Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Games 3-5: March 27-29 vs. Tigers (Home Opening Series)

Thu 3.27 4p: Blake Snell vs. Tarik Skubal
Fri 3.28 7p: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. TBD
Sat 3.29 6p: Roki Sasaki vs. TBD

Those first two games in Japan didn't seem fully real, right? The artificial turf of the Tokyo Dome; the impossibly difficult time zone difference from Los Angeles; the lack of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the lineup. Luckily, the Dodgers came away with two wins to start the season--and now we can open the season the right way, back at home in Chavez Ravine.

At least, we're hoping this is the right way, with the right lineup--Betts (suffering from a stomach ailment that had him lose 15-18 pounds) played in some of the Freeway Series exhibition games versus the Angels this week, though he (understandably) didn't look great.

Mookie Betts, now with his skinnier frame.

But the Dodgers' re-tooling for 2025 starts with the man on the mound Thursday, as two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell takes the mound for the Dodgers (man, that is really weird to type, and I'm sure will be even weirder to witness!). Snell, who signed a five-year, $182M deal with Los Angeles this offseason, was 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA this spring across 4.2 IP. He faces Tarik Skubal, a front-runner for the 2025 American League Cy Young award. Skubal was 2-0 this spring with a 2.33 ERA across 19.1 IP.

I have been too accustomed to seeing Blake Snell's pouty demeanor on opposing teams (Rays in the 2020 World Series; Padres 2021-2023; Giants 2024) that I am going to have trouble rooting for him as a Dodger. He had better show up Thursday.

On Friday, I will be at the Stadium for the game. It might be one of the few times I can attend a game this season, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Let's go, Yoshi! (And you too, Roki, on Saturday.)

162 comments:

spank said...

no sunday game. thats dumb

karen said...

Yeah, I'm with Spank. There should ALWAYS be a game on Sundays.

Steve Sax said...

What about church? Or is baseball church?

Steve Sax said...

(I agree with you two on Sunday baseball, btw. Should have made it a four-game series vs. Detroit.)

spank said...

well im celebrating. got the brews flowing and vibe happening. champions opening day!!

QuadSevens said...

Hi everybody! Mrs Quad and I have our Walker Buehler World Champs tshirts on here and we’re ready for opening day!

Steve Sax said...

Buehler? Buehler?

Name rings a bell.... :)

Steve Sax said...

GAME 1

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Mookie Betts, SS
3. Teoscar Hernández, RF
4. Freddie Freeman, 1B
5. Tommy Edman, CF
6. Will Smith, C
7. Max Muncy, 3B
8. Miguel Rojas, 2B
9. Andy Pages, LF

P Blake Snell

QuadSevens said...

Kiké is sick now. Out for today.

QuadSevens said...

@Sax Going to be real weird seeing him in a Red Sox uniform this year.

spank said...

sterilize that clubhouse

Steve Sax said...

Wow, the Dodgers are wearing those snazzy gold-lettered uniforms!

Steve Sax said...

Gibby! Meet Freddie!

Steve Sax said...

That was a pretty sweet first pitch.

Steve Sax said...

Looks like we got brand new icons for the World Series Championships!

QuadSevens said...

I’m wearing that gold hat now! Let’s go!

Steve Sax said...

Snell had Torres 0-2, and then was cheated out of strike 3. Now it's a 2-2 count...Torres grounds to Rojas at second but slips right out of the box so it wasn't close.

QuadSevens said...

3 up, 3 down for Snell.

karen said...

Snellzilla sits 'em down in order.

Steve Sax said...

Snell gets Greene on a K.

0-0 going to B1

Steve Sax said...

And here's Ohtani!

Steve Sax said...

Betts fly ball to left, but not enough in that skinny body to get it out of the park.

Steve Sax said...

Weak out for Teoscar, grounds to first on a check swing.

0-0 through 1

Steve Sax said...

Snell's already in trouble and it's only the second inning.

Steve Sax said...

Baserunning error by the Tigers, so we get the runner at third (Torkelson). Now it's first and second with one out.

Steve Sax said...

Javy Baez only hit .184 last year? Geez

Steve Sax said...

Muncy double pumps, so he can only get Baez at first. Tigers have two RISP with two out.

Steve Sax said...

Pages with a bad route in left, but he makes the catch for the third out.

spank said...

Pages giving heart attacks. its too early in the season for that brah

karen said...

TOMMY TANKS!!! 1-0 Dodgers.

Steve Sax said...

TOMMY TANKS!!!

spank said...

edman!!

Steve Sax said...

dammit! karen you beat me to it :)

Steve Sax said...

Boy we are being aggressive on Skubal, swinging early in counts!

Steve Sax said...

Nice play by Muncy there at third. One out.

Steve Sax said...

Bacon Ranch: Teoscar Hernandez' favorite sunflower seed flavor

Steve Sax said...

Ohtani with a two-out base hit!

Steve Sax said...

Gleyber Torres, now on the Tigers, is slipping all over the place today. Mookie's shot up the middle deflects of Skubal and Torres can't get to it. Dodgers at the corners, two out.

Steve Sax said...

Teo K, inning over.

1-0 LA through 3.

Steve Sax said...

Two on, none out again for Snellster

Steve Sax said...

Bases loaded, two out, for Snell here in the fourth.

QuadSevens said...

Time to earn that money Snell.

Steve Sax said...

Ryan Kreidler with a full count here...

Steve Sax said...

Oh shit, Wild pitch ties the game. Snell gets the K but the Tigers tie it. Crap.

QuadSevens said...

That was a terrible curveball. Tie game.

Steve Sax said...

That is a really weird Corona in-game ad.

spank said...

damn. helluva catch

Steve Sax said...

Edman almost had that one too.

Steve Sax said...

And of course, Muncy Ks.

1-1 through 4

QuadSevens said...

Another walk. Bases loaded with Tigers.

QuadSevens said...

Sac fly. 2-1 Tigers now. 2 down.

Steve Sax said...

Here's Snell, struggling to get through the lineup the third time through. What a fucking surprise.

2-1 Detroit, at we're only in the fifth inning, and Snell's at 91 pitches.

Steve Sax said...

Thankfully, Snell gets Colt Keith to ground out to end the top of the fifth.

2-1 DET

Steve Sax said...

Ohtani with a force. Damn.

Steve Sax said...

Four-pitch walk to Mookie. Shohei to second. Teo up.

Steve Sax said...

Teoscar is 0-for-2 with a K.

Steve Sax said...

BOOM TEO!!!!

karen said...

TEO!!!! 4-2 Blue

spank said...

Teo!!

Steve Sax said...

4-2 LA through 5.

QuadSevens said...

TEO!!

karen said...

Okay Saxy, you got me on this one.

Steve Sax said...

Casparius not starting out well, Walk and single, two on now with none out in the top of the sixth.

Steve Sax said...

@karen 5.38p: we're even! it's gonna be rare, my feed is pretty delayed in this turkish prison :)

Steve Sax said...

Okay Casparius gets one, fly out to Betts.

Steve Sax said...

Casparius gets a key K on Ibanez.

Steve Sax said...

Casparius gets out of it! Torres grounds out 5-4

Steve Sax said...

Slappy and Muncy Ks to end the sixth.

4-2 LA

spank said...

Muncy's still horrible

Steve Sax said...

SHOHEI!!!

karen said...

SHOHEI!!!! Back up by 2

spank said...

shohei!!!

Steve Sax said...

5-3 LA, B7

Steve Sax said...

5-3 LA through 7 full

Steve Sax said...

Tanner Scott also yields a run, so it's 5-4 LA through 7.5

Steve Sax said...

We need some Geico here, guys

Steve Sax said...

Freddie is 0-for-4 today. Bench him!

Steve Sax said...

Edman Ks. We go to the ninth with a precarious one-run lead.

Steve Sax said...

Treinen lets leadoff hitter Torres reach with a single. Hoo boy.

Steve Sax said...

Treinen gets Riley to K.

Steve Sax said...

Here's Torkelson, who has already homered and also walked three times.

Steve Sax said...

Treinen forgets about Torres, who steals second.

Steve Sax said...

And Torkelson walks a fourth time! First and second, one out. Not good

spank said...

cocky baserunning by Detroit

Steve Sax said...

AJ Hinch goes to PH Trey Sweeney over Manny Margot, who is 2-for-3 with an RBI? Hmm.

Steve Sax said...

Sweeney Ks!

Steve Sax said...

WIN!

karen said...

WIN BABY!!

spank said...

thats a wrap

Steve Sax said...

PGT up! (But come back here for Friday's game.)

QuadSevens said...

3-0! We’re going to win 162!

Steve Sax said...

Getting hyped up!

QuadSevens said...

GAME 2

Ohtani DH
Betts SS
Freeman 1B
Hernandez, T. RF
Muncy 3B
Edman 2B
Conforto LF
Pages CF
Barnes C

Yamamoto P

QuadSevens said...

Old friend Jack Flaherty is pitching for the Tigers tonight.

QuadSevens said...

For anyone who doesn't have another way to watch, this is the free game of the day on mlb.com.

karen said...

Can't wait to see the bling!

Steve Sax said...

I’m at the game.

Austin Barnes couldn’t throw a snail out at second

Steve Sax said...

We are down 2-0

Steve Sax said...

Yoshi is really inefficient. He’s not going to get five innings.

Steve Sax said...

We are getting NO HIT

Steve Sax said...

It’s Barnes. I would have hit Pages as well

Steve Sax said...

Barnes being Barnes. He flies weakly to right to end the inning

karen said...

Finally. Freddie ties it up 2-2.

Steve Sax said...

Freddie! Tie game

QuadSevens said...

MOOKIE!!

karen said...

MOOKIE! 3-2 Blue

karen said...

Great picks by Tommy Tanks.

Stupid Tigers tie it up at 3.

karen said...

OVERTURNED!! Tommy Tanks made 3 great plays.

Steve Sax said...

Slappy in for Barnes. What took so long

karen said...

MOOKIE WALKS IT OFF!!!!!!!

spank said...

MOOKIE!!!

Steve Sax said...

Sorry for the delay. Post-Game Thread / At-Game Recap up! See you all tonight for Game 5.

QuadSevens said...

I think Nestor Cortes has been watching the Freddie grand slam a bunch this off-season too. He gave up three bombs on his first three pitches today to the Yankees. lol

Steve Sax said...

GAME 3

Ohtani DH
T Hernandez RF
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
Pages C
Conforto LF
Edman 2B
Rojas SS

Sasaki P

Steve Sax said...

Here we go. Roki Sasaki has two on and one out in the first.

Steve Sax said...

No Betts in the lineup tonight.

Steve Sax said...

Oh, the Dodgers are finally wearing the non-gold uniforms!

Steve Sax said...

Sasaki gets Carpenter to chase high, pop up Rojas. Two out.

Steve Sax said...

Deuces wild for Sasaki. He's at 24 pitches

Steve Sax said...

Walks Colt Keith.

Roki looks nervous.

Steve Sax said...

Margot is up, two outs and rancho ardiendo. I have a bad feeling about this.

Steve Sax said...

Margot hits a dribbler up the line and it stays fair just long enough to advance everyone. 1-0 Detroit.

Steve Sax said...

Jack Dreyer has already started throwing in the Dodgers' pen. Roki is at 38 pitches...and he just walked in another run.

Steve Sax said...

Roki needs some minor league starts.

Steve Sax said...

Roki escapes with a grounder to third, for the third out.

Brutal. DET 2-0, mid-1

spank said...

could've been worse and less. definitely last batter for Roki. he'll be iight. just young and raw

karen said...

It took 41 pitches but Roki gets through the first giving up only 2 runs.

spank said...

@saxy.. i was thinking same about minor league starts

QuadSevens said...

Roki will probably be sent down once some other starters get healthy. He’s going to get better.

karen said...

FREDDIE!!!!

spank said...

Frederick!!

Steve Sax said...

Ohtani Ks. Teoscar barely gets it and flies to left-center. Freeman LAUNCHES

QuadSevens said...

FREDDY!

Steve Sax said...

There's everybody! YAY

Steve Sax said...

I gotta cook dinner soon but I will hang for this inning

karen said...

Horrible third strike call on Slappy

Steve Sax said...

Slappy gets robbed at the plate with that call.

But it's 2-1 DET through 1.

spank said...

that splitter just falls apart.

Steve Sax said...

Roki looks a lot like Yoshi at the beginning of last year: inefficient with counts, nervous on the mound, missing spots.

karen said...

Doc out with a hook after only 1.2 innings

Steve Sax said...

And that's it for Roki. 61 pitches, Five outs. Roki looks like he's going to cry.

Steve Sax said...

Doc is trying to protect Roki from himself.

Steve Sax said...

Dreyer gets Roki out of the jam.

2-1 DET, mid-2.

Okay I gotta cook dinner :)

spank said...

i let out a ' come on fucking pages" and then he gets a.base hit. you're welcome

spank said...

hustle baby

karen said...

Conforto ties us up at 2

Steve Sax said...

Dreyer with a nice third inning

Steve Sax said...

Pages apparently ran right through the stop sign in the second there. He got lucky that the relay throw was offline.

Steve Sax said...

Ohtani flies out

karen said...

That strike 2 call on Freddie is exactly why those umps are being replaced with a machine

karen said...

SLAPPY!!! 5-2 LA

spank said...

slappy!!

Steve Sax said...

Slappy!

5-2 LA

Steve Sax said...

spank and karen are waaaaaay ahead of me

Steve Sax said...

Muncy grounds out again.

He is becoming Chris Taylor

spank said...

edman to rojas to freeman is very relaxing

spank said...

pinchi tommy tanks!!

karen said...

TOMMY TANKS!!! 6-3 Blue

spank said...

i had no idea Nancy Bea passed away. RIP 😢

karen said...

WIN!!!

karen said...

@SPANKY....I was really sorry to hear Nancy Bea passed away. I loved her friendship with Vin and how she would play 'Master of the House' when Orel was pitching. RIP Nancy Bea.

QuadSevens said...

SWEEP!