Spirits High At Dodgers' Home Opener Despite 4-2 Loss To Diamondbacks
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After opening the season in San Diego and San Francisco, the Dodgers are finally came home on Tuesday.
They host the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Japanese star Kenta Maeda making his Dodger Stadium debut and Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully behind the mic for the final home opener of his 67-year career.
Spirits were high, but the Dodgers fell 4-2 after the Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning.
Goldschmidt gave the D-backs a 2-1 lead with his second homer of the season off Chris Hatcher (1-1), who then gave up a two-out double to Welington Castillo before issuing consecutive walks to Jake Lamb (intentional) and Yasmany Tomas that loaded the bases. Hatcher departed to boos.
Arizona added two more runs in the ninth on Socrates Brito's triple and Goldschmidt's groundout to shortstop.
Maeda allowed five hits over six scoreless innings, struck out four and walked one in becoming the second Japanese pitcher to start a Dodgers home opener since Hideo Nomo in 1996 and 2004.
Tyler Clippard (2-0) gave up one hit in one inning and striking out one. Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth to earn his first save.
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Scully was honored in a pre-game ceremony, and many fans attending the sold out game arrived via newly named Vin Scully Avenue, which dead-ends at the stadium's main gate.
"I told people I'm relieved it's not a toll road," Scully joked.
Scully said he will most miss the roar of the crowd reacting to the action on the field. Hearing the cheers for him is appreciated, but it's an uncomfortable feeling for the 88-year-old whose voice has meant summer in the city to generations of Angelenos.
"It's hard to sit up there and hear people singing your name and applauding," he said. "It sounds easy but it's not. Inside of me there was a little voice — 'Oh come on, are you kidding' — because I really don't feel that I should be where I am now."
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