Dodger Stadium witnessed history on Friday night, but not the kind the home team wants to remember. In a stunning 18-1 demolition at the hands of the Astros, the Dodgers suffered their worst loss ever at Chavez Ravine. And as the scoreboard lit up with run after run, something else flared in the background.

During the broadcast, a subtle hint from a Dodgers announcer ignited fresh buzz. Could there be more to this blowout than just bad pitching and hot bats? Was this simply a baseball beatdown, or did the ghosts of sign-stealing past just take another swing?

“I don’t want to open an old wound. But in some ways, they’re swinging at these breaking balls like they know what is coming,” Dodgers announcer Orel Hershiser remarked during the game.

The comment came during the third inning when the Dodgers’ rookie Ben Casparius was getting pounded by the Astros’ hitters. After giving up a double to Jake Meyers and a homer to Jose Altuve, Cam Smith nearly took him deep too. The night just felt all too familiar.

However, tbh, these days, with PitchCom in play, sign-stealing might not be possible. And even back then, it was usually the home team catching heat for it, not a visiting squad.

The infamous 2017 scandal involved the Astros putting a video camera in their home ground to check the pitch signs by the opposing pitchers. Those got communicated to the Astros sluggers by signals. The outcome? Astros hitters had an idea about what was coming next. But now that’s history. In fact, the Astros won the World Series in 2022.

But the Dodgers, who were at the receiving end in the 2017 World Series against the Astros, have yet to recover from the wounds. Old wounds, as said by Hershiser!

Still, you cannot blame Hershiser for getting all dubious. And it’s not even accusations. Rather, a subtle hint of recalling a memory. For now, the game is done, the Dodgers got brutally routed, without any proof of cheating. That’s it, that’s the news.

Dodgers may be the best team in MLB, but Astros are their kryptonite

No one should have any doubt about the Dodgers’ MLB dominance in recent times. Be it their signings, financial flex, or on-field performance, the Dodgers are currently second to none. Or are they?

While the Dodgers-Yankees and Dodgers-Padres rivalries are deemed historical for their big-name involvement and emotional factors, the Astros are proving to be their biggest rival in the last few years. Check the data, and you will be more surprised.

Since 2017, the Astros have won 2 World Series in 2017 and 2022. The Dodgers won in 2020 and 2024. 2x World Series since 2017 for both… There were a total of 20 games played between the Dodgers and Astros from 2017 till last year. The outcome? A cool and equal 10-10 for both teams.

And now, the Astros just handed the Dodgers their biggest loss in L.A., bringing that record to 11-10.

Well, the Astros’ dominance over the Dodgers is not something recent. Back in 1980, the Dodgers lost to the Astros by 2-1, and stopped them from reaching the NLCS!

But letting it all pass, Hershiser’s comment surely hyped up the series. And with the first game completed, it would be worth watching how the Dodgers make a comeback. Again, if the history of this rivalry is anything to go by, wait for some more intense actions to come.