(SportsNetwork.com) – The Los Angeles Dodgers try to secure a three-game sweep
of the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night when the clubs square off in the
annual Civil Rights Game.
This is the ninth edition of the Civil Rights Game and will be held in
conjunction with Jackie Robinson Day.
In a tradition that goes back to 2009, all players, coaches and managers will
wear Robinson’s universally-retired No. 42. Robinson broke baseball’s color
barrier on April 15, 1947.
New MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to be in attendance tonight along
with Robinson’s daughter Sharon Robinson and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
Jackie Robinson, of course, made history when he played first base for the
Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field 68 years ago and this will mark the second
time Los Angeles will play in the Civil Rights Game. The Dodgers visited the
Atlanta Braves in the 2012 event.
The Mariners are playing in the game for the first time.
“Jackie meant so much to the game of baseball and obviously to minorities,”
Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB.com. “He’s the main reason I’m
sitting here today, because he opened doors that weren’t open. It took a lot
of courage.”
The Dodgers have picked up a pair of thrilling victories in this series,
including last night’s 6-5 victory. Howie Kendrick capped a ninth-inning rally
with a walk-off two run single.
Alex Guerrero and Andre Ethier homered, and Adrian Gonzalez added an RBI for
the Dodgers, who have won three straight. Guerrero won Monday’s opener with a
walk-off single in the 10th inning.
Nelson Cruz homered in a fourth straight games for the Mariners, with five in
that span, and Robinson Cano added his first home run of the season.
Seattle has dropped two straight following two consecutive wins to close out
its series in Oakland over the weekend.
Brett Anderson gets the start for the Dodgers. He logged six innings in his
debut with the club on Friday in Arizona, but did not factor into a 4-3 loss,
yielding three runs on five hits. All three runs allowed came on a Paul
Goldschmidt homer.
Anderson, a left-hander, is 7-4 with a 1.81 earned run average in his career
versus the Mariners.
The Dodgers could be without outfielder Yasiel Puig for a second game in a
row. He did not play on Tuesday due to tightness in his left hamstring.
Promising right-hander Taijuan Walker counters for the Mariners and was lit up
in his season debut on Friday following a strong spring. He dropped a 12-0
decision to the Oakland Athletics, drilled for nine runs on nine hits and two
walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Walker faces the Dodgers for the first time.
The Dodgers took two of three in Seattle when the clubs last met in 2012.
