Below is a list of the pitchers who kicked off every postseason for the Dodgers since the start of the 20th century. If the Dodgers won the game, that’s in bold.
Click on any name for the boxscore. I’ve asterisked the Dodgers’ six World Series title years. Note that in five of those years, they lost their first playoff game.
Overall, the Dodgers are 11-20 in their 31 playoff openers heading into tonight: 9-13 since the franchise moved to Los Angeles, 2-7 when the team was in Brooklyn.
Clayton Kershaw has the most postseason Opening Day starts with five, followed by Derek Lowe, Ramón Martínez, Fernando Valenzuela, Don Drysdale, Don Newcombe and Rube Marquard with two each. Hall of Famer pitchers Don Sutton and Sandy Koufax each had only one.
* * *
2018: Hyun-Jin Ryu
2017: Clayton Kershaw
2016: Clayton Kershaw
2015: Clayton Kershaw
2014: Clayton Kershaw
2013: Clayton Kershaw
2009: Randy Wolf
2008: Derek Lowe
2006: Derek Lowe
2004: Odalis Perez
1996: Ramón Martínez
1995: Ramón Martínez
*1988: Orel Hershiser
1985: Fernando Valenzuela
1983: Jerry Reuss
*1981: Fernando Valenzuela
1978: Burt Hooton
1977: Tommy John
1974: Don Sutton
1966: Don Drysdale
*1965: Don Drysdale
*1963: Sandy Koufax
*1959: Roger Craig
1956: Sal Maglie
*1955: Don Newcombe
1953: Carl Erskine
1952: Joe Black
1949: Don Newcombe
1947: Ralph Branca
1941: Curt Davis
1920: Rube Marquard
1916: Rube Marquard
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