Los Angeles Dodgers Earn Odd Spot in History Books Thanks to Gavin Stone, Gavin Lux
Gavin Stone earned the win on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Gavin Lux delivered the game-winning RBI that lifted them over the San Diego Padres.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres' showdown on Saturday was decided by Gavin – two of them, actually.
Right-handed pitcher Gavin Stone drew the start for Los Angeles, his third of the season thus far. The rookie managed to pick up the win after allowing just two earned runs and five hits over 6.2 innings of work.
At the plate, the Dodgers used a three-run sixth inning to take the lead and never look back. After second baseman Gavin Lux notched an RBI single to break the 1-1 tie, superstars Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani added RBI of their own as insurance.
Each team added another run in the seventh, but Lux's RBI was technically the game-winner for the 5-2 contest.
According to OptaSTATS, Saturday marked the first time in MLB history that one Gavin earned the win and another Gavin had the game-winning RBI.
Considering there have only been seven players in MLB history with the name Gavin – only one of whom debuted before 2016 – it isn't exactly surprising that the Dodgers' win made history. Credit to OptaSTATS, though, for digging up such a bizarre nugget shortly after the game went final.
Stone made his big league debut in 2023, finishing the season with eight appearances. He went 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA, 1.903 WHIP, 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings and a -1.1 WAR.
Lux, on the other hand, first reached the majors back in 2019. After winning the World Series with the Dodgers in 2020, he became an everyday player in 2021 and 2022, batting .261 with a .722 OPS and 4.3 WAR in that time.
A torn ACL knocked Lux out of the entire 2023 campaign, though, and he was moved from shortstop to second base upon his return this spring. Through 14 games this season, Lux is batting .174 with two RBI, a .436 OPS and a -0.1 WAR.
The Dodgers and Padres wrap up their series Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. The Gavins, however, likely won't have a chance to make eponymous history again until Stone's next turn in the rotation against the New York Mets.
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