Los Angeles Dodgers franchise history includes a long line of successful starting pitchers, with Dazzy Vance, Johnny Podres, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser and Clayton Kershaw among the more notable names.
The aforementioned group and other pitchers in Dodgers history have combined for Cy Young Awards, National League MVP and been part of World Series championship teams, among other accolades.
Kershaw is currently in his 18th and final season with the Dodgers organization and Hershiser remains connected to the team as part of the SportsNet LA broadcast crew. Hershiser was inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball during the 2023 season, and like Kershaw, had a memorable start on this day in Dodgers history.
Dodgers history on Sept. 19
Orel Hershiser
During the 1988 season, Hershiser went the distance against the Houston Astros in a 1-0 win. John Shelby’s solo home run
The shutout was his fourth in a row and seventh during that year. Hershiser picked up his 22nd win and extended his scoreless streak to 40 innings in the process.
Clayton Kershaw
Also on Sept. 19, but during the 2014 season, Kershaw made a bit of history against the Chicago Cubs in the Dodgers’ 14-5 win at Wrigley Field.
He was spotted an early lead thanks to the Dodgers scoring six runs in the first inning and never looking back. Kershaw did allow three runs in the bottom of the first but nothing else as he got through five innings to qualify for his 20th win of the season. He was the first pitcher to tally that many in 2014.
That also made Kershaw the first Dodgers pitcher to reach 20 wins twice since Claude Osteen accomplished the feat in 1969 and 1972.
Overall in his career, Kershaw has just two 20-win seasons — in 2011 and 2014. Doing so the second time was accompanied by winning the NL MVP Award.
Shohei Ohtani 50/50 club
This day in Dodgers history also became memorable in 2024, when Shohei Ohtani put together the greatest performance in a single game to create the 50-50 club.
Ohtani went 6-for-6 against the Miami Marlins, with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, four runs and two stolen bases. Along with becoming the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season, Ohtani also broke the Dodgers’ record for most home runs.
It previously belonged to Shawn Green, who hit 49 home runs during the 2001 season.
Moreover, Ohtani’s 10-RBI game gave him the most for a Dodgers player during a single game in franchise history and made him the 16th player in MLB history to reach that total. He was also became the first leadoff hitter in MLB history to drive in 10 runs during a game.
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