RHP Corey Knebel (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Logan Webb (1-0, 0.00)
Thursday, October 13, 2021 | 6:08 p.m. PT | Oracle Park | San Francisco, CA
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES
MATCHUP vs. San Francisco
All-Time Postseason vs. SF: Series Tied, 2-2 (1-1 at Oracle Park)
All-Time vs. SF: LA trails series, 1,248-1,270-17 (96-99 Oracle Park)
2020: Los Angeles won series, 6-4 (2-1 Oracle Park)
2021: SF won series, 9-10 (5-4 at Oracle Park)
Game 1 at SF: L, 0-4 W: Webb L: Buehler
Game 2 at SF: W, 9-2 W: Urías L: Gausman
Game 3 vs. SF: L, 0-1 W: Rogers L: Scherzer S: Doval
Game 4 vs. SF: W, 7-2 W: Kelly L: DeSclafani
REPEAT LA: The Dodgers evened it up the series on Tuesday night, scoring four runs early and beating the Giants 7-2. With the victory, the Dodgers are now 4-0 in their last four elimination games and look to improve to 5-0 and advance to the National League
Championship Series to face the Atlanta Braves beginning on Saturday night.
Walker Buehler pitched on three days rest for the first time in his career, tossing 4.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits. The right-hander dropped his ERA to 1.25 in elimination games as he is now 1-0 with a 1.25 ERA (3 ER/21.2 IP) and 24 strikeouts in four elimination games. The Dodgers are 8-6 all-time in winner-take-all contests and this will be the seventh consecutive year that have played in one of those do-or-die games.
PLAYOFF WILL: Catcher Will Smith connected for his second homer of the series on Tuesday night and now has hit safely in all
four games against SF. He is batting .333 (6-for-18) with two doubles, two homers and three RBI this series. Last season, he hit .455 with two doubles and three RBI in three NLDS games against the Padres. In his postseason career, he is batting .210 (21-for-100) with six doubles, four homers and 16 RBI in 27 games.
KING BERT: Dodger infielder Albert Pujols went 2-for-2 on Monday night, recording his first postseason hit since 2014. He became the oldest Dodger in franchise history to record a postseason hit, surpassing Manny Mota (40 years) in Game 3 of the NLCS in 1978. At 41 years, 268 days old, Pujols is the oldest player with a multi-hit postseason game since Julio Franco (45y, 42d) in 2003 (NLDS Game 4). In his postseason career, he is a .326 (92-for-282) hitter with 19 homers and 54 RBI.
GOING ONCE GOING TWICE: The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) currently has an online auction going on until Friday featuring City Connect Jerseys autographed by Julio Urías, Max Scherzer, Max Muncy and more, along with Game Used Items. Fans can visit Dodgers.com/LADF to bid.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END: The Dodgers went 106-56, finishing the season with a franchise tying 106 wins (2019) and the second-best mark in the Major Leagues. The Dodgers .654 winning percentage was slightly behind the San Francisco Giants, who also set a franchise record with 107 wins and a .660 winning percentage. The Dodgers .654 winning percentage is tied fourth highest with the 2019 squad since 1900, trailing only the 2020 (.717), 1953 (.682) and 1942 (.675) teams. The Dodgers eight division titles was the longest active streak in the Major Leagues, and it was the third longest streak in Major League Baseball history:
MLB All-Time – Most Consecutive Division Titles
Braves, 1991-2005 14
Yankees, 1998-2006 9
Dodgers, 2013-2020 8
The Dodgers will play “October Baseball” for the 35th time in franchise history (26th time in Los Angeles) and for the 11th time in the last 14 years.
EL CULICHI: Dodger southpaw Julio Urías is expected to make his second appearance of the NLDS today after recording the win on Saturday night. He tossed 5.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts. He recorded his seventh career postseason
victory, tying Madison Bumgarner with seven wins by a pitcher 25 years or younger. In the regular season, he went 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 195 strikeouts against 38 walks. The Culiacan, Mexico native is currently on a 12-game winning streak (including playoffs)
and he is 12-0 with a 2.02 ERA (23 ER/102.2 IP) and 105 strikeouts in his last 18 starts. After the All-Star Break, he went 9-0 with a 2.04 ERA (18 ER/79.1 IP) and 76 strikeouts.
In his career against the Giants (including playoffs), he is 3-3 with a 2.56 ERA (23 ER/81.0 IP) and 83 strikeouts. He is 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 11 career games at Oracle Park (including his start on Saturday night). Last season, he went a perfect 4-0 in the postseason with a 1.17 ERA (3 ER/23.0 IP) and closed out Game 6 of the World Series to capture the Dodgers’ seventh World
Championship and first since 1988. In his postseason career, he is 7-2 with a 2.68 ERA (13 ER/43.2 IP) and 44 strikeouts against 10 walks in 19 games (four starts).
THE BATTING CHAMP: Trea Turner concluded the 2021 season with a grand slam in the final contest of the regular season and captured his first career batting title with a .328 batting average. He became the first Dodger to win a batting title since Tommy Davis won back-to-back crowns in 1962 and 1963.
Turner ended the season on a career-best 19-game hitting streak, which was the longest by a Dodger this season. During the streak, which began on Sept. 12, he is hit .405 (31-for-77) with seven homers, five doubles, 18 RBI and 19 runs scored. After the trade to the Dodgers on July 31, the All-Star recorded two hitting streaks of 16+ games, while recording a hit in 46 of his 52 games in Dodger Blue. He hit .338 (70-for207) with 41 runs, 17 doubles, 10 homers and 28 RBI with LA.
Turner led the NL in batting average (.328), hits (195), stolen bases (32), average vs. left-handed pitching (.392), multi-hit games (58), infield hits (33) and total bases (319). The Florida native become the first Dodger to win a batting title and lead the league in steals since Jackie Robinson in 1949. He was the NL Player of the Week for the final week of the season after slashing .458/.480/.917 with three homers and 11 RBI from Sept. 27 – Oct. 3.
THE ENCORE: Dodger shortstop Corey Seager enters the postseason as the reigning NLCS and World Series MVP. He became the second Dodger in franchise history (Orel Hershiser in 1988) to win the NLCS and World Series MVP in the same season after clubbing seven homers in 18 games and slashing .328/.425/.746 in the 2020 postseason. He recorded two hits on Tuesday night, and currently ranks second all-time in franchise postseason history in doubles, homers (11) and RBI (31).
Seager finished his seventh season in Dodger Blue with a .306 batting average and 16 homers and 57 RBI. He missed part of the season with a broken hand but returned July 30th and finished the season hitting .335 (69-for-205) with 15 doubles, one triple, 12 homers and 35 RBI.
ROUNDTRIPPERS: Los Angeles clubbed 237 homers and finished the season third in the National League in homers, trailing only San Francisco (241) and Atlanta (239). It was the first season since 2017 that the Dodgers have not led the NL in homers. The Dodgers tied Colorado for the Major League lead with 11 grand slams this season, which set a new franchise record for bases loaded clouts, surpassing their previous high of 10, which they set in 2004.
Max Muncy led the team with 36 homers, setting a new career-high and recording his 118th homer in Dodger Blue. The infielder’s 118 homers with the Dodgers rank 27th alltime and his 36 homers tied for fourth in the NL. With 35+ homers in three seasons (2018, 2019, 2021), he became only the third Dodger in Franchise history with three 35+ homer seasons, joining Duke Snider (5 times) and Mike Piazza (3).
On August 7 against the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers tied a franchise record with eight homers in a game, matching their other two eight-homer games on March 28, 2019 vs. \ARI and May 23, 2005 at MIL. The Dodgers had 12 games this season with four or more homers, which was fourth best in the Majors, behind San Francisco and Toronto (18) and Boston (13).
Los Angeles homered in 123 of its 162 games and went 91-32 when hitting at least one homer. The Dodgers were 46-11 when hitting two or more home runs in a game. \Corey Seager (Sept. 26), Trea Turner (Sept. 26) and Muncy (May 30) all tallied their 100th homers this season.
The Dodger infielders tallied 132 homers this season, finishing third in the Majors behind San Francisco (149) and Toronto (139) for infield homers.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
NL WEST CHAMPIONS: The 2021 NL West Champion San Francisco Giants concluded their 139th regular season of play by winning
their sixth NL West title and first since 2012… overall, it’s the Giants’ ninth division title since 1969…the Giants took sole possession of first place following their win on May 31 and held it for 121 of 122 days for the remainder of the season, beating out the Los Angeles Dodgers by 1.0 game.
FOR PROMOTION (TO THE NEXT ROUND): The Giants and Dodgers play Game 5 of this best-of-five Division Series with the series tied at two games apiece..San Francisco is in the Postseason for the first time since 2016, while Los Angeles-NL has made the Postseason for the ninth-consecutive season…tonight’s winner moves on to the NLCS to face the Braves.
OCTOBER BASEBALL: The Giants are playing in the postseason for the 27th time in franchise history (since 1900)…it’s the 13th Post-season appearance in SF-era history (since 1958).
WINNING THE WEST: The Giants won their first NL West title since 2012 and their sixth overall…the Giants have won NL West titles in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2012 and 2021 since the division was formed in 1994.
B The Giants are 100-92-2 all-time in postseason play and 61-51 in the SF-era (since 1958)…they are 19-19-2 (win-lost-split) in 40 postseason series, having gone 17-20 (4-4-0 win-lost-split) in eight trips to the NLDS, 24-15 (5-2-0) in seven trips to the NLCS and 57-57-2 in the World Series (8-12-2).
WINNING WAYS IN PLAYOFFS: Beginning with the 2010 postseason, the Giants have gone 38-19 (.667) in postseason play, going 18-9 (.667) at home and 20-10 (.667) on the road.
IT’S THE HOPE THAT KILLS: The Giants have gone 18-18 all-time in elimination games (13-9 in SF-era) and had won 10 straight games when facing elimination from Game 3 of the 2012 NLDS through Game 3 of the 2016 NLDS before losing Game 4 of the NLDS to the Cubs here at Oracle Park…the Giants are 8-9 in postseason elimination games at home all-time (5-4 in the SF-era).
BELIEVE IN BELIEVE: Furthermore, the Giants have won their last five winner-take-all playoff games dating to Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS at Cincinnati…that run also includes Game 7 of the 2012 NLCS vs. St. Louis, the 2014 NL Wild Card Game at Pittsburgh, Game 7 of the 2014 World Series at Kansas City and the 2016 NL Wild Card Game at New York-NL…the Giants are 6-5 in 11 winner-take-all postseason games in franchise history.
BE A GOLDFISH: SF is 39-17 (.696) in games that followed a loss this season including the playoffs…that mark is the best in the Majors.
TWO ACES: Tonight’s matchup between the Giants and Dodgers, who both sit at 109 wins including playoff victories this year, will be the fifth winner-take-all game between 100 win teams all-time according to MLB’s Sarah Langs…the other four are listed to the right…home teams have gone 2-2 in the previous four matchups…the 1912 World Series (won by Boston) and the 1931 World Series (won by St. Louis) were both won by the home team while the latter two were won by the road team…according to ESPN Stats and Info, it’s the fifth winner-take-all postseason game between teams that had the top two records in the Divisional era (since 1969).
DIAMOND DOGS: Today’s game is the 24th time the Giants and Dodgers have met up this season including the playoffs…it will be the first time in the SF-era (1958-pres.) that the Giants will have faced the same opponent at least 24 times in a single season (incl. playoffs)… the previous high was 23 games vs. Philadelphia in 1961) and 23 games apiece vs. ChicagoNL and Pittsburgh in 1960…the last time a Giants team played an opponent 24 or more times in a single season was 1951, when they met the Brooklyn Dodgers 25 times…SF won the final meeting of that season with Brooklyn thanks to Bobby Thomson’s walk-off homer.
THE CAT’S PAJAMAS: The Giants are 19-2 in RHP Logan Webb’s last 21 starts including the postseason with both of the losses being one-run losses in extra innings (Aug. 6 at Milwaukee and Sept. 23 at San Diego)…Webb is 11-0 in that time with a 2.25 ERA…furthermore, Webb is 7-0 with a 1.80 ERA (16er, 81.0ip) in 13 home starts this season…SF is 13-0 in those games.
DON’T BRING AN UMBRELLA TO A BRAINSTORM: SF has hit .184 in this series (23-for-125) with seven extra-base hits (three doubles, four homers) and been held to four runs or fewer in each game…SF was held to four runs or fewer in only three longer stretches this season (five games, twice, most recently from June 9-13, and one eight-game streak from April 3-12.)
LOGAN WEBB RHP #62
2021 RECORD: 11-3, 3.03 ERA
Height/Weight: 6-1/216 Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: Rocklin, CA
Age: 24 (November 18, 1996) Signed Through: 2021
BREAKOUT SEASON: Logan Webb wrapped up his third Major League season with a 11-3 record and 3.03 ERA (50er, 148.1ip) in
27 games (26 starts) for SF…the right-hander is set to make his second career postseason appearance tonight as he takes the mound
for SF in the fifth game of the National League Division Series…including postseason play, the Giants have gone 22-5 in his starts this
year and won 19 of his last 21 outings.
YOUNG AND HUNGRY: At 24 years, 330 days old, Webb will be the youngest pitcher in Giants history to start a winner-take-all postseason game (via Sarah Langs)…he also became the 10th-youngest player to start a postseason game for the Giants in the SF-era
and youngest since Madison Bumgarner’s World Series appearance in 2012 at 23 years and 85 days old.
LAST TIME OUT: Made his first career postseason start last Friday here at Oracle Park on Game 1 of this National League Division Series…earned his first postseason win after throwing 7.2-scoreless innings with just five hits and 10 strikeouts…Webb became just the
fourth Giant to strike out at least 10 batters in his first career postseason game, joining Jonathan Sanchez, Tim Lincecum and Carl Hbbell …he was also the first Major Leaguer to strike out 10 or more hitters in their postseason debut since Jacob deGrom struck out 13 in Game 1 of the 2015 NLDS…only 16 players in MLB history have had more than 10 strikeouts in their postseason debut.
VS. LOS ANGELES-NL: Is 2-2 with a 2.89 ERA (12er, 97.1ip) in seven career starts against the Dodgers including postseason play…
Webb is slated to face Los Angeles-NL for a fifth time this year after posting a 2-0 record with a 1.52 ERA (4er, 23.2ip) in his four prior outings…the right-hander has held Dodgers batters to a combined 12 hits (.145 opposing average) with 27 strikeouts this year (10.27 SO/9ip)…SF has won each of the his four starts vs. LA this season.
ELITE STRETCH: Webb went 10-0 with a 2.40 ERA (31er, 116.1ip) and a .218 opposing average over his last 20 starts…he has struck out 125 batters (9.67 SO/9) and held opponents to six homers (0.46 HR/9ip) in that stretch…the outings lowered his ERA from the 5.34 figure he had through his first seven starts of the season to his final 3.03 mark…his 2.40 ERA after May 11 was second-lowest in MLB (min. 20gs).
STREAKING: The stretch also marked 20 consecutive starts without a losing decision, something no Giants pitcher can claim since Jack Sanford done so in 1962…the streak is tied for second-longest in Giants history (see chart on the right)…SF is 18-2 as a team in his last 20 starts.
UNDEFEATED TERRITORY: Webb went 6-0 with a 1.96 ERA (16er, 73.1ip) in 13 games at Oracle Park this season…his 1.96 ERA at home was third-lowest in the Majors (min. 65.0ip), trailing PHI’s Ranger Suarez (1.51) and LAA’s Shohei Ohtani (1.95)…SF won each of his 12 home starts this year, the most consecutive team wins in a Giant player’s home starts to begin a season since Billy Pierce also led the Giants to win 12 straight in 1962…the stretch also matches the second-longest such stretch in Giants history, trailing only Larry Benton’s 14 consecutive home starts without a Giants loss in 1928…the last team to go undefeated at home when a player starts was Zack Greinke’s Brewers in 2011 (Stats, LLC).
KEEP THEM IN THE YARD: Webb gave up a total of nine home runs over 148.1 innings this season, third-fewest in the Majors (min. 110ip)…his 0.55 HR/9ip average was third-best in MLB (min. 110ip), trailing MIL’s Corbin Burnes (0.38) and MIA’s Trevor Rogers (0.41).
IN GREAT COMPANY: Has held opponents to two runs or fewer in 14 consecutive outings between May 11-September 2…he became the first Giant in over a century to boast such a streak since Ferdie Schupp went 16 consecutive starts allowing two runs or fewer between 1916-1917…only 12 other players in the modern era had a streak of at least 14 such games.
GROUNDBALL: Had a 62.2% groundball rate this season, second-best in MLB (min. 110ip)…he’s also struck out batters out at a solid 26.5% rate.
FIRST TIME THRU: Batters are .187 (40×214) with just 10 extra-base hits and 79 strikeouts off Webb in his first time through the lineup.
IL STINT: Was placed in the IL on June 3 with a right shoulder strain and missed 34 games, returning on July 9…had also missed 10 games from May 18-28 with the same injury after feeling soreness following his start on May 17 at Cincinnati.
