Dodgers home opener gets baseball under way in Los Angeles
Listen to this articleToday the Los Angeles Dodgers start their first home stand of the season: a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s the home opener for a team that got off to a big start in San Diego eight days ago. In that three-game series the Dodgers outscored the Padres 25-0, getting 15 runs in their first game of the season.
Rookie centerfielder Trayce Thompson has had a great start to his major league season, batting .400 with four hits and three RBI.
Starting ace Clayton Kershaw is having another great start as well, with an ERA of 1.20 over 15 innings. He has allowed just two runs in his two starts, both from the division rival San Francisco Giants. Kershaw’s WHIP is 0.47.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez leads the Dodger bats with a batting average of .429. No homers yet, but he has six RBI, 12 hits in 28 at-bats.
Yasiel Puig has a homerun this season and he’s hitting .385. In the first seven games of the season Puig has had 26 at-bats with 10 hits and four RBI.
New shortstop Corey Seager is having a good start as well, batting . 333 with four RBI.
The entire Dodgers lineup is doing well, and the pitching staff, is doing okay. Ross Stripling had a good start, with an ERA of 1.23, but he was unable to get a decision in his only outing.
On the mound for the Dodgers today will be the Japanese sensation, Kenta Maeda. He has thrown one game, a total of six innings and his ERA is a big fat zero. Oh, and he has a homerun under his belt. In a Spring Training interview Maeda told our reporter Claudia Gestro, “In Japan too I hit in my professional career. I like to hit so I hope to be able to hit well in the majors too.”
So far he is on the right track for a pitcher who can also hit the ball.
On the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks will be left-hander Patrick Corbin. In his first game, against the Colorado Rockies, Corbin pitched seven innings, giving up eight hits and four runs. His ERA is 5.14, but his WHIp is just 1.14
The Diamondbacks have gotten off to a rough start, going 2-7 coming into this game. Their new starter, Zack Greinke, got rocked in his first two starts after coming from the Dodgers. His ERA is an incredible 9.90 — not what anyone expected from a guy who was on the very short list to get the Cy Young Award last season.
But the Diamondbacks have some power in their lineup. Second baseman Jean Segura has a BA of .407 with three homeruns and five RBI. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt has a BA of .280, with two homers and seven RBI.
The starting line up for Arizona begins with Segura, followed by centerfielder Socrates Brito, Goldschmidt, right fielder David Peralta, catcher Wellington Castillo, third baseman Jake Lamb, left fielder Yasmany Tomas, Corbin and shortstop Nick Ahmed.
For the Dodgers: left fielder Enrique Hernandez, Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, third baseman Justin Turner, second baseman Howie Kendrick, Trayce Thompson, shortstop Corey Seager, catcher A.J. Ellis and then Kenta Maeda.
The Dodgers home opener against the Arizona Diamondback is just getting under way, so it’s time for baseball in Los Angeles. As usual Vin Scully will be calling the game and the Dodgers and the City of Los Angeles will be honoring the broadcaster throughout the season, including today.
Claudia Gestro contributed to this article.
All photos by Claudia Gestro.
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