After demoting Kim Hye-seong to the minor leagues, the Los Angeles Dodgers displayed the stature of a championship favorite from opening day.
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 in the opening game of the 2026 Major League season on the 27th (Korea time) at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Against Arizona starter Zac Gallen, the Dodgers set a starting lineup of Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Kyle Tucker (right field), Mookie Betts (shortstop), Freddie Freeman (first base), Will Smith (catcher), Max Muncy (third base), Teoscar Hernández (left field), Andy Pages (center field) and Miguel Rojas (second base).
Arizona submitted a lineup against Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto of Ketel Marte (second base), Corbin Carroll (right field), Geraldo Perdomo (shortstop), Gabriel Moreno (catcher), Nolan Arenado (third base), Carlos Santana (first base), Jordan Lawler (left field), Alec Thomas (center field) and Tim Tawa (designated hitter).
The early momentum belonged to Arizona. In the top of the third, leadoff batter Lawler hit a clean double and Tawa followed with an infield single to put runners at first and second with one out. The next batter Marte drove a line shot to right field but was unlucky to be caught by a jumping grab from first baseman Freeman. The runner at second, Lawler, who failed to return in time, was forced out, and the inning ended in frustration.
The top of the fourth was different. With Carroll reaching on a single to right to lead off, Perdomo hit a two-run homer to put Arizona ahead. Down in the count 0-2, he connected on Yamamoto's high third pitch, a 95.2 mph (153 km) four-seam fastball, sending it 398 feet (121 m) for a go-ahead home run to right field.
The Dodgers countered in the bottom of the fifth. With Muncy and Hernández recording consecutive hits to set the table with no outs and runners on first and second, Pages hit a thrilling three-run homer to turn the game around. Down in the count 1-2, he targeted Gallen's fifth pitch, an 81.8 mph (131 km) knuckle curve that came low and inside, and sent it 400 feet (121 m) over the left-center field wall. It was the go-ahead hit.
The Dodgers did not stop. Rojas hit a single to center, Ohtani and Freeman drew walks to load the bases, and Smith brought home a run with an infield hit toward first base to take control of the game.
The Dodgers lineup ignited again in the bottom of the seventh. Leadoff hitter Ohtani reached after being hit by a pitch, then Tucker hit an RBI double and Betts followed with an RBI single to extend the lead. Freeman was unlucky when a well-hit ball was caught by left fielder Lawler's defensive play that showed no fear of the wall, but Smith crushed a two-run shot to left-center to put the game away. He squared up on Taylor Clark's fourth pitch, a 90.1 mph (145 km) changeup down the middle in a 1-2 count.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers starter, earned the opening-day win after six innings, allowing five hits (one home run), no walks, six strikeouts and two runs on 95 pitches. He was followed by Blake Treinen (one inning, scoreless), Will Klein (one inning, scoreless) and Tanner Scott (one inning, scoreless).
In the offense, Smith and Pages each went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBIs, leading the Dodgers to the opening-day victory. Ohtani contributed with one hit in three at-bats, one walk, one hit by pitch and one run scored.
Arizona starter Gallen took the loss after four innings, surrendering five hits (one home run), two walks, two strikeouts and four runs in a rough outing. Perdomo's home run and one other hit failed to make a difference.
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