The Dodgers lost two of three games to the New York Yankees over the weekend reviving a rivalry that started in the 1940s.
After winning the first game of the weekend series at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers lost the next two. Sunday’s game was a heartbreaking 4-1 loss behind a masterful performance by Dodgers rookie starter Bobby Miller.
He pitched six scoreless innings giving up only one hit and struck out seven. He became the first Dodger starter since at least 1901 to give up only one hit in a game in his first three starts. He left the game after the sixth inning with the score tied 0-0.
The Yankees scored three runs in the final two innings to break a 1-1 tie and win the game.
The series included eight home runs by the Yankees and an incredible catch by Aaron Judge who broke through the bullpen fence in right field after catching a line drive off of JD Martinez in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game.
The Dodgers and Yankees have played in 11 World Series. The first time was in 1941. The Yankees won in five games. The Dodgers and Yankees met four more times in the World Series, with the Yankees winning five times in a row. The Dodgers finally broke the Yankees streak in 1955 with a team that included Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe.
The Dodgers won only three of the World Series they played against the Yankees. The second time was in 1963. The third time was in 1981, the last time the Dodgers and Yankees played each other in the World Series. The rivalry has become more of a regular season affair since interleague play started.
When I was in sixth grade, and the Dodgers were in the World Series against the Yankees in 1981, the Dodgers helped me get out of history homework for almost the entire year.
My sixth-grade history teacher, Mrs. Dent at Pinecrest Elementary School in Van Nuys, assigned us to keep a timeline in the classroom. It was a string of current and news events she posted on note cards in the classroom. We were supposed to bring in one a week for all of sixth grade.
Mrs. Dent was from New York and a proud Yankees fan. When the Yankees won the first game of the World Series in 1981, she brought in her own card that read, “Yankees win World Series.” I challenged her. The Yankees only won Game 1. They did not indeed win the World Series, just one game.
She refused to believe me and kept up the card in the timeline.
When the Yankees won Game 2, and she realized the Yankees had to win four games to win the World Series, she took the card down.
I made a deal with her. I said if the Dodgers win the World Series, I wouldn’t have to add to the timeline for the rest of the year. My last contribution would be “Dodgers win World Series.” If the Yankees won, she could put her card back up and I would go back to adding weekly news events to the timeline.
The Dodgers won the next four games in a row and their fifth World Series in franchise history. And I didn’t have to do that history homework assignment for the rest of the year.
Dodgers starting pitcher power rankings:
- Clayton Kershaw
- Bobby Miller
- Tony Gonsolin
- Michael Grove
- Noah Syndergaard
The Dodgers (35-25) are tied with those annoying Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the National League West standings. The Dodgers are in Cincinnati to start a three-game series against the Reds on Tuesday. They move on to Philadelphia for a three-game series against the Phillies over the weekend.
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