Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Harang sets Dodger record with nine straight strikeouts

Aaron Harang gave up a leadoff single to Cameron Maybin, then fanned the next nine batters tonight against the Padres to break the Dodgers’ record for consecutive strikeouts set 49 years and nine months ago by Johnny Podres on July 2, 1962.

Harang needs to strike out Will Venable in the fourth inning to tie Tom Seaver for the major-league record and needs to fan Chase Headley to break it.

A strikeout in the fourth would also get Harang halfway to the MLB record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game held by Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Kerry Wood. The Dodger record for strikeouts in a game is 18, held by Sandy Koufax and Ramon Martinez.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have parlayed an error, a two-run infield single (!) by Mark Ellis, walks to Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera and a broken-bat two-run single by Andre Ethier for four runs in the bottom of the third – great for the team, maybe not so great for Harang’s groove.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have parlayed an error, a two-run infield single (!) by Mark Ellis, walks to Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera and a broken-bat two-run single by Andre Ethier (who now leads the majors with 12 RBI) for four runs in the bottom of the third – great for the team, maybe not so great for Harang’s groove.

Update: Well, you could almost see that coming after Harang sat in the dugout for so long. Starting the fourth, Venable hit a 3-1 pitch for an opposite field home run to left field. Harang gave up two more runs in the fourth before notching his 10th strikeout – but the Dodgers came back with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, capped by Kemp’s two-run homer, for an 8-3 lead.

Update 2: Harang struck out one in a perfect fifth and two in a perfect sixth to tie his career high with 13 strikeouts. He has thrown 97 pitches.

Remember, Harang threw six no-hit innings at his last Dodger Stadium appearance, pitching for the Padres on July 9. So if you could ignore the fourth inning tonight, Harang would have allowed one hit with 19 strikeouts in his past 11 innings at Dodger Stadium.

D.J. Short of Hardball Talk notes that Harang, who led the National League in strikeouts in 2006, had gone 44 straight starts before tonight without fanning nine in a game.

Update 3: After giving up a one-out walk in the seventh inning on his 109th pitch, Harang’s night ends with 6 1/3 innings, four hits, two walks and 13 strikeouts. Reliever Todd Coffey gave up consecutive hits to allow a fourth run to score off Harang, whose season ERA slivered from 6.23 before the game to 5.91.

Update 4: Josh Lindblom put out the fire set by Harang, Coffey and Scott Elbert, retiring all three batters he faced in the eighth inning to protect an 8-6 lead. With Javy Guerra scheduled for a night off after saving three games in a row, Kenley Jansen came in for the ninth. He gave up a walk, struck out the next two … and then, one out from victory, surrendered a game-tying home run to Headley.

Jansen then gave up a double to Yonder Alonso off yonder outfield wall. Jeremy Hermida was intentionally walked, but Orlando Hudson struck out to end the ninth inning.


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128 Comments

  1. Who knew a 4th inning bases empty Harang-Venable match up will have one on the edge of their seat?

  2. Anonymous

    Amazing Stuff! Hope He K’s Venable Next! BTW 2-0 Dodgers!

  3. KT

    in reply to Aussie Jon
     
    two out running on the play …kept rounding third on a slow roller up the middle that O-dog had to field and had a weak throw….the 1st baseman looked at the ump after a close play with mark ellis at 1st and hesitated with the throw home

  4. KT

    Come on Dre

  5. Anonymous

    Suddenly leading 2-0 seems sort of irrelevant in the grand scheme of things

  6. Hope this prolonged inning — not that it’s not important to get runs! — won’t break his rhythm! Of course, he wasn’t around long at the plate at least.

    • Richard’s control was a problem this inning but otherwise I feel a little sorry for him, hasn’t had much luck at all.

  7. KT

    DRE!!!! come through with 2 more and makes the inning so much bigger

  8. The DT server wasn’t ready for Aaron Harang’s record. 

  9. Anonymous

    Hello?

  10. KT

    good to be back…Nice HR by Matty and great to get back the 3 spot plus 1 the padres put up….Raining hard here, I might lose my “eyes” soon….getting pixelized a little

  11. KT

    thought it was only me for a while…belay my e-mail to your variety account

  12. KT

    your reply function isn’t working jon…maybe it’s my reply function because Bob replied to me

  13. Let me be the first to launch Matt Kemp Triple Crown Watch 2012: BA .419 (1st in NL), HR 3 (tied for 2nd), RBI 11 (tied for 2nd). 

  14. Take away the fourth inning, and here are Harang’s past 10 innings at Dodger Stadium: no runs, one hit, 16 strikeouts.

    • Anonymous

      OK, that’s it.  He bunks with Vinnie when we hit the road.

  15. Anonymous

    lots have happened since the meltdown. Too much excitement!!

  16. KT

    13 K’s for Aaron

  17. KT

    AZ & the Rocks tied @ 6 after 7

  18. This post has been updated. 

    • KT

      not a double paragraph jon but a lot of repeated info

    • KT

      The Dodgers, meanwhile, have parlayed an error, a two-run infield single (!) by Mark Ellis, walks to Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera and a broken-bat two-run single by Andre Ethier for four runs in the bottom of the third – great for the team, maybe not so great for Harang’s groove.
       
      The Dodgers, meanwhile, have parlayed an error, a two-run infield single (!) by Mark Ellis, walks to Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera and a broken-bat two-run single by Andre Ethier (who now leads the majors with 12 RBI) for four runs in the bottom of the third – great for the team, maybe not so great for Harang’s groove.

  19. Anonymous

    So have I missed anything?  :-)

  20. Anonymous

    Twitter confidante reports hail in Pasadena. Hope it avoids Dodger Stadium.

  21. KT

    lets go Aaron

  22. Anonymous

    I might be a little overtired and emotional, but to see the team play so well, score runs and a pitcher that many of us weren’t thrilled about have a gem of a night, makes me close to weepy. Add the developments in Delaware and …. Well, sheesh, I don’t know what to do.

  23. Anonymous

    Good show, Aaron.

  24. Critical moment in the game here. 8-4, runners on second and third, one out, Coffey struggling. 

  25. KT

    Come on Coffey…Good job Don…why not use Lindblom if your going to send him down tomorrow

  26. And now the tying run is up for Will Venable, who homered earlier. 

  27. Anonymous

    Coffey over Lindbloom?

  28. Colorado 7, Arizona 6, top of the ninth. 

  29. KT

    Come on DP…throw strikes Elbert

  30. Elbert brought in, and righty Jesus Guzman pinch-hits for the guy who homered earlier. 

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, but if Guzman does something special (actually, if he doesn’t), Bud Black gets to yell: “JESUS!” Might be worth it just for that!

  31. KT

    do we have anyone up and throwing?

    • Anonymous

      Well, with Kershaw the other day we had someone who was…

  32. Anonymous

    Ugh.

  33. Anonymous

    Double ugh.

  34. KT

    looks like lindblom is ready…hope we don’t need him

  35. Coffey needs to go. I hate to focus on negatives when (almost) everything else seems to be going so well but in my opinion, Coffey should’ve never made the team. And he’s done exactly nothing to prove me and other detractors wrong. How long do they put up with his ineptitude?

    • Anonymous

      Ned kept George Sherrill for a long time last season.

      • Oof, I tried to forget that….but that is definitely cause for concern.

        • Anonymous

          Yeah, but Joe aggravated the situation by repeatedly using him in leverage situations, even against righthanded batters.  One would hope that Donnie just uses Coffey as mop-up until he starts showing something. 

    • Anonymous

      Actually Coffey pitched well on April 7th in SD which was Capuano’s first start. Coffey pitched the bottom of the 10th and the Dodgers won in the 11th.

  36. KT

    we need to put up another 4 spot

  37. Anonymous

    Scotty whatty?

  38. Coffey pitched decently in 2009 and 2011. I’d certainly give him more than 10 days this season before cutting  him.

    • So he’s effective every other year? Does that mean he’s on track for a decent 2013? We signed him a year too early/late. 
      I agree that 10 days is a small sample size but he wasn’t exactly instilling any kind of confidence in spring training either. I was worried about his performance before camp broke, now I would say I am concerned. Given the struggles of Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, and a whole host of other established veterans that have started on the wrong foot, I’m inclined to think/hope/pray that he’ll right the ship. However Coffey is not in the elite company of a Lincecum or Johnson, etc.. so there’s that.

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, he’s not going anywhere. I know it bucks conventional wisdom, but Elbert should be the guy to go down tomorrow. Better going without a lefty than pitching him right now. He’s all out of whack and needs to right the ship. He’s got options left, right?

  39. Anonymous

    As of now it’s a save situation. Does Javy come in again?

    • KT

      they said he was unavailable today

    • I’d be surprised if he pitched four days in a row. It could be Lindblom or Guerrier to finish the eighth and Jansen in the ninth. Some combo of those three after Elbert, I’m guessing. 

  40. Anonymous

    Lyons suggesting that maybe Scotty should stay in the game, as there are no lefties left in the bullpen.  Did I hear right?

    • KT

      There are no lefties in the pen this yr besides Elbert…but he shouldn’t stay in because Lindblom is a better pitcher with more control

      • Anonymous

        Mattingly should never bring in Scotty, so that he always has a lefty in the pen.

  41. Anonymous

    Ok, I was sort of wrong with my 1-0 prediction

  42. KT

    Good going Josh…one more

  43. Anonymous

    Josh isn’t going anywhere.

  44. KT

    Nice at bat again justin

  45. Anonymous

    Do you think Elbert would clear options?

    • Anonymous

      Not a good option, but interesting question.  I don’t think he would.

  46. KT

    Throw strikes Kenley

  47. Anonymous

    I keep thinking maybe Sellers got the start tonight because he is being sent down to make room for Lilly and like Lyons said Hairston can spell Gordon at short occasionally. Again, especially after tonight, I just don’t see how you can send Linblom out. If Elbert can’t even get lefties out, what purpose does he serve? I don’t think it will be wright or they would have used him tonight.

  48. That’s 16 strikeouts by Dodger pitchers with one out in the ninth.

  49. KT

    Nice Kenley…1 more

  50. KT

    I hate defensive indifference (1st time this yr)

  51. Anonymous

    Ughly.

  52. Anonymous

    Thanks for the jinx, Steiner.

  53. KT

    I say bat dee for the pitcher in the bottom of the inning

  54. Anonymous

    Ugh

  55. Who took Jansen deep in San Diego? Was it Headley or Maybin?

  56. KT

    tony almost had him at second

  57. Wes

    BS hurts!

  58. KT

    That’s 18 K’s for the game…time to win this one…bat DEE

  59. Anonymous

    Who cares? Who’s feeling the years first walk-off?.?

  60. KT

    Come on Dee start it off

  61. Anonymous

    Thank heaven for the 0-Dog.

  62. Wes

    c’mon kemp!

  63. Anonymous

    Please Matty!  Don’t let us suffer through McDougal.

  64. Wes

    Loney time!

  65. KT

    Come on Dre…beat that lefty

  66. Anonymous

    Anybody else noticing Lyons should pop his “P” a little more when he says the word “pitch” or am I just hearing things?

  67. KT

    I wish I could FFWD through these comercials to get back to the action…one of the drawbacks of watching live events

  68. Anonymous

    Did the Mark Ellis steal take the bat out of Kemp’s hands or did Cashner try to pitch to him?

  69. KT

    good eye Dre

  70. KT

    DRE!!!! with the walk off walk YES!!!!

  71. Anonymous

    Landonkk called the walk-off.

  72. Anonymous

    That was easy.

  73. Anonymous

    Awful loss for the Padres. 4 walks in a row?

  74. Anonymous

     Strange, strange game. But I am glad for the win.

  75. Anonymous

    Jeepers.

  76. KT

    does that walkoff count in Dre’s 16 count to make it 17 for the 3rd most since 2008 behind Fielder and Cabrera?

  77. Anonymous

    I must say I’ve been very pleasantly surprised and happy by Mark Ellis’s contributions so far this year. I hope it continues.

  78. Two new posts up top. 

  79. Anonymous

    Probably put too much on Harang–great outing for the start, but it’s a lot of pitches early for a 4th starter.  But this is something you expect to learn early on in the season.  The bullpen is always learning early on in the season, espescially when the ninth inning guy has been (thankfully) very busy (and effective).  So figuring out who is who is part of the process.  And Jansen is consistently good (strikes out the side!), but he just converted from a catcher a couple of years ago (remember, he caught Kershaw in the minors).  And it all worked out, so Jon is right.

    But I am going to beat on this other drum (Mike_Tink will disagree)–once again, we are sitting out Loney against a left-handed pitcher.  Are we really committing to a platoon at this point?  Loney has literally sat against every left-handed starter we faced (although he played when Richards started in SD).  Is there a left-hander he will be allowed to face?  You can’t really know if he can do the job unless you give him the shot.

    And further to this point, why change the line-up against left-handers.  Ethier is proving he can hit them, so why move him to 5th?  The inconsistency in the line-up against Left-handers nearly cost us here.  Rivera came out of the game for a defensive replacement (here, Loney, but he will come out of every game for a defensive replacement, if possible).  So Ellis walks, steals second with Kemp at bat.  And someone asked does that take the bat out of Kemp’s hands?  Well, if Ethier is coming up behind him, then no–you really don’t want to pitch to Ethier in that situation, either.  If Rivera is behind him, maybe.  I don’t really want to pitch to Rivera with two on, but I probably feel better about pitching to Rivera than Matt Kemp.  But if Rivera’s defensive replacement is hitting behind Kemp (either Tony Gwynn, or the version of James Loney that we apparently do not think is good enough to start), then absolutely walk Kemp.  Here, we got lucky because the Padres pitchers couldn’t throw strikes.

    It’s like playing BlackJack–you play the best percentages and you will have the best odds.  If you go on wild hunches and hit on 12 against a 15, your odds are not as good.  The best solution is to put out the best line-up every time and you have the best odds of it working.

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