Blog Kiosk: 9/14/2016 - Dodgers Links - Seager, No Scully for Playoffs and the Loons Advance

The Loons carried the day. 

As you may know, the Dodgers Single-A club Great Lakes Loons were in the midst of a playoff series against the West Michigan White Caps.  The series was tied at one game apiece going into last nights deciding game.  Everything was looking bleak to start for the Loons as they were no-hit through the first six innings.  Then the bats started to come alive.  Per Matt DeVries at MiLB.com; "On to the Midwest League Championship."

The fireworks of the night would come courtesy of second baseman Omar Estevez. With Whitecaps reliever Drew Smith (BS 1, L 2-1) on the mound and (Brendon) Davis already on base after his second single of the game, Estevez smacked a ball over the wall in left field for a two-run home run to give the Loons their first lead of the game.

Insurance runs were on the way in the top of the 9th inning when Gage Green scored on Davis' third hit of the game and Saige Jenco scurried home on a wild pitch by Mark Ecker to push the lead to 5-2 for Great Lakes.

They now earn the right to face the Clinton LumberKings for the Midwest League Championship on Wednesday.  Photo above of the team celebration via DJ Peters on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1945, during an overnight trip between St. Louis and Chicago, the Brooklyn Dodgers train rammed into an gasoline truck, sending flames everywhere.  The train engineer and a firefighter were killed.  The Dodgers survived without serious injury because the momentum of their section carried it through the burning remains.  I had previously written about this incident here.  In 1993 Mike Piazza hit home runs no. 29 and 30 to break the Major League record for homers by a rookie catcher.  In 2002 24-year old Chin-Feng Chen becomes the first Taiwan-born ballplayer to make an appearance in the Major League game.  The first baseman walked as a Dodger pinch-hitter and eventually scored a run.  
• Happy Birthday, Jerry Doggett!  Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider pens a great piece celebrating his 100th birthday today (link here).
  

Blog Kiosk: 9/7/2016 - Dodgers Links - AJ Ellis, De Leon, Ethier and the Vin Scully Coin

ICYMI:  The Dodgers recently added a new game giveaway to their schedule, and it commemorates the career of retiring legend Vin Scully.  It will be given out on Saturday, September 24th against the Colorado Rockies, and that is the second to last home game of the regular season.  Check out what it looks like in the graphic above, via @Dodgers on twitter. 

As for the game, the Dodgers won their fourth game in row by taking advantage of Diamondback starting pitcher Shelby Miller, 5-2.  They recorded eleven hits and scored five runs in the 4.1 innings he pitched.  Per Jack Baer and Steve Gilbert at MLB.com:

"We put some at-bats together and got a lot of hits out there, got a lot of baserunners," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I thought it was really good. Jumped on Miller early, stressed him early. It was just a well-played baseball game."

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodger History:  In 1903 the Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers) and the NY Giants play a two-stadium, same-day doubleheader.  The first game began at 10:30 AM at Washington Park (Giants won, 6-4), and the second game got underway later that afternoon (Brooklyn won, 3-0).  In 1962 Maury Wills stole four bases against the Pirates to break the modern National League record for stolen bases at 82.  In 2001 Shawn Green broke the Dodger record for home runs in a season at 44.
• Happy Birthday, Willie Crawford!