L.A. POWER PARADE

Betts-ohtani-freeman trio leads the way as Dodgers crush Cardinals in home opener

LOS ANGELES >> If the Dodgers are playing “checkbook baseball,” Miles Mikolas suffered the penalty for early withdrawal.

The top three in the Dodgers’ lineup — Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman — combined for five hits, including two home runs, drove in four runs and scored six as the Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-1, in their first game of the season on Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

Three games into the season, Betts, Ohtani and Freeman have been on base 26 times, scored nine times and drove in 13 runs.

Up next: Cardinals at Dodgers, today, 7:10p.m., Apple TV+

“I think in any discussion, you can argue that they’re the best hitter in baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think when you talk about those three guys and you lump up another handful or 10 players in baseball, they’re in that conversation. We’re fortunate to have three at the top of the order.

“Certainly, the first word that comes to mind is ‘daunting’ (for opposing pitchers) ... when you look at those guys.”

The Cardinals’ season-opening starter, Mikolas criticized the Dodgers’ big-spending ways this offseason as “checkbook baseball” and said he hoped the collection of “Midwestern farmers” playing for the Cardinals could “stick it to the Dodgers.”

The big sticks at the top of the Dodgers’ lineup did the plowing against Mikolas.

The first four hitters reached base. Betts led off with a walk and went to third base when Ohtani doubled into the corner. Ohtani didn’t see third base coach Dino Ebel hold Betts at third and ran into the first out of the inning — one of only two Mikolas managed from the first third of the Dodgers’ order.

“I just kind of passed by the bag way too quicker than the lead runner so I wasn’t able to pick up Dino on time,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “It’s a situation that I hadn’t encountered during spring training so I conferred with Dino and Mookie to make the adjustment.”

Ohtani’s foot speed and the expectation that he will be a more aggressive baserunner this season while not conserving energy to pitch was a topic of discussion during spring training. But he has run into two outs in three games so far. In the first game in Seoul, he was doubled off first base on a fly ball.

“He can run very fast, but he’s got to understand there’s a

DODGERS

Up next: Angels at Orioles, Saturday, 1:05 p.m., BSW

THE SCORE DODGERS 7, CARDINALS 1

THE SCORE ORIOLES 11, ANGELS 3

KEITH BIRMINGHAM — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Mookie Betts is greeted at the plate by Shohei Ohtani after hitting a solo home run against the Cardinals in the third inning Thursday.