Southpaws

About 12 percent of the world’s population is left-handed. The percentage of pitchers who toss from the left side is about 20-25 percent at any given time. This is one reason left-handed pitchers who can actually throw strikes and get batters out are so much in demand.

The winningest left-handed pitcher in major league history is Warren Spahn who won 363 games in his long career. That puts Spahn at #6 on the all-time wins list. Next is Carlton, 329, Plank, 326, Glavine, 305, Johnson, 303 and Grove, 305.

Lefties with more than 250 wins, Sabathia, Hubble, Petttitte, Moyer, Kaat and Tommy John. Carlton earned four Cy Young awards. Koufax and Kershaw have three. But Randy Johnson won five. Johnson also has more strikeouts than any other lefty, 4,875. Second only to Nolan Ryan.

Spahn missed three seasons because of military service, so like Ted Williams, had he just had decent years close to his best ones, his win total probably would have exceeded 400. Since he averaged 17 wins a year, you could add 51 wins to his total, or somewhere around that number. Spahn won 20 or more in 13 of his 21 seasons in the majors.

Eddie Plank had an ERA over his 17 year career of 2.35. Kershaw’s is 2.48, Koufax, 2.76. None of those other lefties are below 3.00.

James Paxton, the lone lefty in the Dodger rotation at this time, has a career ERA of 3.64. Of course in today’s game with 9 hitters in the lineup and no pitcher, ERA’s below 3 for one’s career are not realistic. Paxton only achieved that for a full season once, 2017.

Kershaw on the other hand has done that 13 times in his career with three of those seasons he had an ERA below 2. Koufax also had an ERA under two in three seasons. Had he not been injured in 1964, he might have earned four Cy Young awards in a row.

In LA as Dodger fans, we have been very lucky to watch two of the best ever pitch. You can only wonder with Koufax what might have been had he been healthy after his age 30 season. He could have easily won more than Sutton’s 233 wins. But it wasn’t to be.

Kershaw on the other hand, has had great success during the regular season. But he has not been able to match that in the postseason. His most productive postseason was 2020 when he went 4-1, helping the team win the Championship. He has pitched in 39 postseason games, with a 13-13 record and an ERA of 4.49.

Koufax pitched in only 8 games. He is 4-3 with a 0.95 ERA. In 57 innings he struck out 61 batters. The gold standard for wins in a World Series by a left-handed pitcher is 10, set by Whitey Ford.

Andy Pettitte of many teams has the most postseason wins by a lefty with 19. Glavine is second with 15, and Kershaw is the third lefty with 13.

The Dodgers have also been lucky to have several left-handed relievers who have been very good. You have to start with Ron Perranoski.

Perry took over as the closer for the Dodgers after Larry Sherry was traded to Detroit. Since closers were just beginning to become a prominent member of every pitching staff. And he was doing it in an era where starters were still expected to finish games.

A perfect example of that is the 63 World Series. In the four game sweep, Perranoski was the only reliever used, and that came in game two when he pitched 2/3rds of an inning in relief of Podres in a 4-1 win. Koufax and Drysdale both threw complete games in their starts.

Perranoski was a Dodger for 8 years, appearing in 283 games, saving 100 and winning 54. His ERA over that time was 2.56. Sadly he passed away in 2020. He also served at one time as the Dodgers pitching coach. Best year was 63 when he won 16 and saved 21.

Jim Brewer would be next. Brewer spent 12 years as a Dodger. He came over in a trade with the Cubs for Dick Scott. He is the Dodger career leader in saves by a left-handed pitcher with 126. Making him and Perranoski the only lefty relievers with 100 or more saves.

The 126 puts him at #5 on the all-time list. Brewer did not get many chances to pitch in the postseason. Since Brewer retired, most of the Dodgers closers have been right-handed.

But names like McBean, Candelaria, Downing, Forster, Brett, Howe, Honeycutt, Liberatore, Avilan, Rodriguez, Vesia and Yarbrough, have been used in relief.  There are many others, some made a modest impact, some, none at all. But in today’s game, the southpaw is a coveted commodity.

MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS

Player on the night – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes RHSP, Patrick Copen – 7.0 scoreless IP, 4 hits, 1 BB, 4 K.  76 pitches (48 strikes)

#Dodgers RHP prospect Patrick Copen was excellent tonight for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga:

7.0 IP (career high)
3 H
0 R
1 BB
4 K
76 P / 48 S

Copen has now thrown 13 consecutive scoreless innings and has allowed just 5 hits across his last 12.0 IP pic.twitter.com/xICMiVDZWX

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) May 15, 2024

Sacramento River Cats (Giants) 3 – OKC Baseball Club 1

Ismael Munguia homers hit a 2-out 2-run walkoff HR in the bottom of the 9^th to give the Sacramento River Cats a 3-1 victory.

Jason Heyward opened a Major League Rehab Assignment, going 0-for-3 at the plate and playing five innings in right field. Heyward has been on the Injured List since April 3 with a lower back injury.

OKC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  Drew Avans led off the game with an infield single.  After Jason Heyward made his first rehab AB and struck out, Miguel Vargas doubled to score Avans.   OKC was held scoreless for the remainder of the game, and only had two runners advance to third base over the final eight innings.

Starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet limited Sacramento to one run over a season-high 5.1 innings. All five hits against Lamet were singles, and he issued one walk to go along with six strikeouts. He began his outing by retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced.

Dinelson Lamet continues to pitch GREAT!
5.1 IP
5 H
1 R
3 Ks
1 BB
93-95 on the 4S & landed at very impressive 66% rate. Featured slider the most, however, and it had 40 inches of vertical break, landed close to 50% & had a 55% whiff rate. Today was impressive, ERA down to 3.33!… pic.twitter.com/rYqnbwulUj

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 14, 2024

Dinelson Lamet continues to pitch GREAT!
5.1 IP
5 H
1 R
3 Ks
1 BB
93-95 on the 4S & landed at very impressive 66% rate. Featured slider the most, however, and it had 40 inches of vertical break, landed close to 50% & had a 55% whiff rate. Today was impressive, ERA down to 3.33!… pic.twitter.com/rYqnbwulUj

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 14, 2024

Sacramento tied the game in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly by Turner Hill.  Hill scored Braden Bishop who led off the inning with a single, stole 2^nd, and moved to 3^rd on a ground ball.  The game stayed tied until the bottom of the ninth inning.

During his last three starts, Lamet has allowed one run over 15.1 innings.  Lamet is a longshot starting candidate, but could also pitch his way onto the roster as a multi-inning reliever.  At one time, Lamet was a top SP with the Padres.

Drew Avans reached base in three of four plate appearances, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and two stolen bases. Avans has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 12-for-27 and has reached base in 20 of 35 plate appearances during the current road trip.

Avans also knows how to flash the leather.

Another catch to add to the Drew Avans highlight reel! pic.twitter.com/8TmJ6I7dOx

— Oklahoma City Baseball Club (@okc_baseball) May 14, 2024

Miguel Vargas drove in OKC’s lone run with a RBI double in the first inning. Vargas has six RBI and three extra-base hits over his last two games.

Box Score

Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) 6 – Tulsa Drillers 3

The Wind Surge scored a pair of 1^st inning runs against Drillers SP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr.  A single, 2 BB, and a 2 run single put Wichita on top 2-0 before Ortiz-Mayr could get the final 2 outs.

He pitched through traffic the next three innings, but got the side retired in order in the 5^th.  He left the game down 2-0.

Wichita’s Pierson Ohl pitched 6.0 scoreless innings, on 4 hits.  He walked 1, but struck out 10 Drillers.

Ben Harris entered in the 6^th, and his season long struggles continued.  Before he exited the inning with only 2 outs, he allowed 1 run and left the bases loaded for Antonio Knowles.  Knowles allowed a 2-run single, before getting the final out.  Overall Harris allowed 3 runs on 1 hit, but 3 BB.

Wichita scored a 6^th run in the 7^th off Knowles.

Tulsa got one back in the 7^th when Diego Cartaya slugged his 3^rd HR of the season.

B7 | You can kiss that ball GOODBYE
Diego Cartaya sends one deep to put the Drillers on the board!

Wind Surge 6, #Drillers 1 pic.twitter.com/v1xknbdeTF

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) May 15, 2024

In the 8^th, Alex Freeland opened with a single.  Taylor Young followed with a BB, and Dalton Rushing was HBP to load the bases with no outs.  Freeland scored on a strikeout passed ball.  Cartaya singled home Young, and the Drillers were within 3.

After hitting a pull side HR in his last At Bat, Diego Cartaya stayed on a side arm fastball on the outer half and nailed it into RF. Atta Baby Diego! #dodgers pic.twitter.com/Cnhe4K62vP

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 15, 2024

Tulsa went down in order in the 9^th.

Positive signs with Diego Cartaya getting 2 more hits including a HR, after a 3 hit game (including a HR) on Sunday.  In 29 PA thus far in May, Cartaya is hitting .304/.448/.609/1.057.  Looks like he is not ready to pass the torch of the #1 catching prospect to Dalton Rushing without a fight.

• Diego Cartaya – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (3)
• Alex Freeland – 2-5, 1 run, double (1)
• Dalton Rushing – 2-3, 1 HBP, double (5)
• Taylor Young – 1-2, 2 BB, 1 run
• Austin Beck – double (5)

Box Score

Dayton Dragons 2 – Great Lakes Loons 1

The Loons were facing MLB RHP Brandon Williamson on a rehab assignment.  Williamson allowed 1 hit, a Yunior Garcia double in his 3.0 IP.

Peter Heubeck started for Great Lakes.  For the first 2.0 IP, Heubeck allowed one single and struck out 4 Dragons.  But in the 3^rd Heubeck ran into trouble.  A allowed a leadoff single, got two out, but then gave up a double, and a 2-run single.  He gave up a walk in each of the next 2 innings.  Overall he allowed the 2 runs on 4 hits, 2 walks, and 6 K.  But he left the game behind, and ended up losing the game.

Peter Heubeck was a 2 out bloop hit away from 5 shutout innings, and was impressive, nonetheless.
5 IP
4 H
2 R
6 Ks
2 BB
ERA on the year 3.27 34 Ks in 22 innings, so a ton of swing & miss & advanced understanding of sequencing. Also spikes his curveball, so has 12-6 bite.… pic.twitter.com/WdmhruhgoW

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 15, 2024

In the 4^th, Noah Miller walked, moved to 2^nd on a WP, and scored on Chris Newell’s RBI single.

Great Lakes had 3 hits on the night, including 2 doubles: Yunior Garcia (3), and Dylan Campbell (5).

Box Score

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6 – Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) 0

Patrick Copen went 7.0 strong scoreless innings.  He allowed 3 hits, with 1 BB and compiled 4 K.

Robinson Ortiz continues to improve in every outing.  He completed the final 2.0 innings allowing a single that was erased by one of 3 Quakes DP to end the game.

Very efficient pitching from the two Quakes pitchers.  Copen threw 76 pitches in 7 innings (48 strikes), and Ortiz threw 16 pitches in 2 innings (12 strikes).

RC scored the only run they would need in the 1^st.  Kendall George opened the inning with a single, and stole second.  He moved to third on a Jeral Perez bloop single to CF and scored on a 2-out single from Sean McLain.

Perez homered in the 3^rd.

In the 5^th, Juan Alonso got a lead off walk.  Kendall George singled, and with one out, Perez walked to load the bases.  Joe Vetrano had a 2-run single.

In the 8^th, the Quakes scored another pair of runs.  Alonso tripled home one and he scored on George’s 3^rd single.

• Kendell George – 3-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
• Jeral Perez – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (3)
• Juan Alonso – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, triple (2)
• Joe Vetrano – 1-3, 1 BB, 2 RBI

Box Score