In 1965, Dodgers starting pitchers tossed a combined 58 complete games.

In 2021, Dodgers starting pitchers tossed one complete game – an eight-inning 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers by 30-year-old troubled Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer on April 29. In fact, Bauer led all of baseball in complete games in 2020 while a member of the Cincinnati Reds … with two.

Back in the day (as they say), a starting pitcher who did not “Go the distance” (as they say) felt as though they had let their team down.

As a basis of comparison, Dodgers Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton pitched a respective 137, 167, and 178 complete games in their respective 12, 14, and 23-year major league careers. Dodgers ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw has 25 career complete games through his (thus far) 14 major league seasons; none since 2017. The only other current Dodgers starter to pitch a complete game is 27-year-old right-hander Walker Buehler, who has done so twice in his (thus far) five-year MLB career.

Suffice to say, pitching a complete game today is almost as rare as pitching a no-hitter, which, of course, requires pitching a complete game.

Also suffice to say, if you are fortunate enough to have witnessed a complete game, you have seen something as rare as hens’ teeth.

Play Ball!

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