Steve Webb
Game 31, 4/29/2024: Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 4
PHOENIX, AZ — We all know what happened in October with the D-backs. Yeah. That. So, it was critical for the Boys in Blue to get that little gorilla off their back quickly this year. And luckily, they did just that. Riding a good top-to-bottom performance from the batting order, the Dodgers came into Arizona and snatched the first game of the season against the reigning NL champs, coming away with an 8-4 win.
James Paxton got the start in this one, and he was… okay. Still way too much trouble with command (another five free passes in this one), but he kept the Snakes at bay for the most part. After a sac fly gave the D-backs an early run, the Dodgers were able to get back in the game with a two-run second inning. A Kiké Hernandez double scored the first run and Andy Pages plated another with a sacrifice fly, but what could have been a huge inning came to a screeching halt when Shohei Ohtani hit into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded.
However, not to worry. The Dodgers were back at it in the top of the fifth when the put a four-spot on the scoreboard, thanks from a lot of help from the Arizona pitchers. In all there were four walks in the inning to grease the wheels a bit, and when Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages came through with two run doubles in the inning, the Dodgers were out to a 6-1 lead. It was good to see Hernandez come through, as he’s been scuffling something awful of late. Similarly welcome was the Pages’ double. It’s a long season, but Pages is proving he deserves to be here just as much as anybody on this roster. In all Pages is now hitting .298 with an OPS of .846. That’ll play.
Another good thing that this game featured was the total lack of strikeouts by the Dodger hitters. It was the first time in eighteen years that the team played an entire game without a single strikeout. More of this please.
Paxton was shaky in the bottom of the fifth and gave up three runs, but the Dodgers came right back with a Will Smith homer in the 6th inning and a Shohei RBI single in the 8th to add a little insurance.
When Paxton left the game, the bullpen came through with flying colors. In this one, it was Daniel Hudson, Alex Vesia, Joe Kelly, and Evan Phillips who each pitched a scoreless frame to seal the victory. It would have been a whole lot nicer to do this last October, but better late than never.
Now 19-12, the Dodgers have just two more games left in this longest roadtrip of the year before returning home to Blue Heaven on Earth. Both games will be 6:40 first pitch affairs. On Tuesday, it’ll be rookie Landon Knack against world series hero Jordan Montgomery. Both pitchers will be making their third start of the year. Here we go…
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