2015 Season-In-Review Notes
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2015 Season-in-Review Notes DODGERS AT A GLANCE WE LOVE LA: The Dodgers posted the best home winning Record: 92-70 (+8.0) Home: 55-26 Road: 37-44 percentage in Los Angeles history and the fifth-best mark in All-Stars: Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal, Zack Greinke, franchise history at .679 (55-26). The 55 home wins tied for Clayton Kershaw and Joc Pederson the most in LA history along with the 1980 club (55-27). NL Player of the Month: Adrian Gonzalez (April) NL Pitcher of the Month: Clayton Kershaw (July) GOLDEN GLOVEWORK: Los Angeles led the Majors NL Rookie of the Month: Alex Guerrero (April) with a .988 fielding percentage, while committing the fewest NL Players of the Week: Adrian Gonzalez (April 12), errors (75) of any big league team. The Dodgers last topped Clayton Kershaw (June 8), the Majors in fielding in 2004 (.988 fielding percentage, 73 Kershaw & Zack Greinke (July 19) errors). BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: The Dodgers went 92-70 as KING(S) OF THE HILL: Los Angeles pitchers combined the club claimed its third consecutive and 14th overall to post a 3.44 ERA, the fifth-best mark in the Majors, and tied National League West title, marking the first time in for the big league lead with the Cubs with 21 shutouts. franchise history that the team reached the postseason in three Dodger starters ranked second in the Majors with a 3.24 ERA consecutive seasons. The Dodgers reached postseason play (352 ER/978.1 IP), while relievers combined for a 3.87 ERA for the sixth time in the last 10 years and are playing (201 ER/467.0 IP), the 11th-best mark in the NL. th th “October Baseball” for the 29 time in franchise history (20 The Dodgers also ranked among the Major League time in Los Angeles). rd rd leaders in strikeouts (1,396, 3 ), WHIP (1.18, 3 ), The Dodgers have won three division titles and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.53, 2nd), opponents’ batting posted a winning record in each of their five seasons average (.242, 5th) and home runs allowed (145, T-5th under Manager Don Mattingly. Los Angeles has fewest). gone 446-363 (.551) under Mattingly, the sixth-most POCKET ACES: Los Angeles’ two Cy Young contenders, wins of any Dodger manager in franchise history. Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, combined to go 35-10 Los Angeles reached the postseason in its first with a 1.90 ERA (96 ER/455.1 IP) in 65 starts. The Dodgers season under the leadership of President of Baseball went 43-22 in games started by Greinke and Kershaw, as the Operations Andrew Friedman and General duo held opposing hitters to a .191 (311-for-1629) average Manager Farhan Zaidi. Friedman previously with 501 strikeouts against just 82 walks in 455.1 innings. reached the postseason four times in nine seasons as The duo’s 1.90 combined ERA was the lowest by a Tampa Bay’s GM, including two division titles set of teammates with a minimum of 25 starts since (2008, 2010). 1968, when three sets of teammates combined for The Dodgers surpassed 90 wins for the third lower marks: Ray Washburn/Bob Gibson of the consecutive season, a feat that had only previously Cardinals (1.59), Luis Tiant/Sam McDowell of the been accomplished twice in franchise history: 1976- Indians (1.71) and Bob Gibson/Nellie Briles of the 78 (3) and 1951-56 (6). Cardinals (1.87) – Source: Elias Sports Bureau. Los Angeles posted a record of .500 or better each Greinke, the Dodgers’ Roy Campanella Award month during the 2015 season, marking the seventh winner, posted the Majors’ lowest ERA with his 1.66 time that the team did so since moving west in 1958. mark, ranking as the lowest by any big league pitcher The Dodgers also accomplished the feat in 2014 and since Greg Maddux’s 1.63 ERA in 1995 with have posted a record of .500 or better in 12 Atlanta. He also topped the Majors in winning consecutive regular-season months (April-Sept. percentage .865 (1st, 19-3) and WHIP (0.84). only). THANK YOU FANS!: The Dodgers led the Majors in both MASHERS: The Dodgers topped the National League in total (3,764,815) and average attendance (46,479), with their homers for the first time since 1983, blasting 187, their most season total ranking as third-highest in club history, behind since 2004 (203 HR). Los Angeles rookies combined to only last season (3,782,337) and 2007 (3,857,036), and the contribute 51 of those home runs, establishing a franchise 10th highest in National League history. This year, the club rookie record (previous high: 46, 1958 & 1960) – Source: surpassed three million fans in attendance for the 29th time in Stats, LLC. club history and for the 19th time in the last 20 years. The Dodgers led the Majors in attendance for the third The Dodgers also ranked among the NL’s best in nd nd consecutive season and for the 27th time since moving to Los walks (563, 2 ), on-base percentage (.326, 2 ) and Angeles in 1958. slugging percentage (.413, 3rd). BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: Adrian Gonzalez was both COME AND GO: The Dodgers established a franchise the Dodgers’ Roberto Clemente (community involvement) record by using 55 players this year, surpassing the previous and Hank Aaron Award (top offensive player) nominee this high of 53, set in 1998 and 1944. The team also set a year. He batted .275 in 156 games, while leading the Dodgers franchise record for most pitchers used (31, previous high: 27 and ranking among the NL leaders in hits (156, 22nd), doubles in 2013) and a Los Angeles record for most starting pitchers (33, T-13th), home runs (28, T-8th) and RBI (90, (16, previous high: 13 in 1964). The Dodger franchise record 10th)…joined Babe Herman (3 - 1926, 1930, 1931), Steve for most starting pitchers is 19, set in 1944. Garvey (2-1977, 1979), Eric Karros (2-1995, 1999) and SCORING EARLY AND OFTEN: The Dodgers posted a Shawn Green (2-2001, 2002) as the only players in 68-21 record (.764) when scoring first, the fifth-best mark in franchise history to lead the team in hits, home runs and RBI the Majors. in multiple seasons (also:2013) - Source: Stats, LLC. Los Angeles also had 35 comeback victories. BEST IN THE WEST: Los Angeles took over first place for good on May 30, spending the final 127 days of the regular GETTING WEIRD: The Dodgers were involved in a season at the top of the division. The Dodgers finished 8.0 record-setting game on Sept. 15 against the Rockies, where games ahead of the Giants in the NL West, winning the MLB records were set for most combined players (58) and division by the third-largest margin since the inception of most combined pitchers (24) in a game. Los Angeles set divisional play in 1969. Los Angeles’ only bigger margins of franchise records by using 11 pitchers and 28 total players victory in the divisional race came in 2013 (11.0) and 1977 (tied record, also: Sept. 13, 1982 vs. San Diego) in the 5-4 (10.0). loss in 16 innings. The Dodgers’ 8.0-game divisional margin of victory The Dodgers were no-hit by Mike Fiers on Aug. 21 was the largest in the National League and the at Houston and by the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta on Aug. 30 second largest in the Majors, behind only the Royals’ in Los Angeles. It marked the first time that the 12.0-game margin in the AL Central. Dodgers had been no-hit twice in a season and the nine days in between no-hit games was the shortest Los Angeles went 46-30 (.605) in divisional games span in National League history (previous, Reds: 20 this year. days, June 3-23, 1971). SEEING STARS: The Dodgers had five All-Stars, Adrian The Dodgers played the ninth-longest game in club Gonzalez (fifth career All-Star selection), Zack Greinke history on Aug. 31, a 5-hour, 29-minute, 5-4 win (third selection), Yasmani Grandal (first selection), Clayton over the Giants in 14 innings. The pivotal game, Kershaw (fifth selection) and Joc Pederson (first selection), which ended at 12:39 a.m., was the first in a three- represent the club at the Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati in game series between the clubs and helped to propel addition to Don Mattingly, who was selected as a coach on the Dodgers to a series sweep and eventual division the NL staff. Greinke and Pederson were selected to the team title. as a result of player balloting, while Grandal, Gonzalez and Kershaw were chosen by NL manager Bruce Bochy. MINOR LEAGUE SUCCESS: Dodger minor league affiliates combined to post a .513 winning percentage (12th, Greinke became the first Dodger pitcher to start the MLB) with four teams reaching postseason play: Triple-A All-Star Game since Brad Penny in 2006. Oklahoma City, Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, Single-A Pederson, the first Dodger rookie All-Star since Great Lakes and the Rookie-level AZL Dodgers. Rancho Hideo Nomo in 1995 and the first rookie position Cucamonga won the California League championship, while player to earn a selection since Mike Piazza in 1993, Oklahoma City, which won the Pacific Coast League’s started the game in left field as an injury American Northern Division, set a modern team record for replacement, becoming the third Dodger rookie wins and finished the regular season with the league’s best (also: Fernando Valenzuela, 1981 and Hideo record at 86-58.