It's Time for Dodger Baseball
Before I start talking about Opening Day, I want to talk about something that makes baseball so special. To me, it was never so evident as in the Freeway Series, although I saw flashes of it through the spring: Watching the youngsters and seeing the pure joy they experience is…
Before I start talking about Opening Day, I want to talk about something that makes baseball so special. To me, it was never so evident as in the Freeway Series, although I saw flashes of it through the spring: Watching the youngsters and seeing the pure joy they experience is the best part of this game. Last year, it was Miguel Vargas, Bobby Miller, and James Outman (well, Bobby is pretty stoic). This year, it was Kendall George, Thayron Liranzo, Zyhir Hope, Jackson Ferris, Josue DePaula, and Austin Gauthier. Pure joy and thankfulness, and it was fun watching them. I will be watching them in the minors all season.
Back to Dodger Baseball
Vin would have been proud! I still miss those words.
The man, the myth, the legend!
Freddie and Mookie went yard, and Shohei got a double and a single. Max was 1-2 with 2 RBI, and James Outman had two hits. We saw Tyler Glasnow fulfill his childhood dream, and this is the year he becomes the Workhorse and Ace he was destined to be. Equally impressive was Ryan Yarbrough who came in and shut down the Cards for the last three innings. Glasnow threw 87 pitches, and Yarbrough had 44. This is a “killer duo.” Start out with the fireballing RH Glasnow and follow him up with the soft-tossing LHP, Yarbrough. You are going to see some shutouts like this. It should not be lost on anyone that Lux and Outman, along with Heyward, are in platoons. They will see some LHP, but not a lot as Kike, CT3, and Rojas are on the bench.
This team is full of promise and even the “Dodger Rule” instituted by Rob Manfred cannot keep them from winning the World Series this year. That’s my story.
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Discussion (82)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Lance Lynn tonight. That should be fun. Ohtani gets his first Dodger home run tonight. Call me crazy but I still think Grove has the stuff to be an mlb starter.
Great outing by Miller. Dominant performance. And Teoscar showing his power. He hit two HRs tonight that were probably flyouts in Seattle. Mark predicted over 30 HR to his credit, but it is a long season.
If Bobby Miller stays healthy and offers outings similar to last night all season, that checks a lot of boxes for this rotation. That was nothing short of dominant.
Big night tonight for Yamamoto. I say he has a solid outing and earns his first big league win giving him some much needed confidence going forward.
I see old friend Michael Busch was -12 with 2 BB for the Cubs in his first game.
Great article about Gavin Lux and how, at the urging of Kike, he started addressing the mental side of his game.
Open on www.mlb.comhttps://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/gavin-lux-on-mental-work-ahead-of-2024-seasonI think this bodes very well for him.
Fangraphs posted a recent article on the Will Smith signing.
I think this is the best Dodger move of the offseason. Will has been a top 2 catcher in baseball over the last 5 years. He is the ultimate team player, and played a key role in the 2020 world championship. Dodgers do not win a WS without Will’s 3 run HR in the 6th inning of game 5. They trailed in the series 3 games to 1, and trailed 2-1 in the game. His at bat was fabulous as he had to overcome two questionable umpire calls that put him down 0-2 in the count. But he battled back to a full count and hit a pretty good pitch for a HR that turned the game around and staved off elimination for the Dodgers. Great clutch performance by Smith.
Will Smith also had 2 RBI in game 7 against the Braves in the 4-3 comeback win.
Even as a rookie he came close to being a postseason hero. In the horrible loss to the Nationals in game 5 in 2019, Will Smith nearly hit a walkoff HR in the 9th inning. His drive to right center looked to by a HR or at least a game winning double, but it was held up in the cold October air and caught at the wall. The next inning Howie Kendrick hit a grand slam and the Dodger season was over.
The Will Smith contract is a team friendly deal with an annual AAV of only 12.2 million. While the 10 year deal is lengthy for a catcher, Will is athletic and may be able to play other positions as he ages. The deal makes Will Smith a Dodger for life and gives him generational security. Great to see the Dodgers retain a homegrown/long term talent. Hopefully, they can sign Buehler to an extension as well as he gets ready to pitch a rehab game in OKC. They should prioritize rewarding their longtime, successful players who have helped build the organization.
9:10 PM ET
Cardinals (0-2)
Dodgers (3-1)
SP Lance Lynn R
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Y. Yamamoto R
0-1 45.00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
LF T. Hernandez R
CF James Outman L
RF J. Heyward L
2B Gavin Lux L
60% Rain
60° Wind 13 mph R-L
How much does Ohtani miss being an Angel?
Yamamoto just halved his era in one inning! Lance Lynn- let the bombs begin!
I nice analysis on Bobby Miller by Pitching Ninja.
If Hernandez hits 30 homers this year, does that mean he strikes out the other460 times? If Smith, Muncy and Hernandez don’t even swing we score at least 2 runs there. My goodness
drizzle getting heavier….
How many RBI’s is Smith going to have this year? He may never bat without someone on base! Couldn’t have a better comeback effort from Yamamoto!
Never boring with Joe!
9 million $ Joe Kelly. Him or Vesia either one can throw strikes. Pathetic
Dodgers should have scored how many early. I guess it never occurred to Roberts to make a change.