“There’s a new leader in Dodger franchise history ERA – 0.00. His name is Justin Turner.”
(Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis)
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It is never a good feeling to lose a game to a team that is 24 games back from first place, let alone to be shut out by them. This is precisely what happened on Sunday afternoon when the Los Angeles Dodgers dropped the three-game series to the Colorado Rockies. The Boys in Blue have not been in first place since April and are still trailing the San Francisco Giants, who also lost on Sunday, by 2.5 games with 31 to go.
As the season starts to wind down and games are worth so much more, win or lose, fans get treated to some pretty extraordinary scenarios. Some people will plan to attend games that seem to be weighted more, but as most people know, in baseball, anything can happen on any given day regardless of a team’s position in the standings.
Fans were treated to just such a spectacle on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles only had three hits during the contest and continued to struggle offensively, with Colorado leading 5-0. Add to that the Dodgers’ bullpen had been taxed after a 16-inning game on Wednesday in San Diego and you have a recipe for the unusual.
In the top of the ninth inning and with his team trailing 5-0, and knowing that the Giants had already lost, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ‘threw in the towel’ when he handed the ball to All-Star third baseman Justin Turner to make his first career appearance on the mound. The extremely popular 36-year-old Long Beach, CA native replaced Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, who handled the 8th inning. You read that correctly – Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner.
As the inning got underway, three-time All-Star and 1988 National League Cy Young award-winner and current Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser mentioned that Turner was the first Dodger pitcher this year to wear sunglasses on the mound.
Turner started on a high note, despite facing the heart of the Rockies’ lineup. His first pitch to Rockies shortstop Trevor Story was a strike. In fact, of the 10 pitches Turner made in his pitching debut, nine were strikes. And despite the fact that he allowed two hits before closing the inning out with a ground out and two fly outs, he is the proud owner of a 0.00 career ERA.
As you might expect, Roberts came under some postgame fire from the media. They were curious as to why he would have a position player pitch with only a five-run deficit and why he would resort to someone as valuable to the team as Turner. Roberts explained that he went with Turner after discussing it with him to save bullpen arms.
“In a game that, in my opinion, it was unlikely we were going to win given how we performed offensively today and the last couple days. So, it saved a leverage arm. So, I would do it again if the situation presented itself.”
When was asked what he thought of Turner’s outing, the Dodgers skipper had nothing but high praise for his All-Star third baseman.
“He’s a strike-thrower. I think he threw one ball. Put the ball in play, he worked quick and he picked us up,” Roberts said matter-of-factly.
Overall, fans were pleased with a unique display from their third baseman closing out the ninth. Fellow teammate and Sunday’s starter Mitch White had supportive comments as well.
“It was awesome,” White stated. “I didn’t realize it was his first time. He mixed in a little, I don’t know if it was a knuckleball or an eephus or something like that, but that was cool.”
The Southern California native said that even though he has been asked to pitch in the past, this was the first time that he actually did so. And like all pitchers these days, as he walked off the mound after his scoreless inning of work, umpires checked his glove for foreign substances. He later tweeted “Just sunglasses and wristbands.”
For a player who got one of his team’s three hits Sunday and pitched a clean ninth inning, Turner continues to prove what a valuable asset he is to the team.
Here’s to hoping the Dodger’s bats warm up and they can follow the lead of their extraordinary unofficial team captain as they open a crucial three-game series with the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium beginning on Monday night.
Let’s go Dodgers!