The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their first Cactus League game of 2024 as they were defeated by the Texas Rangers, 6-4, to put their record at 5-1-1. However, the final score was overshadowed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was making his first start in a Dodgers uniform.
It was a highly-anticipated debut for Yamamoto that even drew Shohei Ohtani to the stadium to support his fellow countryman despite not being scheduled to play.
Yamamoto pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and facing the minimum after following the single with a double play. He opened the game with a strikeout of Marcus Semien on a fastball, and in the second inning, he recorded two more punchouts on the splitter, making Nathaniel Lowe and Leody Taveres both punch out on half swings.
Overall, it was an impressive debut for the right-hander, who faced six total hitters, throwing 19 total pitches with 16 strikes.
There was a scare in the game when Max Muncy was hit by a pitch on his left hand. He stayed in the game, but underwent x-rays after coming out, and it was determined to be a contusion.
The Dodgers offense got going in the fifth inning when Andy Pages hit his first homer of Cactus League play, driving in Kevin Padlo to put the Dodgers up 2-0. Pages has been impressing in Spring Training and received praise from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who said he would not be surprised to see the prospect make his MLB debut this season.
The Rangers scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Joe Kelly allowed a triple to Ezequiel Duran that was followed with a wild pitch. In the same inning, Justin Foscue reached on a throwing error from Gavin Lux, and Kelly gave up an RBI single to Travis Jankowski that tied the game.
Pages once again ignited the offense in the seventh inning when he tripled off the wall. He then scored when Kody Hoese hit a sacrifice fly, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
However, the Rangers came back to tie it when Travis Swaggerty got turned around trying to catch a fly ball, which led to a triple from Cameron Cauley against Elieser Hernández and was followed by a single from Benjamin Blackwell.
The game began to fall apart on the Dodgers when Elier Hernandez doubled to drive in two runs, and a wild pitch from Elieser Hernández gave the Rangers another run. In total, they scored four runs in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead.
The Dodgers got a run back when Austin Gauthier doubled and Ryan Ward singled him home, but their rally was halted due to a double play.
What’s next for the Dodgers and Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
The Dodgers play their first night game of 2024 on Thursday with a matchup against the Cincinnati Reds. James Paxton is scheduled to make his first start this spring and Dodgers debut.
Yamamoto should throw a bullpen session in the coming days, and it’s likely he’ll get one or two more starts before the Dodgers open their season in Seoul, South Korea.
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