Chad Qualls blew Scherzer's save (he struck out 11 in five innings), Jon Rauch (the tallest pitcher in MLB history) recorded the loss, and Hung-Chih Kuo received the win for LA. Scully, who adorably calls the righty 'Shirt-Zer' in the clip above, provides all the nostalgia necessary to make this moment noteworthy, but the generational shift on this otherwise forgotten day makes this September showdown fascinating.įittingly, the 'best-laid plans of Mice and Men' that Scully described that day went even further awry, as neither Scherzer nor Kershaw recorded a decision in the game. Johnson, who retired the very next fall, was skipped, too, in favor of a winless right-hander who inspired the classic Vin Scully transition in the above clip, 'Anyway, we were talking about Heterochromia!' This was likely the first, but almost certainly not the last, mellifluous Scully mention of Scherzer's different-colored eyes. No, this was not one of Maddux's seven starts in Dodger Blue, the final stop on his Hall of Fame path. Imagine going to the ballpark expecting to see Randy Johnson vs Greg Maddux and end up lucking into *this* pitching matchup in 2008 /BjdEDUubwM- Calico Joe SeptemDodgers fans expecting Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson in 2008 matchup received Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer Only then do you check the lineup and realize both Maddux and Johnson have been bumped, and between expletives, you wonder, 'Who the hell are these Kershaw and Scherzer guys anyway?' You grumble at the price, then resign yourself to the cost and plunk down $4 anyway. You have your physical ticket ripped and wander to the concession stand for a scorecard and a hot dog. 7, you walk into the ballpark on a Sunday afternoon expecting to see Maddux duel his years-long foe Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sure, he's 42 years old, but again, who cares?! His veteran experience should be an upgrade, and he can still twirl it.Īnd, on this beautiful Sept. The San Diego Padres felt like giving Greg Maddux and his 3.99 ERA away in mid-August, costing Los Angeles only a pair of players to be named later. This is not to mention that Ramirez isn't the only Hall of Fame talent you've stumbled into.

This isn't your problem you're just overjoyed to inject your somewhat-stale roster with a buzzing talent, giving Joe Torre an impressive leader headed into October. Every stretch run is exciting, for one reason or another, but this one is particularly enthralling because Manny Ramirez just showed up out of nowhere and built his own district.įor whatever reason, the Boston Red Sox decided to defend their World Series title by cutting bait on their second-most-recognizable player midstream, installing Jason Bay in his place. Your team hasn't won a title in 20 years, but they consistently contend. Imagine being a Los Angeles Dodgers fan in summer 2008.

He bumbled hos way into a second