Dodger Stadium has staged concerts, soccer games, a Papal mass, even a bullfight.
But Wednesday will mark the first time baseball’s third-oldest ballpark will play host to Game 7 of a World Series.
The Dodgers forced a final game by defeating the Astros, 3-1, on Tuesday as Rich Hill and four relievers combined on a six-hitter.
Two World Series-clinching games have been played in Chavez Ravine, both against the Yankees: In 1978, when New York won in six games, and in 1963, when the Dodgers swept.
The Dodgers also have won two Games 7 on the road, in 1955 at Yankee Stadium and 10 years later in Minnesota. Both games finished 2-0 with a left-hander tossing a shutout in the final game — Johnny Podres in the first case for Brooklyn, Sandy Koufax in the second.
That streak is likely to end Wednesday because Yu Darvish, a right-hander, is starting for the Dodgers. But a left-hander could still figure in the decision with Alex Wood and ace Clayton Kershaw — along with Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani — available out of the bullpen.
Still no apology from Gurriel
Yuli Gurriel still hasn’t apologized in person to Yu Darvish for making a racially insensitive gesture after hitting a home run against him in Game 3 of the World Series.
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Darvish said he told the Houston Astros first baseman it was “completely unnecessary.”
“When a Dodgers staffer told me what was happening, at the time, it’s not like I was that irritated by it,” Darvish said in Japanese. “About the extent of my reaction was me telling [interpreter Hideaki] Sato, ‘He did something he shouldn’t have done. This is going to be a problem, isn’t it?’ But I wasn’t angry at all.”
Gurriel reached out to Darvish the day after the incident, saying he wanted to meet so he could apologize face-to-face.
“I was told the next day he wanted to speak to me and I communicated to him that it was completely unnecessary and that I wasn’t bothered by it,” Darvish said. “Even now, I’m not bothered by it at all.”
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Darvish was born in Japan to an Iranian father and Japanese mother. He said he considers racial discrimination to be a serious problem.
Gurriel received a five-game suspension, which he will serve at the start of next season. Asked if he thought Gurriel received a sufficient punishment, Darvish replied, “It hasn’t really been explained to me, so I don’t know how to judge it.”
Dodgers fans let their sentiments be known when Gurriel was introduced for his first at-bat, loudly booing him. The boos came back between every pitch of every at-bat, and Gurriel went one for four.
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Halo of a story
As Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger worked in the batting cages Tuesday, Shawn Wooten told a little story.
Wooten, one of the Dodgers’ hitting coaches, played on the 2002 Angels, the last Southern California team to win the World Series. That team flew home after a crushing Game 5 loss in San Francisco, just as this Dodgers team did, down 3-2 in the series and unsure who might pitch in for the 54 outs necessary to win the series.
Wooten thought of other similarities: Each team had a supporting actor that hit three home runs in the game that clinched the World Series appearance: Adam Kennedy for the 2002 Angels, Enrique Hernandez for the 2017 Dodgers. And each World Series has been a festival of homers: a combined 24 in the 2017 Series, eclipsing the old record of 21 in 2002.
The story Wooten told: On the bus back from the airport after Game 5, he stood up and asked his teammates if, back in spring training, they would have taken the chance to win two home games to become World Series champions. The Angels indeed rallied to win two games in Anaheim, beating the San Francisco Giants.
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In Angels lore, that line is generally attributed to Darin Erstad. Wooten swears it was him.
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Joc Pederson celebrates a home run in the seventh inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times )
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Joc Pederson celebrates his solo home run against the Astros with 3rd base coach Chris Woodward in the seventh inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Joc Pederson celebrates his solo home run against the Astros in the seventh inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Joc Pederson hits a solo solo home run in the seventh inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenley Jansen celebrates at the end of the game after striking out Astros’ Carlos Betran in Game 6.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor hits an RBI double against the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Cody Bellinger reacts after striking out in the eighth inning.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Yasiel Puig, left, Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor celebrate as the Dodgers win game 6.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenley Jansen reacts with his teammates after winning game 6.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans celebrate as the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Cody Bellinger strikes out in the eighth inning of game 6.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Chase Utley is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run against the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans celebrate as they exit Dodger Stadium after the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenley Jansen embraces Cody Bellinger after the Dodgers win game 6.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Joc Pederson celebrates a home run in the seventh inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenta Maeda reacts after escaping a seventh inning jam holding a 2-1 lead.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers fans cheer in the 6th inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Chase Utley is congratulated by Enrique Hernandez after scoring a run in he sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor hits an RBI single against the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor shakes his hands as he celebrtes an RBI double in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor races down the baseline after hitting a double to score the tying run against the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenta Maeda pitches against the Astros in Game 6.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Verlander wlaks back to the dugout after giving up the lead to the Dodgers in the sixth.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Turner tosses his bat while popping-out in the 6th inning against the Astros in Game 6.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans cheer as the Dodgers pull ahead of the Astros in the sixth inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Chase Utley is hit by a pitch in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans celebrate after the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers reliever Brandon Morrow receives a pat on the back from Cody Bellinger as he waits for manager Dave Roberts to pull him from the game in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dave Roberts calls for relief pitcher Brandon Morrow to replace starter Rich Hill, right, in the fifth inning in game 6.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Joc Pederson reacts as he flies out in the fifth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves the Dodgers flag to rally Dodgers fans.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Astros George Springer celebrates his solo home run in the 3rd inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers fans cheer in the 6th inning in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Houston Astros center fielder George Springerruns the bases after hitting a solo go-ahead homer in the third inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig climbs the wall but can’t reach a home run ball hit by Astros George Springer in the 3rd inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Taylor calls off Corey Seager on a third inning pop up from Astros batter Josh Reddick.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans cheer the team before the start of Game 6.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Allen Estrada eats a Dodger dog while wearing a hot dog costume during Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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George Springer homers off Rich Hill int he third innnig.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor tosses his batting helmet after striking out in the third inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Yasiel Puig reacts after hitting a single in the second inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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LOS ANGELES, CA, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017 -Justin Verlander pitches a scoreless first inning in game six of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Rich Hill gets Astros’ Carlos Correa to hit into an inning ending grounder in the first.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Tommy Lasorda, left and Orel Hershiser hug after throwing out the first pitch in game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw walks to the bullpen at the start of Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Maggie Ethier, right, takes a photo of her husband, Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, and their 16-month-old daughter, Everly, wearing a witch costume for Halloween before the start of Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans painted with blue faces rally with fellow Dodgers fans.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers’ fan Angel Rodriguez, of East Los Angeles shows his Dodger pride as he watches game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Jarratt Rouse, of Santa Barbara, sports his popcorn Halloween costume before the start of Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Madison Jack, 3, of Rancho Santa Margarita, wears her Tinker Bell costume while taking in the World Series scene before the Dodgers game.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Great Bambino” watches as the Dodgers play the Astros in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Mark Morocco, of Palm Springs, shows off his Vin Scully tattoo and his Dodger dog “Great Bambino.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Marissa Arnold and her son, Aidan Arnold, 14, of Break, sport their painted faces on Halloween before the Dodgers game against the Astros.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Joseph Argilagos Sr. and his son, Joseph Argilagos, of Los Angeles, sport beards.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Yasiel Puig takes in batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts laughs during batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans share a light moment before Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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An Astros fan cheers on her team as the Dodgers play the Astros in Game 6.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans watch batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans dressed for Halloween watch batting practice under cloudy skies before Game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A Dodger fan takes a photo with former Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager before Game 6.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A fan dressed as a Dodger dog before Game 6 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger fans dresses in costume for Halloween watch the team take batting practice before Game 6 of the World Series.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. is spooky cool
For Chase Utley, Game 6 was not the first time he has played on Halloween.
Utley played on Oct. 31, 2009, in Game 3 of that year’s World Series. The temperature at game time, in Philadelphia: 70 degrees.
The temperature at game time in Los Angeles on Tuesday: 67 degrees.
Short hops
Andre Ethier was used as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, making his franchise-record 50th appearance in a postseason game. … Charlie Culberson, late-inning defensive replacement at second base, singled in the eighth inning in his only at-bat, driving up his World Series batting average to .600. Culberson is three for five, meaning he has as many hits as Justin Turner.
Times staff writer Mike Hiserman contributed to this report.
Kevin Baxter writes about soccer and hockey for the Los Angeles Times. He has covered seven World Cups, five Olympic Games, six World Series and a Super Bowl and has contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning series at The Times and Miami Herald. An essay he wrote in fifth grade was voted best in the class. He has a cool dog.
