Mookie Betts, Dustin May Lead Dodgers Past Giants 8-1 in Season Opener
The Los Angeles Dodgers don't look like they are ready to give up their grip on the National League West, even in a shortened season.
Los Angeles started its 2020 campaign and defense of seven straight division titles with an 8-1 victory over the rival San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Dustin May and Enrique Hernandez led the way for the home team that won even though Clayton Kershaw was scratched because of back stiffness.
The Giants are looking for their first playoff appearance since 2016 and already find themselves in a hole one game into the season.
Notable Player Stats
- Dustin May, SP, LAD: 4.1 innings, one earned run, seven hits, zero walks and four strikeouts
- Enrique Hernandez, 2B, LAD: 4-for-5, one home run, five RBI and two runs
- Johnny Cueto, SP, SF: 4.0 innings, one earned run, five hits, one walk and three strikeouts
- Pablo Sandoval, 1B, SF: 1-for-3 and one RBI
Dustin May Silences Giants Bats in Unexpected Start
The result of a single game, even in a shortened season, seemed to be secondary for the Dodgers when they announced Kershaw was going to the injured list.
After all, he is their ace and a future Hall of Famer who has a National League MVP, three Cy Young Awards, five ERA titles, a Gold Glove and eight All-Star selections on his resume. Teams can ill-afford to lose someone like that, especially when they have legitimate World Series aspirations in a year when every game takes on additional importance.
Enter the 22-year-old May.
The right-hander, who is the Dodgers' No. 2 prospect on MLB.com's rankings, showed off his filthy stuff with an arsenal of pitches that featured movement, speed and variety. The only run he allowed came on a sacrifice fly from Pablo Sandoval in the third inning, and he demonstrated impressive control by not walking a single hitter.
All of that came in a pressure-packed spot when called upon with short notice, although it also underscored the fact the 2020 Giants are not exactly the 1927 New York Yankees.
Six-time All-Star Buster Posey opted out of the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 33-year-old Sandoval, who hasn't hit 20 home runs since 2011, hit third.
Still, the Dodgers will surely need May to pick up some of the slack in the rotation, with Kershaw slated to miss time, and Thursday's performance indicated he will be up to the task.
Mookie Betts Uneven in Dodgers' Debut
The Dodgers turned heads when they signed right fielder Mookie Betts to a 12-year, $365 million contract extension that could keep him in Los Angeles through the 2032 season.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the deal broke Mike Trout's extension record of $360 million, which signifies just how important it was for the Dodgers to keep Betts around after acquiring him from the Boston Red Sox via trade this past offseason.
In a perfect world for Los Angeles, the 2018 American League MVP would have dominated in his debut in storybook fashion—but he struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Still, he made arguably the most important play of the game to give the Dodgers the lead for good earlier in that inning.
With the game tied at one, Betts took off from third base on a Justin Turner grounder to second even though the infield was in on the play. He just slid under the tag from Donovan Solano's throw, highlighting speed few can match in the league and setting the table for a five-run rally in the inning that included a two-RBI single from Hernandez.
It was the type of winning play the Dodgers are paying Betts for and hinted at how he can help lead them to their first World Series crown since 1988, even if he was uneven in going 1-for-5 at the dish.
What's Next?
The two teams play again Friday at Dodger Stadium.
