On May 4, 2009, one day after they set a franchise record for the best home winning streak to begin a season, the Los Angeles Dodgers broke a longstanding National League record by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-2, en route to their 11th consecutive victory at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers’ 11-0 start surpassed the NL mark shared by the 1918 San Francisco Giants, 1970 Chicago Cubs, and 1983 Atlanta Braves.
L.A. jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Arizona in the bottom of the first, courtesy of back-to-back home runs by Manny Ramirez and Andre Ethier.
The Dodgers tacked on to their lead in the fifth, chasing Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis out of the game after just 4.1 innings of work.
Eric Stults, on the other hand, fell one-third of an inning short of a quality start. In 5.2 frames, he allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
A Matt Kemp RBI double provided the Dodgers with some insurance in the bottom of the sixth. From that point on, the combination of Ronald Belisario, Guillermo Mota, Cory Wade and Jonathan Broxton put up zeros to solidify the club’s record-breaking victory.
Ramirez finished the night with two hits in three at-bats, recording a game-high three RBI while reaching base an additional time via a hit by pitch. Ethier and Kemp each went 2-for-4 with a combined two RBI.
The Dodgers’ unbeaten streak at home was the longest in the Majors since 2003, when the Kansas City Royals won their first 11 games at Kauffman Stadium.
The Dodgers would break a Major League record the following day, completing a two-game sweep of the Diamondbacks and breaking the 1911 Detroit Tigers’ 12-game home winning streak to begin a season.
Dodgers record for home wins
The 2009 Dodgers went on to win 50 games at Dodger Stadium. Ten years later, the 2019 club set a franchise record with 59 home victories.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in our shows, and more!
