And Away We Go!
And they are off and running! The 2026 MLB season is officially on its way. The Dodgers open at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks and begin their pursuit of a third straight Championship. Miggy Ro is in the starting lineup despite there being a right hander starting for…
And they are off and running! The 2026 MLB season is officially on its way. The Dodgers open at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks and begin their pursuit of a third straight Championship. Miggy Ro is in the starting lineup despite there being a right hander starting for Arizona.
We will get our first look at the powerful first eight of Ohtani, Tucker, Betts, Freeman, Smith, Muncy, Teo and Pages. Yoshi coming off of his World Series MVP performance, is the opening day starter. Yoshi has done very well against the D-Backs in his career, 3-1 in 6 games with a 1.93 ERA. He has allowed just 2 homers to them. They have added Arenado at third.
Gallen on the other hand, has a 2-5 record against LA in 15 starts with a 3.90 ERA. He has allowed 8 homers to the Dodgers. He is 1-4 in his career at Dodger Stadium. The game was televised on NBC and on Peacock. So, you did not get the full pre-game ceremony that you would have gotten on Sportsnet LA.
Freddie and Miggy Ro driven into the ballpark by Will Farrell with the two World Series trophies. Ownership raised the Championship pennant in CF, which looks entirely different now. Garvey and Jamie Jarrin revealing the 2025 sign. Magic Johnson throwing out the first pitch to Ohtani.
The game started off slow. Yoshi got the first two hitters and then Perdomo singled but was thrown out stealing. Ohtani singled in the Dodger half. Tucker hit into a force play, Betts struck out and Freeman grounded out. Except for a Muncy walk in the 2nd, that was the Dodger offense through four.
Perdomo slugged a 2-run homer in the top of the 4th. One of five hits Yoshi would allow in his 6 innings of work. He struck out 6 and did not allow a walk. The Dodger bats came alive in the bottom of the 5th. Muncy singled, Teo beat out an infield dribbler. Pages then hit a 3-run homer deep to left.
Rojas then singled and Ohtani walked, that chased Gallen. Tucker and Betts flew out. Freeman walked loading the bases. Smith then hit a shot down the line that Santana knocked down, but could not make a play on, Ohtani scored the 4th run of the inning. Muncy struck out to end the inning.
Az went down in the 6th, and so did the Dodgers. Treinen came in to pitch the 7th. He gave up a 1-out single to Arenado, but that was all. Dodgers put the game away in the bottom of the 7th. With Clarke pitching, he hit Ohtani. Tucker doubled to right-center scoring Shohei. Betts singled to center scoring Tucker. Freeman flied out deep to left, and Smith then hit a 2-run shot to left. 8-2 LA.
Klein pitched the 8th and got Arizona 1-2-3. LA loaded the bases as Pages singled, Rojas and Ohtani made outs. Tucker walked and Betts was plunked by Hoffman. Freeman then grounded out sharply to end the inning.
Scott came in to pitch the 9th. Carroll flied out to Teo in foul territory. Perdomo grounded out Muncy to Freeman. Moreno popped out to Betts ending the game. Dodgers had 10 hits and walked 5 times and had 2 hit batters. Yoshi got his 1st win of the year. Dodgers struck out just 4 times, and they were 3-7 with RISP.
After the 4th inning, it was all Dodgers. Yoshi, Treinen, Klein and Scott kept Arizona from any kind of rally. My player of the game was Pages with his clutch 3-run homer and a couple of excellent plays in center. One down, 161 left to go. Win was Dodgers fifth opening day win in a row. Since 1884 they are 75-64-4.
Orel was in the NBC broadcast booth along with Luis Gonzalez and Kershaw gave commentary from next to the dugout.
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Discussion (67)
Disagree, not disagreeable
OKC Lineup: 1. Kim 2B 2. Ehrhard CF 3. Ward LF 4. Tibbs III 5. Senzel DH 6. Suwinski RF 7. Fitzgerald 3B 8. Miller SS 9. Zavala C Irvin – P
First hit Hyeseong Kim on soft liner to RF. Went to 2B on errant pickoff throw, and scored on a Zach Ehrhard even softer liner to RF. Kim first run. Ehrhard first RBI.
And to limit innings pitched, to be available 2nd half of year. Stone may join him.
Then Ehrhard overslid 3B and was out!
Clayton Kershaw has a new job: Dodgers Special Assistant. He joins some other Special Assistants: Chase Utley Ron Roenicke Joel Peralta … and some others.
The OKC Comets lost 3-1.
Duties include throwing out first pitch
1. Free tickets 2. Free Air Fare 3. Free Hotel 4. Free Food 5. Free Whatever…
For one night at least, AF and BG made the right decision keeping Freeland on the big club
Betts is back!
Freeland over Kim against my wishes. I’m beginning to think the Dodgers know more about baseball than I do!
Got to be great for his confidence. If I was an opponent I would be pounding the zone on whomever is batting before Ohtani so he should get plenty of pitches to hit.
Haha
Ehrhard coming for Cheerleader Call’s job.
They would have had to put him on the 26 man roster then. If he elects free-agency the Dodgers could sign him to a minor league contract
AF/BG free agent signings were on display tonight. Kyle Tucker another clutch run scoring hit and Edwin Díaz shuts down the Dbacks for his first LAD save. Alex Freeland and Mookie the big bats for the offense. Sheehan had a mixed game.. A lot of K’s, but unfortunately he did not have command of his 4-seamer. He got a lot of swing and miss with it, but he also left too many over the plate. Too mnay 3-Ball counts and too many high pitch counts to multiple batters. He left with 2 runners on and a 2-run lead. Jack Dreyer relieved Sheehand and threw a flat slider almost middle middle to Alek Thomas to tie the score. Tanner Scott in back to back games got out of a jam. Casparius, Vesia, and Henriquez shut down the Dbacks. And then Edwin Díaz comes in with Tatiana Tate playing Timmy Trumpet’s Narco live. Edwin called it electric. I know it is only two games, but the bullpen has a differeny look, and it starts with Díaz . Tucker and Freeland didn’t just show up with their bats, they teamed up to throw a runner out at home and 3rd. Again, I know, just 2 games. But this team looks locked in. I am sure that every one of the players is going to experience a lengthy slump. Maybe even 2-3 players at the same time. But the whole team? And yes, I do expect the entire team to go into a slump as they do every year. We just have to remember that they are too good to stay down long. And just as they have the last two years, look for them to be ready in October.; Until then, I am going to enjoy the ride.
OKC lost Game 1, 3-1 to Albuquerque (Colorado). The first three OKC hitters singled, and Hyeseong Kim scored the first run of the season on a Zach Ehrhard single, and their only run of the game. The Comets managed 2 additional singles for the remainder of the game. OKC SP, Cole Irvin, gave up 3 tuns in the 2nd, and the Isotopes held the score for the win. Paul Gervase, Antoine Kelly and Keynan Middleton pitched the final 4 innings allowing one base funner on a single. They also had 3 Ks. I think all three of the OKC relievers will pitch in LA this year. Middleton has good MLB high leverage esperience. Not stellar, but at times very good. I am looking forward to watching both Middleton and Kelly develop under the Dodger pitching lab.