Dodgers, Padres Open MLB Regular Season in Seoul, South Korea

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March 20, 2024

The 2024 MLB regular season is now open with the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. The setting was far different for both teams last year as the Dodgers opened the 2023 season with an 8–2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Padres saw the 2023 season begin with a 7–2 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park in San Diego. Righty veteran and former Dodger Yu Darvish got the Opening Day starting nod for the Padres. He’ll face a newcomer to the Dodgers and NL West in former Tampa Bay Rays righty starter Tyler Glasnow.

The Dodgers won the 2023 season series against the Padres 9–4.

Starting Lineups for Dodgers, Padres in MLB Opening Day 2024 in South Korea

Dodgers

Mookie Betts, SS

Shohei Ohtani, DH*

Freddie Freeman, 1B

Will Smith, C

Max Muncy, 3B

Teoscar Hernandez, LF*

James Outman, CF

Jason Heyward, RF

Gavin Lux, 2B**

Manager Dave Roberts

Padres

Xander Bogaerts, 2B

Fernando Tatis Jr., RF

Jake Cronenworth, 1B

Manny Machado, DH

Ha-Seong Kim, SS

Jurickson Profar, LF

Luis Campusano, C

Tyler Wade, 3B*

Jackson Merrill, CF*

Manager Mike Shildt*

* New addition to team’s roster for 2024

** Missed the entire 2023 season with knee injury

Dodgers, Padres MLB Opening Day 2024 Starters in South Korea

Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres SP

Yu Darvish, 37, amassed a 4.56 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, and 141 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings (9.3 K/9) during 2023. His ERA+ was below league average at 90. This was only the third time in Darvish’s 11-year career that his ERA+ was below 100. His career ERA+ is 117 and he’s a strikeout machine. His 162-game average for strikeouts is 247. Darvish is a five-time All-Star and has a 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings average for his career. In 2013, Darvish struck out 277 batters, which was good enough to lead the majors. He’s eclipsed the 200-strikeout mark four times in his career, along with two seasons with 197 or more.

Darvish was briefly a Dodger in 2017. He began the 2017 season and became an All-Star for the third time with the Texas Rangers, who then traded him to the Dodgers just ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline. The return for the Rangers was Willie Calhoun, A.J. Alexy, and Brendon Davis. Darvish pitched well in the remainder of the regular season for the Dodgers, amassing a 3.44 ERA, 1.148 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings (11.1 K/9).

2017 World Series

After two excellent outings in the NLDS and NLCS for the Dodgers, Darvish gave up four runs (all earned) in the second inning of Game 3 of the 2017 World Series. The Dodgers lost that game 5–3 to the Houston Astros to put the Dodgers down 2–1 in the series. Then Darvish had an opportunity to come back strong and win the World Series for the Dodgers, earning the Game 7 starting nod. He promptly gave up two runs in the first, then another three runs in the second (all earned). Darvish was again yanked in the second inning and the Dodgers lost Game 7 and the World Series to the Astros.

Darvish was said to have wanted another shot with the Dodgers after the 2017 season, but the Dodgers passed and Darvish signed with the Chicago Cubs. Later, the Astros came clean about using live video from the center field camera to steal signs from opposing catchers, then bang on a trash can in the dugout to alert Astros batters when a fastball was signaled. The Astros did this in 2017 and 2018, including during the 2017 World Series. Before settling on banging on the trash can for the signal, the Astros players attempted clapping, whistling, and yelling.

This spring, Darvish has a 2.89 ERA and 1.071 WHIP, with 10 strikeouts (9.6 K/9) and one walk in 9 1/3 innings in his three starts.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers SP

Tyler Glasnow, 30, is a new acquisition for the Dodgers in 2024. The Dodgers sent young righty starter Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca to the Rays for Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Glasnow pitched to a 3.53 ERA, 118 ERA+, 2.91 FIP, 1.083 WHIP with 162 strikeouts in 120 innings (12.2 K/9) in 2023 for the Rays. Like Darvish, Glasnow is a strikeout machine with a career 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings average. But over the past four seasons, Glasnow increased his strikeouts per nine average with 14.3 in 2020, 12.6 in 2021, 13.5 in 2022, and 12.2 in 2023 — all four marks above his career average.

Additionally, Glasnow’s career WHIP is decreasing while his career K/9 is increasing. Glasnow’s WHIP was under his career mark every season since 2019. His main issue is not pitching. Glasnow performs whenever he’s in the game, which is his main problem. The most innings Glasnow accrued during any season in his career was last season with 120. His second-highest was way back in 2018 when he threw 111 2/3 innings. But he began that season as a reliever, making 34 relief appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates before a midseason trade to the Rays where he made 11 starts. Glasnow has only thrown for over 63 innings in the majors three times in his career.

This spring, Glasnow has a 0.90 ERA, 0.700 WHIP, four hits, three walks, one run (earned), and 14 strikeouts in 10 innings (12.6 K/9) in his three starts.

The 2024 MLB Season Underway in Korea As Dodgers Face Padres

Mookie Betts opened the season with a walk on a pitch-clock violation by Darvish. The highly anticipated debut of Shohei Ohtani was next. On what was to be the third pitch to Ohtani, Betts seemingly had second base stolen easily but was forced to return to first base by the home plate umpire. On the next pitch, Ohtani bounced a ball to short, which had the appearance of a double-play ball, but beat out the throw to first. Freddie Freeman struck out, then Will Smith flied to left field and ended the first half of the inning.

The first pitch of the 2024 season for Glasnow was a 95 MPH fastball that was just a bit outside, heading all the way to the backstop. Xander Bogaerts took the pitch, worked the count full, then popped out to shallow right field. Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped up to the plate next and promptly tapped the first pitch to Freeman at first base. It was an excuse me check-swing tapper. Glasnow threw a few breaking balls into the grass but managed to reign in control over his fastball to retire the side 1-2-3.

And just like that, the 2024 season is underway.

First Runs of the 2024 MLB Opener in Korea Between Dodgers, Padres

The Padres scored the first run of 2024 on a one-out soft liner to shallow center field by Bogaerts off of Glasnow to score Tyler Wade from third. Wade led off the bottom of the third inning with a walk. The Dodgers tied the game in their following offensive half-inning with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jason Heyward to right field, which plated new Dodger Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez reached on a throwing error by Wade at third base. After that, Darvish’s first regular-season start was completed after throwing 72 pitches. Darvish’s final numbers: two hits and one run (unearned) on three walks while striking out three in 3 2/3 innings.

The Padres quickly responded to the Dodgers tying the game up at one run apiece. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Manny Machado scored when Luis Campusano grounded into a bases-loaded double play off of Glasnow. This put the Padres in the driver’s seat, 2-1. Glasnow completed the first start of his 2014 season after five innings. Glasnow’s final numbers: two runs (both earned) on two hits and four walks while striking out three in five innings.

The Dodgers tied up the score in the top of the eighth 2–2 when returning Dodger Kike Hernandez launched a no-out, bases-loaded sacrifice liner to left field off Jhony Brito. Adrian Morejon replaced Brito, then Teoscar Hernandez promptly scored on an error by Jake Cronenworth off the bat of Gavin Lux. This gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game, 3–2. Mookie Betts subsequently singled to left field to plate James Outman to make it 4–2 Dodgers. Ohtani then singled on a liner to left field to drive in Lux to make it 5–2 Dodgers, which was the final score.

Looking Ahead for the Dodgers, Padres

The Dodgers and Padres meet again Thursday at 3:05 AM PDT in Seoul, South Korea for another regular season MLB game. Joe Musgrove takes the mound for the Padres while Japanese superstar hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his highly-anticipated MLB debut. Musgrove, 31, pitched to a 3.05 ERA, 1.140 WHIP, and 97 strikeouts in 97 1/3 innings (9.0 K/9). This spring, Musgrove has a 13.50 ERA, 1.833 WHIP, and five strikeouts in six innings. Yamamoto, 25, is a three-time Pitching Triple Crown, three-time Eiji Sawamura Award (Japanese Cy Young Award equivalent), and two-time MVP winner in Japan’s Pacific League.