Max Langer
Game 3, 3/27/2025: Dodgers 5, Tigers 4
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — The Dodgers had their stateside Opening Day on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers, and they picked up right where they left off in Tokyo. They got a decent start from new arm Blake Snell and put it together with three home runs to beat the up-and-coming Tigers by a score of 5-4.
The Dodgers, wearing their gold-lettered World Series champion jerseys, saw their 2024 World Series championship banner raised and their 2024 World Series title sign unveiled, all after Ice Cube drove the trophy towards the infield in a shiny blue convertible.
Then, two-time Cy Young award-winner Blake Snell set the top of Detroit’s lineup down 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning. After his dominant first frame, however, Snell labored to get through five innings, throwing 92 pitches, with only 53 for strikes. The lefty walked four batters, compared to only two strikeouts. He surrendered two runs, and was aided by Detroit’s utter inability to hit with runners in scoring position. In fact, the Tigers finished the contest 0-15 with RISP.
Facing a strikeout machine in Skubal, LA swung early and often. While the Dodgers’ gameplan led to a great number of quick outs, it also resulted in a solo home run from Tommy Edman, who’s now hit the first Dodger home run of the season both in Japan and in Los Angeles. Spencer Torkelson tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch in the fourth, and an inning later, Manuel Margot knocked in Gleyber Torres with a sac fly to center.
But in the bottom of the fifth, with two on and two out, Teoscar Hernandez turned on a 97-mile-per-hour four-seam fastball from Skubal, and took it to straightaway center field, and out of the ballpark. The three-run home run gave the Dodgers a 4-2 advantage, until Torkelson homered off of Alex Vesia in the seventh. Torkelson had a perfect day, in fact. He homered once and walked four times. He’s going to bed tonight with a 5.000 OPS.
But as he always seems to do, Shohei Ohtani met the moment. He gave the fans what they came to see–with two outs in a 3-2 count in the bottom of the seventh inning, Ohtani sent a 96-mile-per-hour sinker into the left-field bleachers, doubling the Dodgers’ lead, making the score 5-3. But in the eighth, Zach McKinstry tripled off of Tanner Scott, and then scored on a Kerry Carpenter sac fly. It was 5-4 Dodgers, going into the 9th inning.
The Dodgers sent Blake Treinen out to try to finish the job. He struggled out of the gate, but with runners on first and second, two outs, and the game hanging in the balance, Treinen buckled down. He struck out Trey Sweeney, and then induced a pop-up from Colt Keith to Freddie Freeman, who jogged into foul territory before squeezing the final out.
The Dodgers are 3-0, and have the best record in baseball. They play the second of a three-game series against Detroit tomorrow at 7:10 PST. Yoshinobu Yamamoto goes for the Dodgers, while old friend Jack Flaherty is slated to pitch for the Tigers. 162-0 is still technically possible for the 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers. Oh, and the World Series ring ceremony is tomorrow as well.
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