On this date: Walk-off walk, strikeout record and more

A lot has taken place for the Dodgers on July 2. It’s been a busy day, as there’s been an assortment of all kinds of random and wild things that have gone down. Let’s start with the first.

July 2, 1962:

Johnny Podres tied a major league record as he struck out eight consecutive batters. The streak began with the third out in the top of the fourth inning and ended after the first out in the seventh inning. The Dodgers went on to beat Philadelphia, 5-1.

This franchise record would last for nearly 50 years, until Aaron Harang (of all people) set a new Dodgers mark with nine consecutive strikeouts on April 13, 2012.

July 2, 1995:

As a rookie, Hideo Nomo got the honor of starting the All-Star Game for the National League. He became the first player from Japan to ever be selected for the event. Though he was only a rookie, Nomo was already showing flashes of being one of the best pitchers in the game. He led the NL in strikeouts up to that point.

He threw two scoreless innings in his lone ASG appearance.

July 2, 2019:

The most recent one, this was a crazy finish you had to see to believe. Down by a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers were able to walk five consecutive times to win the game. Cody Bellinger got the “Walk-off walk” in the win. It’s not often you’ll see five straight walks in a game, and it’s very rare to see them in a situation like this. Another reason why baseball is the greatest sport. You can see something you’ve never seen on any given night.