Opening Day, 2019

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 1:10 PM PDT, TV: FS-A, SportsNet LA, ESPN

Zack Greinke will make his third consecutive Opening Day start for the D-Backs. He says he’s the healthiest he’s been in years. If that’s true the league may be in trouble because Zack is 32-18 over the past two seasons. Hyun-Jin Ryu starts for the Dodgers. As we all know, he’s the first pitcher other than Kershaw to start an opener for the Dodgers since Vicente Padilla in 2010. He’s earned it, though. Last year he was 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA in 81 innings and a 2.2 WAR.

On this date in Dodgers’ history:

Unsurprisingly the Dodgers have recorded no meaningful events on March 28 since the baseball season has only begun starting in March within the last decade or so.

Lineup:


122 thoughts on “Opening Day, 2019

  1. I finally saw the footage of BadGums getting picked off first. He was just sorta sleepwalking off the base, and I think Lauer could have walked over from the mound and tagged him. Hilarious.

  2. Trivial fact:

    This year, for the first time, there are no players on Opening Day rosters who were playing Major League Baseball in the 20th century. And MLB is about to see its first player who was born in the 2000s.

    There were two Major Leaguers in 2018 who had played in the 1990s: Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon. Beltre retired at the end of last season after a 21-year Hall of Fame-caliber career that began in 1998. The 45-year-old Colon — who debuted in 1997 and has pitched 21 seasons in the big leagues — has not retired and has expressed the desire to continue his career, but he’s unsigned entering Opening Day.

    • Fairly was an hilarious Gnatcaster (“Ron Davis is from Minnesota. He loves the outdoors. He still lives there in fact.”) I would listen for the laughs alone.,

  3. I’ve been watching the Mutts and the Nats (gnot the Gnats), but I’m ready to switch feeds.

    Just before game time, I’ll request a pisco sour.

  4. Feel good about the team they are putting out there (though no Yasiel will sting for a while, if not forever!). Things can happen, but they have depth and flexibility to pick up players if need be. Division seems weaker this year overall, though the Pads should improve. Beyond the West, Fillies probably did the best during the off season, but the Nats with their three formidable starters could make a post season run.

    Will throw 93-69 out there.

  5. Hopefully we will score a run tomorrow. It will be Turner and Pollock’s time tomorrow.

  6. Joc hit a dinger opening day in 2017, but didn’t hit another until May 21. (So, he is ahead of that)

    • He seems to have a much better swing to start this year. It seemed like he was just trying to make contact to start last year.

  7. While watching highlights and clips from other games today – I’m seeing empty seats in several stadiums.

    • Cold cities don’t show up in April much less march. Hopefully those were the cities you saw.

  8. Peter Gammons at The Athletic:

    But the conversation surrounding the National League West is all about one thing.

    How good are the Dodgers?

    And when Clayton Kershaw shut it down in the last two weeks and would not start on Opening Day, and then Rich Hill had a knee problem, whispers became screams. But the Dodgers do not seem concerned. They maintain Kershaw feels good, he thinks the rest will do him good, he’ll be fine. So will Hill’s knee.

    “Let’s face it,” says Hill, “165 innings is the new 200 innings. That’s baseball reality.”

    Exactly what the Dodgers believe, especially in their new, more tranquil post-Puig era. They can open the season with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda (who had a good spring) and Ross Stripling in the rotation. Julio Urías was really impressive this spring, Walker Buehler is on the A-train, and both will eventually be in the rotation, to about 165 innings. Don’t be surprised if Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Mitchell White get starts along the way.

    Somehow Joe Kelly, Scott Alexander, Pedro Báez, Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro, Tony Cingrani and even fireballing Yadier Álvarez will end up in roles in front of Kenley Jansen. Andrew Friedman builds his pitching staff to relay-run the length of Route 66, not sprint to May Day in first place.

    What they hope is that with Robert Van Scoyoc taking over the hitting, they will drift away from the long driving contest approaches that Boston’s pitching carved up in the World Series. A.J. Pollock fits that approach, is a needed right-handed bat, and can play 125 games with comfort. Cody Bellinger will benefit and could have a make-up season. Justin Turner, Max Muncy, David Freese and Alex Verdugo will have significant roles.

    Most important, post elbow and hip surgeries, Corey Seager has trained to lose the bulk that some felt might turn him into a third baseman. His speed, feet and quickness are better, with the same exchange and internal clock that somehow gets every baserunner by a step. Seager, like three other teammates, this winter went on a dairy-free diet that he says has changed his energy, health and body, while retaining the strength that made him such an offensive threat. There will be no milk commercials on Dodger telecasts. Kale Juice, maybe.

    All spring, coaches promised that this is Kiké Hernandez’s time. Playing with Utley, he learned the discipline and dedication that made Utley a potential Hall of Famer, and from Chase’s sense of team that was so respected, has committed himself to being Utley II.

    “Kiké could be a Gold Glover at several positions and he has really found what baseball leadership requires,” says one coach. In the last three seasons, Kiké’s OBP has gone .283/.308/.336, his OPS .607/.729/.806, his OPS+ 64/91/117, home runs 7/11/21.

    • The only thing I don’t like about all that is “They maintain Kershaw feels good, he thinks the rest will do him good, he’ll be fine.”

      It’s spring training, for cryin’ out loud. He had all winter to get the rest he needed!

  9. I like the Dodgers to finish the season somewhere around 96-66 or 98-64. Should be another rather fun regular season.