trade for what they need. Anything less than a 100-win season will be a disappointment to fans in LA.
2020 Season
Season Recap: The Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3–1 to win the 2020 World Series, 4 games to 2. Shortstop Corey Seager was named MVP of the World Series. LA featured a power-packed lineup, with AJ Pollock, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, and newcomer Mookie Betts, their best all-around player. Clayton Kershaw led the club in wins and was brilliant in the final game of the World Series against the Rays. During the shortened season, the Dodgers got a glimpse of their future thanks to up-and-coming stars Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, and Keibert Ruiz. All were given a chance to shine…and shine they did.
October 8, 2020: Will Smith had three singles and two doubles in a 12–3 playoff win over the Padres. The 25-year-old catcher became the youngest player with five hits in a postseason game. In the same game, Justin Turner set a new team record with his 64th hit in the postseason. He had been tied with Steve Garvey at 63.
August 13, 2020: Mookie Betts slugged three home runs against the Padres. It marked the sixth three-homer game of his career. All-time greats Sammy Sosa and Johnny Mize are the only other players to accomplish this feat.
Season Preview: Is this the year for LA fans to celebrate a championship? The Dodgers added superstar Mookie Betts to an already strong lineup that stars Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and AJ Pollock. Their pitching may be even better, with Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler at the top of the rotation and prospects Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Julio Urias looking like future All-Stars.
2019 Season
Season Recap: All the experts were picking the Dodgers to win the pennant until Howie Kendrick beat them in the playoffs with an extra-inning grand slam. It ruined an otherwise brilliant season, which saw LA win 106 games—the most in the team’s long history. Cody Bellinger had an MVP-type season, while Hyun-jin Ryu, Walker Buehler, and Clayton Kershaw were among baseball’s best pitchers. The Dodgers topped the NL with 279 home runs, with Bellinger, Max Muncy, and Joc Pederson among the league leaders.
April 29, 2019: Cody Bellinger set a new record for RBIs before May 1 with 37. Cody Bellinger set a new record for RBIs before May 1 with 37.
March 28, 2019: Los Angeles hitters smashed eight home runs against Arizona to set a new record for Opening Day.
Season Preview: After winning two pennants in a row, the Dodgers look ready to capture their first World Series since 1988. Many players in the LA lineup can play several positions, which give manager Dave Roberts lots of options during a game. The starting staff is great and the batting order doesn’t give opponents a break. The two big questions are whether the bullpen will be good getting from the starters to closer Kenley Jansen, and how well Corey Seager plays coming back from two serious injuries.
2018 Season
Season Recap: Dodgers won the pennant for the second year in a row behind surprising seasons from rookie Max Muncy and veteran Matt Kemp. Ten different Los Angeles hitters smacked more than a dozen home runs, including Manny Machado, who joined the club in July. The Dodgers battled through pitching injuries all year long but were healthy by the end of the year. They could not stop the red-hot Red Sox in the World Series, however, losing 4 games to 1.
May 4, 2018: Four pitchers—Walker Buehler, Tony CIngrani, Yimi Garcia, and Adam Liberatore—combined to no-hit the Padres. It was the 12th combined no-hitter in baseball history, and the first ever for the Dodgers.
Season Preview: The Dodgers have plenty of competition in the NL West this year, but they also have plenty of star power. After a great start in 2017, they stumbled toward the end of the season and played flat against the Astros in the World Series. Which team will they be in 2018? If the Dodgers can avoid injuries, they should be a lock to win the division title. Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Yasiel Puig give LA a power-packed batting order, while the pitching staff—starring Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen—is the best in baseball.
2017 Season
Season Recap: The Dodgers were baseball’s best team from start to finish of the regular season, winning 104 games—the most for the club since moving to Los Angeles from Brooklyn. Clay Bellinger set a new NL record for home runs by a rookie, and Justin Turner proved to be one of the game’s best clutch hitters. An amazing starting staff led by Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, and Yu Darvish pitched the Dodgers into the World Series. They lost in seven exciting games to the Houston Astros.
August 23, 2017: Rich Hill no-hit the Pirates for nine innings, but lost the game in the 11th inning 1–0.
June 19, 2017: Cody Bellinger hit his 21st home run in just his 55th career game. That broke a record for rookies that had stood since 1930.
2016 Season
November 1, 2016: After trailing the Giants for most of the season, the Dodgers blew past them in August and held on to win the division. Corey Seager had an amazing season and won Rookie of the Year. Justin Turner became one of the NL’s best all-around players. And Clayton Kershaw was great despite missing two months to injury. Kershaw saved the day against the Nationals in the Division Series, but unfortunately for the Dodgers, they ran into the red-hot Cubs in the playoffs, and lost the NLCS in six games.
August 27, 2016: Corey Seager hit his 23rd home run to break the team record for homers by a shortstop. The old record was set in 1930 by Glenn Wright.
June 20, 2016: Kenley Jansen saved his 162nd game to become the all-time leader for the Dodgers.
2015 Season
May 27, 2015: Adrian Gonzalez knocked in his 1,000th run with a homer against the Braves.
April 5, 2015: Los Angeles has the highest payroll in baseball, and some of baseball’s most awesome talent. Superstars Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, and Yasiel Puig have some teammates—Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins, Yasmani Grandal, and rookie Joc Pederson—and a burning desire to prove they are worth every penny of their hefty salaries.
2014 Season
November 15, 2014: Clayton Kershaw won his third Cy Young Award and was named NL MVP. He is the third Dodgers to win both awards in the same season. Don Newcombe (1956) and Sandy Koufax (1963) were the first two.
November 1, 2014: After started the year slowly, the Dodgers rose from third place to first by the end of July and won the NL West by 6 games. Ina lineup filled with high-priced superstars, it was young Dee Gordon who ignited the offense with 64 stolen bases. The pitching staff was led by Clayton Kershaw, who led the NL with 21 wins and a 1.77 ERA. Kershaw lost his magic in the postseason, however, lfallingosing twice to the Cardinals in the Division Series, as LA went 3 games to 1.
September 28, 2014: Dee Gordon led the NL with 12 triples and 64 stolen bases, while Adrian Gonzalez was the league RBI champ with 116. Clayton Kershaw was the NL leader with 21 wins and a 1.77 ERA.
May 25, 2014: Josh Beckett pitched his first career no-hitter, against the Phillies. He struck out Chase Utley to end the game. Going against tradition and superstition, Beckett joked with teammates about his no-hitter from the middle of the game on.
May 22, 2014: Zack Greinke allowed three runs in a game for the first time in 21 starts. The old record was 16 starts, set in 1917.
March 31, 2014: The Dodgers have put together one of the strongest teams in their history. If stars like Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez stay healthy—and young Yasiel Puig can play like Superman for an entire season—L.A. could win over 100 games.
2013 Season
November 13, 2013: Clayton Kershaw was named the NL Cy Young Award winner for the second time in his career. Kershaw won the award in 2011 and finished runner-up in 2012. In 2013, he led the majors in ERA for the third straight season. Greg Maddux and Lefty Grove are the only other players to do that. Kershaw also joined Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale as the only Dodgers to strike out 200 batters four years in a row.
October 18, 2013: After tumbling into the NL West cellar in June, the Dodgers woke up and lost only 10 games over the next 10 weeks to surge into first place. Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and Clayton Kershaw led the charge. L.A. defeated the Braves in the Division Series but could not overcome the pitching of the Cardinals in the NLCS, and lost in six games.
June 30, 2013: Cuban refugee Yasiel Puig broke into the majors like a tornado. He became the first player in history to be named Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month in his first month in the big leagues.
March 30, 2013: The Dodgers have the most star-studded lineup in baseball. Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Clayton Kershaw, and Zack Greinke rank among the biggest names in the game. If they stay healthy and get contributions from the supporting cast, the Dodgers could win it all.
2012 Season
October 3, 2012: The Dodgers made a big trade in July hoping to make the playoffs, but fell two ins short. The good news is that, for 2013, the L.A. lineup will include Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Shane Victorino—none of whom began 2012 with the club. Had Matt Kemp stayed healthy during the season, there is little doubt that he and Clayton Kershaw would have led the team to the top of the NL West.
July 25, 2012: The Dodgers welcomed All-Star infielder Hanley Ramirez to the team. They traded young pitching star Nate Eovaldi to the Miami Marlins for Ramirez.
April, 2012: The Dodgers will have three hot-prospect pitchers at Spring Training—Nathan Eovoldi, Allen Webster, and Zach Lee. Lee looks like the best bet to become a star, but Eovoldi has the best chance to make the team in 2012. Lee is just 20, so the Dodgers will bring him along slowly.
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More Fun Facts
League Leaders
Playing for the Championship
YEAR | OPPONENT | RESULT |
---|---|---|
1916 | Boston Red Sox | Lost 4–1 |
1920 | Cleveland Indians | Lost 5–2* |
1941 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–1 |
1947 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–3 |
1949 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–1 |
1952 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–3 |
1953 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–2 |
1955 | New York Yankees | Won 4–3 |
1956 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–3 |
1959 | Chicago White Sox | Won 4–3 |
1963 | New York Yankees | Won 4–0 |
1965 | Minnesota Twins | Won 4–3 |
1966 | Baltimore Orioles | Lost 4–0 |
1974 | Oakland A’s | Lost 4–1 |
1977 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–2 |
1978 | New York Yankees | Lost 4–2 |
1981 | New York Yankees | Won 4–2 |
1988 | Oakland A’s | Won 4–1 |
2017 | Houston Astros | Lost 4–3 |
2018 | Boston Red Sox | Lost 4–1 |
* The 1920 World Series was a best-of-9 format.