No Ohtani? No Problem As Dodgers Drub Padres In Spring Opener

PEORIA, AZ. – Fifteen minutes into the first spring training game of 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked as absolutely underwhelming as their exorbitant payroll would indicate.

They led the San Diego Padres 8-0 before even taking the field to play defense. The Dodgers won 14-1, and did so without many of their high-priced stars. The team’s “billionaire brothers,” Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose combined contracts total $1.025 million, stayed at the Dodgers’ training facility 11.4 miles away in Glendale. So did 2023 stars Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Clayton Kershaw and other veterans.

The crowd of 8,677 at Peoria Stadium saw Mookie Betts score the first run of the game after drawing a walk. It came on a two-run double from another expensive signing, Teoscar Hernández. His one-year, $23.5 million deal almost seems like a bargain compared to the Dodgers’ most expensive players.

One bright spot for the Padres was the performance of their own Japanese import. Yuki Matsui in a brief entry showed that his five-year, $28 million contract could be money wisely spent. His first pitches had a wow factor and made it clear that he could claim another $10 million in bonuses over the life of the deal if he became the club’s regular closer.

The 28-year-old reliever showed an excellent splitter and slider while striking out the sides. He got veterans Gavin Lux, Chris Owings and rookie Andy Pages, all on pitches that left the strike zone. In their previous days, Lux walked, Owings hit a two-run double and Pages a two-run single in the Dodgers’ big first inning.

Matsui’s 94 mph fastball seemed much faster, perhaps because it came from a 5-foot-8, 165-pound frame. He also moves his head forward when releasing the ball, which adds deception. It all led to an impressive outing that showed why he made 236 saves over the last nine seasons in Japan, while allowing just 467 hits in 704 innings pitched and a staggering 941 strikeouts.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had nine pitchers work exactly one inning each, striking out 12. That’s a manager’s dream for an opening game to be able to give work to so many guys at an even pace. The only blemish was Jake Cronenworth’s home run in the bottom of the fourth off left-hander Alex Vesia.

Padres pitchers struck out 16. Rookie right-hander Jeremiah Estrada matched Matsui’s perfect 3-K inning and journeyman left-hander Austin Davis fanned three minor leaguers around a double.

San Diego starter Joe Musgrove, whose 2023 season ended in mid-September with shoulder soreness, threw 24 pitches without recording an out. He allowed a walk, a single, a hit batter and a double to Hernandez.

Lux, who missed all of last season with a serious knee injury, looked good running the bases. He was the designated hitter and is expected to be the starting shortstop after moving from second base, which is now handled by Betts.

“It felt good running and being a baseball player again, especially coming back here where I literally blew it,” Lux told reporters. “It’s just fun to get some at-bats and feel normal again and do what you did when you grew up.”

Lux was injured on February 27 when he tripped while running from second base to third base in Peoria.

Ohtani feels like a million dollars

The 29-year-old superstar didn’t say it like that, but he did convey that his rehabilitation from surgery on his precious left elbow is going well. While it is known that she won’t pitch anything this year, she said she won’t rush things at bat this spring. She’s confident he’ll be fully ready to hit when the Dodgers and Padres open the 2024 season for real with two. -Series of games from March 20 to 21 in Seoul, South Korea.

“I feel like we’re going on schedule, which is a really good thing,” Ohtani told reporters. “And my body is reacting very well so far. So everything is going in the right direction.”

The slugger isn’t expected to play in a spring game for another 10 days.

Yamamoto Sharp in training

As entertaining for Dodger fans as the loss over the division rival Padres was, others in Glendale enjoyed watching batting practice. That’s where Yamamoto, signed to a 12-year, $325 million contract this winter, received rave reviews. A crowd gathered to watch him face Ohtani. But the Dodgers’ $700 million man took his indoor part of a pitching machine.

Yamamoto, who is expected to make his spring game debut next week, showed off a nice breaking ball and told MLB.com’s Juan Toribio that he is excited for the season. “I’ve been feeling good,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Hiro Sonoda. “I just pretend this is a real game. “Probably the next step will be an actual game that I release.”

Manager Dave Roberts said it’s a “safe bet” that Yamamoto will start one of the games in South Korea. “I don’t think that’s official yet,” the right-hander told Toribio, “but if I shoot during that series, it would be a great honor.”