Don Sutton sits on top but this will be about Doug Rau

Phil Gurnee ♦ June 6, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment

Don Sutton has the highest game score against the Washington National franchise at Dodger Stadium. It was a crazy game as Little D went eleven innings and they lost 3 – 5 even though he only gave up one earned run.  The Expos scored three runs in the top of the 14th to win the game.

Tim  Leary and Orel both had games from the 1988 World Championship club here.

With all the great names on his list like Andy Messersmith, Jerry Reuss, Burt Hooton, Tim Leary, and even Derek Lowe, this one will be about Doug Rau.

I saw his name on this list and I saw the date, and I wondered was this the game that I could never forget? Doug Rau was a part of the Dodger rotation from 1974 – 1978 making at least 30 starts every year. He was never the best pitcher on the team but he was always good for above average work. He pitched on three teams that went to the World Series. He was the Claude Osteen of the 70’s which is appropriate because he replaced Claude Osteen in the Dodger rotation in 1974 when Osteen was traded the winter of 1973 for Jimmy Wynn.  Anyway after making 162 starts in five years, Rau started 1979 as a main part of the rotation. Something was wrong and Rau hit a rough patch and was getting shelled in April. He ended April of 1979 with an ERA over 10.00.  There were whispers he was done, that the league had finally caught up with his soft throwing junk but he turned it around in May. This was one of those games.  A beautiful one hit shutout. On May 28th Rau would throw another shutout. On June 4th he would pitch his last game as a Dodger. Rau gave up 13 hits in four innings and would never pitch another game for the Dodgers. He had blown out his elbow.  It was a sad ending for a pitcher who had been a constant on the best overall teams the Dodgers ever had.

And yes, this was the game I could never forget. It has always stayed in my mind, how dominant you could be one day, and just a few weeks later, your career was over.

Player                         Date Opp   Rslt   IP H ER BB SO GSc
Don Sutton               1975-08-24 MON  L 3-5 11.0 4  1  3  9  89
Fernando Valenzuela      1986-05-20 MON  W 4-0  9.0 2  0  1  6  88
Andy Messersmith         1975-06-09 MON  W 4-0  9.0 4  0  3 12  88
Tim Leary                1988-08-21 MON  W 4-0  9.0 6  0  0 12  87
Jerry Reuss              1982-07-20 MON W 10-1  9.0 4  0  0  8  85
Doug Rau                 1979-05-11 MON  W 7-0  9.0 1  0  4  4  85
Clayton Kershaw          2015-08-12 WSN  W 3-0  8.0 3  0  0  8  84
Clayton Kershaw          2013-05-14 WSN  W 2-0  8.2 5  0  1 11  84
Orel Hershiser           1988-08-19 MON  W 2-0  9.0 5  0  1  8  84
Orel Hershiser           1985-09-03 MON  W 4-0  9.0 4  0  1  6  84
Derek Lowe               2008-07-26 WSN  W 6-0  8.0 1  0  1  4  83
Tim Leary                1988-05-19 MON  W 2-0  9.0 7  0  0 10  83
Jerry Reuss           1980-08-31(1) MON  W 2-0  9.0 4  0  1  3  81
Burt Hooton              1978-08-28 MON  W 4-0  9.0 4  0  1  3  81
Andy Messersmith         1974-04-26 MON  W 7-1  9.0 3  1  3  7  81
Pedro Astacio            1994-07-05 MON  W 2-1  8.0 2  1  2  8  80
Don Sutton               1978-06-18 MON  W 5-0  9.0 6  0  1  6  80

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/6/2017.