Dodgers outlast Phils in 10 innings 1-0

4/10/1968 - Dodger Stadium
Opening Day
Chris Short vs Claude Osteen
Dodgers 1, Phillies 0

Threw 9 2/3 shutout innings for no decision

While most of Tinseltown was preparing for the 40th Academy Awards tonight, the Dodgers of Los Angeles were preparing to open their season against the Phighin' Phils.  LA, coming off a disappointing trip to the second division in 1967 was hoping to rebound to their championship days from just a few years earlier.  More than ever the Dodgers need to rely on their pitching as their offense looks to be even more anemic than the year before.  With 1 out in the bottom of the 2nd Bill White tripled to dead center.  Larry Hisle was given an intentional pass to setup a DP opportunity.  LA would get that DP to end the inning, but not in the conventional way.  Don Money would lift a medium fly ball to right that was grabbed by a hard charging Ron Fairly.  White tagged up and headed home.  Fairly threw one in that catcher Tom Haller scooped up after 3 bounces and narrowly tagged White out to end the inning.  Neither team would pose a substantial threat as the game rambled along at a lightning fast pace.  LA looked to score in the bottom of the 8th when "3 Dog", Willie Davis, led off and worked out a walk and stole second, but Zoillo Versalles failed to execute a sacrifice bunt and Davis was nailed at third.  With neither team scoring in regulation the game headed to extra innings.  By this time most fans were already on the freeway.  You could hear the dulcet tones of Vin Scully on the remaining crowd's transistor radios.  Claude Osteen would get the first 2 outs in the 10th, but the soft tossing lefty was fast running out of steam and the Dodgers had no margin for error.  Phil Regan would come on board to get the final out.  Tom Haller led off the bottom of the 10th with an opposite field single.  Don Drysdale was called on to pinch hit.  Big D put down a perfect bunt and Haller was now standing on 2nd with 1 out.  Davis was given an intentional pass to setup the possible DP.  Versalles quickly fell behind 0-2.  Wagner's next pitch was supposed to be a curve in the dirt.  Instead it was a helicopter that hung in the strike zone which Versalles lined into center to score Haller and sent the remaining fans home happy.