Shohei Ohtani will make his Dodgers debut against the Padres in MLB’s first regular season game in Korea. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
Opening Day is still eight days away, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are kicking things off early Wednesday with MLB’s first regular season game in South Korea.
At the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Shohei Ohtani will make his long-awaited regular season debut in Dodger blue, while Tyler Glasnow will also make his Dodgers debut when he takes the mound against the Padres’ Yu Darvish.
The Padres and Dodgers have both been in Seoul for a number of days. They’ve been able to get over any jet lag they experienced on the way over, and they’ve also been able to get some playing time at the Gocheok Sky Dome. Both teams have played the Korean National Baseball Team as well as two teams from the KBO, Korea’s equivalent to MLB.
But those were just exhibition games. This is the real thing. Both teams will play a few more spring training games before the 2024 season really gets underway, but the regular season is finally here.
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Ohtani has done almost everything in his Dodgers debut: first hit, first RBI, and now his first whoopsie-doodle. He forgot to tag second base on his way back to first and got doubled up to end the eighth inning. At least he got it out of the way early, right?
Ohtani makes his mark on the game with his first RBI as a Dodger!
The Dodgers take the lead! Gavin Lux chops one to Jake Cronenworth in the infield, and he technically catches it, but the ball actually rips through the webbing of his glove and into the shallow outfield. Dodgers lead 4-2.
Kiké Hernandez, back with the Dodgers, hits a sacrifice fly to tie the game 2-2. Padres manager Mike Shildt has to dig back into his bullpen with runners on first and second and only one out.
Things are finally getting interesting here as the Dodgers have the bases loaded with no outs against Johny Brito, the former Yankees pitcher making his Padres debut.
Both offenses have been a little quiet so let’s take a look at Ohtani’s first Dodger hit from a different angle.
The game hasn’t gotten out of hand, but the Dodgers could definitely use a little offense right now
Dodgers 0 for 7 with RISP and 0 for 11 with runners on base so far is not convenient way to start
A double play helps the Dodgers, but still forces them to give up the lead to the Padres.
Now it’s Glasnow’s turn. He’s loaded the bases but with zero outs, and now the Padres have an opportunity to blow it wide open.
Even tennis legend Billie Jean King is in Seoul to see Ohtani!
The Dodgers scored their first run of 2024 on a Jason Heyward sacrifice fly, which led Padres manager Mike Shildt to make that long walk out to the mound and pull Darvish, his starter.
The Padres scored the first run of the game, but it looks like Darvish is on his last few batters as his control continues to suffer.
What started with an Ohtani hit led to the Dodgers clogging the bases in the third as Darvish continues to have issues with location. But Muncy swings through strike three and the Padres escape from danger — for now, at least…
