Great Games of 2011-Dodgers Almost No-Hit, Until Pudjito’s walk-off Says No-No

On Friday July 26, 1991 the Dodgers played the Montreal Expos, one day after Dennis Martinez pitched a perfect game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. What made this game interesting was the Dodgers were no-hit through 9 innings by Montreal pitcher Mark Gardner, however the game was scoreless, thanks to the Dodger pitching staff only allowing two hits. Starter Orel Hershiser pitched 6 two hit innings, Kevin Gross followed and pitched 3 innings, and Jay Howell pitched the top of the tenth. With the game scoreless in the bottom of the tenth inning, Jeff Fassero entered the game and allowed consecutive singles to Lenny Harris, Eddie Murray, and Daryl Strawberry, and the Dodgers won 1-0. Mark Gardner pitched a no-hitter through 9 innings and lost the game.

Expos    0 2 0
Dodgers 1 3 0
WP-Howell-4-2
LP-Fassero-5-7

F/10 innings-Score from July 26, 1991 @ Dodger Stadium
Flash forward to last season on July 9, 2011 @ Dodger Stadium, as the Dodgers played the Padres. This was one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen. The Dodgers were no-hit until two outs in the bottom of the 9th, with the game scoreless, the Dodgers two worst hitters knocked in and scored the winning run, and the Dodgers rally to win in dramatic fashion.

Both starting pitchers Locked horns on this day. Then San Diego starter, and now current Dodger Aaron Harang, and rookie pitcher Rubby De La Rosa, matched zeros throughout the entire game. Harang did not allow a hit through 6 innings, and De La Rosa only allowed 1 hit through 6 innings. De La Rosa whiffed 8 batters, while Harang whiffed 6 Dodgers.

The Dodgers would put two runners on base in the bottom of the first, off of two walks to Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp, but do not score. In the top of the second inning, Chase Headley draws a walk, and advances to second on a wild pitch from De La Rosa, but Rubby whiffs Denorfia, and Rizzo to end the inning. Both pitchers exchange 123 innings in the third inning. The top of the 5th inning sees the first hit of the game. Cameron Maybin singles to center, but that’s all the Padres do in this frame, and were still scoreless.

Matt Guerrier comes in to replace De La Rosa in the top of the 7th, and retires the side in order. Harang is also taken out of the game after 6 innings, despite pitching a no-hitter. He had just come off the DL, and the Padres didn’t want to risk injury. The Padres use three different pitchers in the bottom of the 7th inning, pitching around an error, and an intentional walk, and the Dodgers still don’t have a hit.

Mike MacDougal, also known as Dougie, pitches a 123 8th inning for the Dodgers. Mike Adams pitches the bottom of the 8th for San Diego, and walks Jamey Carroll. Trent Oeltjen reaches on an error as he is attempting to sacrifice Carroll over to second base. Tony Gwynn Jr. fails at his try at sacrificing the runners to second and third, and two outs later, the Dodgers haven’t scored, and still don’t have a hit.

Blake Hawksworth pitches an easy top of the 9th, and we go to the bottom of the 9th with only 1 hit in the game. Luke Gregerson is on the mound for San Diego, and whiffs Bison to start the inning. Loney grounds out, and there is two outs. With Uribe at-bat, and Navarro on deck, we prepare ourselves for extra frames. What happens next is incredulous. Uribe doubles over Denorfia’s head in left field. Finally! The Dodgers have a hit! Dioner Navarro, A.K.A. Pudjito, gets a clean base hit into right field, scoring Uribe and the Dodgers win 1-0! I guess this proves every dog has it’s day, right Dodger fans?

Some interesting notes about this game. The Padres had never thrown a no-hitter before. The last time there was a combined no-hitter by a team, was a 2003 Astros/Yankees inter-league game. The last time there was a nine inning game that had only 1 hit between the two teams, was Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965. The Dodgers had just 1 hit in that game and won 1-0 over the Cubs. We go from being nearly Haranged, to nearly no-hit, to seeing the two worst players drive in, and score the winning run. The Dodgers take us back to that night in 1991, winning in similar fashion. One of the greatest games of 2011.

Padres    0 1 2
Dodgers 1 2 0
WP-Hawksworth-2-2
LP-Gregerson-2-2