True Blue LA episode 2113: Wackiness, intensity, and more Dodgers injuries

A look back at the welcome intensity of the first Dodgers-Padres, plus a preview of sorts of the upcoming second series this week, are paramount on this week’s episode of the podcast.

But we also get into Justin Turner’s hot start, and an incredible Dodgers pitching staff prop up a slumping offense, a lineup that has suffered numerous injuries of late. All that, plus David Price’s resurgence, and Academy Award talk.

For any questions, please email tblapodcast@gmail.com, or tweet us at @ericstephen or @jacobburch. Kudos to producer Brian Salvatore for his work on the ones and twos.

Dodgers rewind

After Price drove in a run while recording a win in relief, we look back at the last Dodgers pitcher to pull that off in extra innings. Chan Ho Park got the win at Wrigley Field after three scoreless innings in 1996, then drew a walk in the top of the 13th.

Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Park is the first Korean-born player in major league history, and was a fixture in the Dodgers rotation for five years (1997-2001). He then signed a big free agent deal with the Rangers, while the Dodgers already had big money committed to Darren Dreifort and Kevin Brown, both of whom were hurt for part of 2001. Instead, LA signed Hideo Nomo and Kaz Ishii, and traded for Omar Daal to restock the rotation, while Park was a bust in Texas.

In 2008, Park returned as a non-roster invitee, and had a solid year in relief back with the Dodgers, continuing a trend in which basically his only good seasons were with Los Angeles. He also contributed to a bizarre moment for Eric and Jacob in person together at Dodger Stadium during the 2008 NLCS.

Park surpassed Nomo for most major league wins (124) by an Asian-born pitcher, and ended his professional pitching career in 2012 with the Hanwha Eagles in 2012, where Park was teammates with future Dodger Hyun-jin Ryu.

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