Greatest moments in Dodger Stadium history

Dodger Stadium was the site of one of the greatest regular-season finishes of all-time. The Dodgers swept the Houston Astros in their season-ending three-game series to erase a three-game deficit to their division-leading visitors and force a one-game playoff. Each of the three games was decided by the narrowest of margins. Joe Ferguson’s 10th-inning walk-off home run won the first game, 3-2. Jerry Reuss outdueled Nolan Ryan and pitched a complete game to win the second game, 2-1. Roy Cey hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning and Don Sutton came out of the bullpen in the ninth inning to preserve a 4-3 victory in the third game. However, the Dodgers ran out of magic a day later. Starter Dave Goltz lasted only three innings as the Astros blasted the Dodgers 7-1 to advance to the National League Championship Series. (Richard Drew / Associated Press)

April 1, 2013 6:53 AM PT

Dodgers beat writer Dylan Hernandez counts down his top 10 moments in Dodger Stadium’s 50-year history.

2. Sept. 9, 1965 — Sandy Koufax perfect game

Koufax was three weeks removed from his last victory when he threw what remains the only perfect game in Dodgers history. The Hall of Famer was locked in a pitchers’ duel with Bob Hendley, who was only recently promoted from the minor leagues but also had a no-hitter through seven innings. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Lou Johnson drew a walk and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Ron Fairly. Johnson stole third, which resulted in an errant throw by Cubs catcher Chris Krug that flew into left field and allowed Johnson to score. Koufax finished the game with a flourish, striking out the last six batters he faced. Harvey Kuenn, who made the final out in Koufax’s 1963 no-hitter, made the final out. Koufax’s performance was voted the greatest pitched game of all-time in a 1995 poll of members of the Society for American Baseball Research. The perfect game marked his fourth no-hitter, breaking Bob Feller‘s previous record of three. There were only two baserunners in the game, a record that stands to this day. Koufax’s catcher in the game, Jeff Torberg, caught the first of Nolan Ryan‘s record seven no-hitters in 1973. (HPM / Associated Press)

1. Oct. 15, 1988 — Kirk Gibson's World Series home run

Gibson’s home run was not only the most dramatic moment in the history of the ballpark, but also probably in the entire sporting history of Los Angeles. The Dodgers trailed the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the World Series. They were down to their final out with a man on first when Manager Tom Lasorda pinch hit a hobbled Kirk Gibson to face American League saves leader Dennis Eckersley. Gibson, who later won the National League most valuable player of the year award, was held out of the lineup because of a hamstring injury. Informed by scout Mel Didier of Eckersley’s tendency to throw back-door sliders to left-handed hitters with the count full, Gibson muscled a 3-2 pitch into the right-field pavilion. Gibson limped around the bases, pumping his fist. Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully called, “In the year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.” The Dodgers won the series in five games. They havent won a World Series since. (Joe Kennedy / Los Angeles Times)