This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history saw the team set an MLB record by winning their 13th consecutive home game to begin the season. The Dodgers accomplished the feat with a 10-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on May 6, 2009.
Prior to the Dodgers, the last team to start a season with a 12-game home winning streak the Ty-Cobb era 1911 Detroit Tigers. The Tigers lost the following day, and went on to finish the 1911 season with a 89-65 record that included a 51-25 mark at home.
As for the Dodgers, they improved to 21-8 with their record-setting victory. That was nine games better than their record on the same day the previous season and were in first place in the National League West by six and a half games.
The record-breaking win against the Nationals also marked Clayton Kershaw’s first victory of the season. He only pitched five innings but held the Nationals to just one run on four hits and three walks. Kershaw additionally collected five strikeouts.
Kershaw was spotted an early lead thanks to Andre Ethier grounding into a double play with the bases loaded in the first inning. After the Nationals tied the game, the Dodgers took a lead in the fifth inning on Ethier’s bases-loaded walk.
The Dodgers then broke the game open with a seven-run sixth inning that included Manny Ramirez driving in a pair on a double.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, their record-setting home winning streak was snapped the next day in an 11-9 loss to the Nationals.
The Dodgers ended the season in first place in the NL West with a 95-67 record, which featured going 50-31 at Dodger Stadium.
Prior to breaking the MLB record for most home wins in a row to start the season, the Dodgers franchise record was set at 10 games.
Dodgers home record
While the 2009 Dodgers etched themselves in the MLB record book, the 2019 team set a franchise record with 59 wins at Dodger Stadium.
Ethier hitting streak
Also on this day in Dodgers history, Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 30 games in 2001. However, he went 0-for-4 the next game, bringing an end to the second-longest hitting streak in Dodgers franchise history.
Willie Davis holds the franchise record with a 31-game hitting streak during the 1969 season.
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