Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 26, 2026, at Dodger Stadium. (©KYODO)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six strong innings for the two-time defending MLB champion Los Angeles Dodgers in their season-opening 8-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, March 26.
Before the game, the Dodgers unveiled a World Series flag in center field, commemorating the team's latest title. And Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson threw the ceremonial first pitch.
On this festive day, Yamamoto scattered five hits, allowed two runs and struck out six to pick up the win. The 2025 World Series MVP threw 95 pitches, 63 for strikes.
After the game, Yamamoto commented on his performance.
"Although I gave up a go-ahead homer, I was able to reset and move on," Yamamoto said, according to Kyodo News. "It's a relief to get the first win of the year."
LA manager Dave Roberts was pleased with Yamamoto's effort.
"To see Yamamoto take that punch with the homer and rebound, get through six innings with not his best stuff, [was] pretty impressive," Roberts told reporters.
Roberts also spoke about the satisfaction of getting a victory on Opening Day.
"I think the Opening Day win is great because there's so much anticipation for today," the Okinawa Prefecture native said.
"They all count the same, but the first one is nice to get," he added.
Dodgers Rally Past Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo broke a scoreless tie with a two-run home run to right off Yamamoto in the fourth inning. Yamamoto promptly retired the next three batters.
Los Angeles had a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth. After back-to-back singles by Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages, the team's No 8 hitter, slugged a three-run homer to left-center off Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
Moments later, with the bases loaded, Will Smith reached on an infield single to make it 4-2.
The Dodgers scored four more runs in the seventh.
Kyle Tucker slashed a timely double to drive in Shohei Ohtani, who reached on a leadoff hit by pitch (right arm). A Mookie Betts single increased the lead to 6-2.
Two batters later, Smith pounded a two-run homer to left center off Arizona reliever Taylor Clarke.
After Yamamoto's departure from the game, LA relievers Blake Treinen, Will Klein and Tanner Scott each pitched one inning. The Diamondbacks had only hit over the final three frames.
Batting leadoff, two-time reigning National League MVP Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a first-inning single and a walk, reaching base three times (also on the aforementioned hit by pitch) in the season opener. He's scheduled to be LA's starting pitcher on March 31 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Murakami Homers in 1st MLB Game
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami slugged a leadoff homer in the top of the ninth off Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jake Woodford in another season-opening game on Thursday.
The Brewers defeated the visiting White Sox 14-2.
In his MLB regular-season debut, Murakami was the starting first baseman and batted sixth for the White Sox.
The former Tokyo Yakult Swallows star went 1-for-2 with two walks. He smacked a 1-1 cutter from Woodford over the right-field fence, and the ball flew 384 feet (117 meters).
"I'm happy I was able to take the first step as a Major League Baseball player, but at the end of the day we lost the game," Murakami was quoted as saying by MLB.com. "This is what I'm mostly disappointed about. I'll try to prepare for the next game and try my best."
MLB Notes
Former MLB pitcher and longtime New York Mets broadcaster Ron Darling was the guest on "The Mike Francesa Podcast" on Thursday.
Their baseball conversation included observations about Ohtani and his unique skill set.
"They have a hitter who's one of the best hitters in the game that leads off for them that could win the Cy Young [Award] this year," Darling said on the podcast.
"I never thought we'd see a player like him," Francesa said.
For Dodgers players, the upbeat start of the new season included receiving presents from Roberts and Ohtani on Opening Day.
The manager gave each of the players a bottle of Traveller whiskey, and the superstar presented each of his teammates with a Seiko watch (valued at $4,000 USD, or about ¥640,000 JPY), ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported.
In the Dodgers clubhouse, the gifts were "waiting for them at their lockers when they arrived at the ballpark today," Gonzalez wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Along with the watches, the players received the following note from Ohtani: "Let's three-peat."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
