Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Dodgers home opener was packed with energy—championship celebrations, a roaring crowd of nearly 50,000, and a long-awaited debut from new Dodgers lefty Blake Snell. After signing late in Spring Training, Snell finally took the mound at Chavez Ravine in Dodger blue, and while it wasn’t perfect, it was full of grit, flashes of brilliance, and something you love to see in a veteran: honesty and hunger to get better.
Snell went five innings in the 5–4 win over the Tigers, giving up two earned runs and grinding through some tough situations. The Tigers went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position—something Snell was proud of, and rightfully so.
“I like to think that when the runners are in scoring position, they dig down and find a way to get out of it,” Snell said postgame. “Definitely, you know, I think my only 1-2-3 inning was the first inning and then after that it was just a lot of fighting to get outs.”
Snell acknowledged that some of his pitches missed the mark, but he also saw enough encouraging signs to feel good about the outing. “Got away with some pitches, didn’t get away with some pitches. But overall, I like what I learned today,” he said. “Even seeing the swings, the contact, getting in the zone a little bit more—my misses weren’t off by a lot, but they’re still misses. So, lots of improvement.”
That mindset—seeing each outing as a step forward—is exactly what Dodgers fans should want to hear from a former Cy Young winner still working his way into top form. And Snell clearly knows he’s not quite where he wants to be yet.
“Once I get more consistent with my pitches in the zone… I learned a lot too once the game ended. I could kind of tell what they were doing, just by their takes and reads. So there’s a lot that I learned there that’s going to help me, you know, moving forward facing Atlanta next.”
Of course, this wasn’t just any game. It was Snell’s first start as a Dodger, during the World Series banner celebration, with a packed stadium full of expectations. And he felt every bit of it—in the best way.
“The fans… just feeling the energy, how much the fans love the team, how encouraging they were before the start, how much they just showed love to me—I mean, that was pretty cool,” Snell said. “Then you go out there, you just want to do everything you can to win.”
Nerves? Sure. But as Snell put it, “They’re all different kinds of nerves. But I think that’s very normal. And then, as you get ready, you get going, they kind of go away.”
Teoscar Hernández’s two-run homer in the fourth inning gave Snell a lead to work with, and you could tell the big lefty appreciated the moment. “I was excited,” he said with a smile.
And while he didn’t soak in much of the pregame ceremonies—“I’ll watch tomorrow,” he admitted—he was clearly soaking in the atmosphere as the home guy on the Dodger Stadium mound for the first time.
“I loved it. I’m excited for more of it—especially when I get better and better. First game, there’s just so much that you’re not expecting, you are expecting… to get that out of the way, I’m excited to get that out of the way. Winning? Even better.”
Blake Snell’s debut wasn’t dominant, but it was full of potential—and heart. He battled, he learned, and he helped deliver a win in front of a fired-up home crowd. If this is what Snell looks like in Game 1, there’s a lot to be excited about once he settles in.
Welcome to L.A., Blake. Let’s ride.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
