On this day in baseball history, the fourth of June. Two events occurred involving two Hall of Fame Dodger pitchers that are worthy of discussion.

Sandy Koufax throws 3rd career No-Hitter:

On this day in 1964, the Dodgers were in Philadelphia, taking on the Philadelphia Phillies at the old Connie Mack Stadium. Sandy Koufax had just won the Cy Young, and the MVP the year prior was on the mound. If it weren’t for a Walk that he allowed in the fourth inning to Dick Allen, which was a questionable call by the home plate umpire, Koufax would’ve thrown a perfect game. Nonetheless, he struck out 12 batters that game, which resulted in a Dodgers 3-0 win, and Koufax added a third no-hitter to his resume.

He ended the year with a 19-5 W-L record while leading with a 1.74 ERA and 0.928 WHIP, as well as striking out 223 batters in 223 Innings Pitched, and somehow he only finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting.

Don Drysdale tosses 6th consecutive Shutout:

On this day in 1968, Don Drysdale set an MLB record by recording his sixth complete-game shutout in a row. In nine innings against the Pirates, he struck out eight batters, allowing only three hits and no walks. In his next start against the Phillies, he’d break Walter Johnson’s scoreless inning record 55.2 and went four innings without giving up a run giving him the record at 58. Twenty years later, another Dodger great, Orel Hershiser, would break his record.

Drysdale would go 14-12 with a 2.15 ERA, 1.075 WHIP over 239 Innings. The following year after sustaining a torn rotator cuff, Drysdale would call it quits.

References:

1. Borelli, Matt. This Day In Dodgers History: Sandy Koufax Throws No-Hitter Against Phillies via Dodger Blue: https://dodgerblue.com/this-day-dodgers-history-sandy-koufax-no-hitter-phillies/2021/06/04/amp/

2. Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers Box Score: June 4, 1968,via Baseball-Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196806040.shtml