The 2024 MLB season officially began as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres faced off in Seoul, South Korea. The series was split as each team won a game apiece in what was a very entertaining matchup.
Game 1 – LA Dodgers 5-2 San Diego Padres
The Shohei Ohtani era kicked off with a victory for the Dodgers as they beat the Padres 5-2. It was a very close game throughout, before the Dodgers blew it open in the eighth after shortstop Gavin Lux grounded to the side, and the ball somehow made it through first baseman Jake Cronenworth’s glove into right field. What looked to be a routine double play, quickly turned into the go-ahead run as Teoscar Hernandez was waved home.
Yu Darvish was the starter for the Padres, and he allowed the first batter on base by a pitch clock violation after Mookie Betts worked a 3-1 count. With the leadoff hitter at first, up stepped Ohtani for his first at-bat in a Dodgers uniform. He rolled one to the shortstop, which for most would have ended up in a double play, but the Japanese star showcased his speed to beat out the throw at first. This brought up Freddie Freeman, but he was struck out, before Will Smith hit a fly ball to left field to end the inning.
New acquisition Tyler Glasnow was on the mound for the Dodgers to start, and he retired the side in order at the bottom of the inning. Another scoreless inning followed in the second. The third brought up Ohtani for his second appearance at the plate, and he produced his first hit for his new team as he singled to right field. Freeman and Smith then drew back-to-back walks, but Max Muncy struck out swinging for the third out.
Xander Bogaerts drove in the first run of the game as he singled a line drive to center field allowing Tyler Wade to score, who worked a leadoff walk and stole second base after a wild pitch. The Dodgers tied the game when Jason Heyward hit a sac-fly to Fernando Tatis Jr, with Hernandez scoring.
Manny Machado scored to regain the lead for the Padres, after he drew a walk. Ha-Seong Kim’s walk moved him to second, and he was able to reach home plate as Luis Campusano grounded into a double play.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the eighth in which Muncy scored to level the score once more. Another walk opened the inning, which led to a debut for Jhony Brito, who relieved another debutant in Wandy Peralta. He immediately gave up a single to Hernandez, before walking James Outman. The Dodgers had the bases loaded with no outs as they began to seriously threaten late on. Enrique Hernandez delivered the tying run with a sac-fly to left field. Then the Cronenworth mishap took place to give LA the lead. Betts singled to bring home one more and Ohtani followed suit.
Unable to get any more runs on the board in the eighth, it was down to the last three Padres hitters to try and erase a three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth. Right hander Evan Phillips was brought in to record the save, and he did so by retiring the team in order.
Yu Darvish – 3.2 IP, 2H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Tyler Glasnow – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Game 2 – San Diego Padres 15-11 LA Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his long-awaited debut in the majors as he took the mound for game two. However, his Dodgers career did not get off to the start he would have wanted, as he allowed four hits and five earned runs in just one inning pitched. Cronenworth made up for his error in the first game by recording four hits and four RBI in what was a huge night for him at the plate.
The hits came very early in this one as Bogaerts singled on the first pitch he saw into left field. Tatis Jr was then hit by a pitch which put two runners on base with no outs, with Cronenworth on deck. The first baseman tripled to drive in two runs. Yamamoto’s woes continued as he walked Machado, before Kim hit a sac-fly to score Cronenworth. Campusano recorded a two-out double which deflected off Muncy to extend the lead to 4-0. There was still more to come as Tyler Wade singled to make it five. Jackson Merrill struck out swinging to finally end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, the Dodgers responded immediately. Ohtani singled to the right before Freeman walked. With both on base, Smith doubled to score Ohtani. Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove walked Hernandez but managed to get himself out of the jam when Outman lined out to right.
Michael Grove came in as relief for Yamamoto and pitched a scoreless inning. The Dodgers crept a little closer, scoring a run to make it 5-2 thanks to an Ohtani sac-fly. Four runs in the third blew it open for San Diego, as they enjoyed plenty of success off Grove. Campusano, Wade and Merrill recorded three singles in a row to load the bases with one out. Bogaerts then added a single of his own to score two. A Muncy error allowed Tatis Jr to reach, which made it 8-2. The ninth run came on another error, this time by Outman, who threw to a vacant first base.
Once again, the Dodgers hit back, driving in four runs of their own to cut the deficit back to three. It remained at 9-6 until the fifth inning when Cronenworth batted in a 10th run. Betts hit the first home run of 2024 in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run blast to close the gap again. San Diego gave themselves a bit more breathing room as Campusano doubled to left to bring home Jose Azocar.
MOOKIE BETTS WITH THE FIRST HOME RUN OF THE 2024 SEASON 💥 pic.twitter.com/cvKYIiawnt
— ESPN (@espn) March 21, 2024
Another fielding error by Muncy in the seventh allowed Azocar to reach once more, which scored Bogaerts to make it 12-8. At the bottom of the inning Ohtani came extremely close to hitting it out of the park with a shot which would have been a homer in 13/30 ballparks. However, Smith collected his second RBI of the evening two at-bats later to score Betts.
A strong eighth inning got the Dodgers the closest they had been since the first as Betts made it 12-11. The Padres fought off the late push with a three-run blast from Machado to win the game 15-11, as the three errors proved too much for their opponents to overcome.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto – 1.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Joe Musgrove – 2.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
What’s Next?
Both teams will continue their Spring Training schedule ahead of Opening Day next Thursday. The Dodgers will host the St. Louis Cardinals in their home opener, whilst the Padres welcome division rivals San Francisco Giants to San Diego.