Los Angeles Dodgers was expected to be the cream in the crop in the big leagues this season – and they have not been disappointed so far.
Dodgers looks to improve to 9-0 on Friday when they start a three-game series against Philadelphia Phillies.
Sporting a list loaded with superstars and talented young people – not to mention impressive depths in almost every position – Los Angeles came into the season to defend its World Series title. Dodgers has looked at the part through eight games and defeated Chicago Cubs twice in Japan before returning to the states to wrap both Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves.
Shohei Ohtani put an exclamation point on a 6-5 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday with a walk-off home run at the first pitch he saw from Raisel Iglesias. The reigning National League MVP beats .333 with a 1,126 OPS so far, and he is bound with Yankees’ Aaron judge with a large team-best 11 runs.
“It is actually an honor to feel the pressure because it means that there are many expectations and I just change it to more of a positive,” Ohtani said through an interpreter after Wednesday’s victory.
Phillies has also opened the season in an impressive way and published five wins in six matches. They swept the visiting Colorado Rockies in a series of three games this week, punctured by a 3-1 triumph on Thursday.
Kyle Schwarber hammered and JT Realmuto listed three hits in support of Taijuan Walker, who logged in six speechless innings to serve the victory.
“(Walker has the opportunity to come in front of the guys, and he mixed really well today. I think he kept them out of balance pretty well today and he could use all his places effectively,” said Realmuto, who would love to see a similar effort from Jesus Luzardo on Friday.
Luzardo (1-0, 3.60 era) allowed two runs in five rounds in his Phillies debut on Saturday against Washington Nationals. He knocked out 11 of the 22 beats he met and showed exactly why the team acquired him from Miami Marlins during the low season.
“He’s amazing,” said Philadelphia Second Baseman Bryson Stott. “He fits right in. He is electric. Of course we saw him a lot (when he was with marlins). It is even more electric when he knocks 11 from another team and not us.”
Luzardo has a 3.48 era with a 0-0 record in four career appearance (three starts) versus Dodgers.
Los Angeles has a rotation full of electric jugs, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 2.70 era) will take their turn in the opener of the series.
The Japanese right-wing dealer, who has never met Phillies, logged five rounds in each of their first two starts this season, including a career high 10-Stikeout performance Friday against Detroit. He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in a game that Dodgers eventually won in extra rounds.
“I thought Yamamoto threw heck out of baseball,” said Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts. “Many punchouts.”
Los Angeles already owns the best start in baseball history for a defending World Series champion. The best start in Dodger’s franchise history is 10-0, when the team played in Brooklyn during the 1955 season.
Phillies won five of the six matches between the teams last season, including a three-game-sweep in Philadelphia in July.
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