Dodgers cruise in Ohtani’s home debut
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers, and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Thursday in the Dodger Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. One week after Los Angeles began the season with two games in South Korea, the club showed off the talent throughout an expensive, star-studded roster headlined by three former MVPS at the top of the batting order.
No addition was bigger than Ohtani, who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
After receiving a standing ovation from the raucous sellout crowd of 52,667, Ohtani doubled in his first official at-bat at Chavez Ravine since agreeing to his record 10-year, $700 million contract. The twotime AL MVP followed with a walk and a single as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
Freeman had two hits and drove in three runs, while Betts scored three runs while reaching base three times. Teoscar Hernández doubled and scored in the sixth inning of his own Dodgers home debut, while Max Muncy drove in two runs.
Glasnow (1-0) was sharp in his home debut for his hometown team, striking out five and allowing just one run over 81 pitches. Glasnow, who also started the Dodgers’ opener in Seoul last week, is expected to be a pillar for Los Angeles after its rotation was decimated by injuries and offfield troubles last season. Orioles 11, Angels 3: At Baltimore, Corbin Burnes allowed one baserunner in a dominant debut, and Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins both homered as the
Orioles began their AL East title defense with a rout of Los Angeles. Tigers 1, White Sox 0: At Chicago, Tarik Skubal pitched six innings of three-hit ball and Detroit opened a promising season on a winning note. Skubal and three relievers combined to retire the final 17 batters.
Padres 6, Giants 4: At San Diego, Jake Cronenworth's two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning for San Diego, which beat San Francisco to spoil Bob Melvin's return to San Diego.
Blue Jays 8, Rays 2: At St. Petersburg, Fla.,
George Springer, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered Thursday to lead Toronto to a season-opening victory over Tampa Bay. Reds 8, Nationals 2: At Cincinnati, Nick Martini homered twice and drove in five runs in his first opening-day start, Frankie Montas pitched six shutout innings in his Cincinnati debut and the Reds cruised over Washington.
Pirates 6, Marlins 5 (12 innings):
At Miami, Jared Triolo hit a RBI single in the top of the 12th inning to finish the Pittsburgh rally in a win over Miami.