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.)

Games 1-2 Thread: Tokyo Series vs. Cubs (March 18-19)

Lots of open mouths here. Whatever happened to nose breathing?

Tue 3.18: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Shota Imanaga, 3a
Wed 3.19: Roki Sasaki vs. Justin Steele, 3a

It's finally time for Dodger Baseball, and it's awful early in the day here in Los Angeles. But I'm totally excited to get up and watch the Dodgers defend their World Series Championship by facing off against the Cubs in the Tokyo Dome. And just in time, Spectrum is finally allowing a subscription streaming service, which should open the Dodgers up to all those cord-cutting fans in the Los Angeles market.

The only bad news? Mookie Betts' recent diet plan (drop 15 pounds in short notice!), a.k.a. the flu he's been fighting since leaving for Japan last week, has knocked our new shortstop off the roster for these two games in Japan. I guess that puts more pressure on that other guy to carry the load. (No, not Freddie Freeman; he did his part during the 2024 World Series!).

I'm going to try and get up at 3a and watch this puppy. Come join us on this GT!

LET'S GO, DODGERS!