A record Southern California heat wave over the weekend amounted to Dodger Stadium history being made for the series finale between the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Temperatures in Los Angeles and Orange counties on Friday broke five daily records, which were originally set in the summer of 2020.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had a high of 102 degrees, which broke the previous 2020 record of 99 degrees. Burbank Airport had a high reading of 114 degrees, good for the warmest temperature ever recorded there since the weather service began tracking such data in 1939.
The sweltering weather continued on Saturday, when there was also humidity and some scattered showers. Excessive heat warnings carried into Sunday, when the Guardians and Dodgers had a 1:10 p.m. PT start time for the rubber match of their series.
Hottest game at Dodger Stadium
The announced temperature at first pitch on Sunday was 103 degrees, tying the record for hottest game in Dodger Stadium history.
That previously was set with Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, when it was also 103 degrees at Dodger Stadium as Clayton Kershaw delivered a pitch at 5:09 p.m.
While that is the official temperature on record, it is believed to have peaked at 104 degrees when the Dodgers took batting practice shortly before 3 p.m. Dodger Stadium had a sellout of 54,253 announced attendance for the franchise’s first World Series game since 1988.
That evening was the hottest postseason game in MLB history, and it easily shattered the previous World Series record of 94 degrees when the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks played inside Chase Field for Game 6 in 2001.
On Sunday, the Dodgers provided fans with a free bottle of water from Dodger Stadium concession stands simply by showing the team’s social media post that promoted the special, or by obtaining a voucher at the point of entry or fan services booths.
Jack Flaherty braved the weather by pitching into the eighth inning for the first time since Sept. 19, 2019.
Dodger Stadium attendance for Sunday’s game was announced at 44,207, but the actual crowd on hand was much more sparse.
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