San Diego’s bullpen proved to be the difference in the Padres’ season-opening 5-2 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday in Seoul, South Korea.
Well, either that or a problem with the webbing on Jake Cronenworth’s glove.
The Padres held the Dodgers’ bats in check until the eighth inning, when Los Angeles rallied to take a four-run lead. It was caused by a ground ball that could have ended the inning, but Cronenworth ran away instead.
The second game of the two-game series will pit Yoshinobu Yamamoto against Joe Musgrove, who signed a 12-year contract worth $325 million in the offseason and is making his MLB debut with the Dodgers.
Padres vs. Dodgers odds
| run line | total | money line |
|---|---|---|
| Padres +1.5 (-125) | 8.5 or higher (-120) | Padres +155 |
| Dodgers -1.5 (+105) | Less than 8.5 (+100) | Dodgers -185 |
Musgrove missing the final two months of 2023 with a shoulder issue was a detrimental leak from the rotation.
The right-hander was San Diego’s most reliable starting pitcher, starting the final 12 games and posting a 9-10-3 record with a 1.84 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.
Despite the shortened season for the 31-year-old, Musgrove limited his xERA to 3.11 and contact quality to .274 xwOBA, both career highs.
He started two games against the Dodgers and had a record of 0 wins and 1 loss, an ERA of 3.38, and an average of 5 strikeouts.
Yamamoto countered this by winning the pitcher’s triple crown in the Japan Professional Baseball League for three consecutive years.
The right-hander brought a six-pitch mix to the mound that dominated Japanese baseball, posting a career ERA of 1.72 in seven NPB seasons.
Although he had a shaky spring training (8.38 ERA), he had no problem whiffing batters with an outstanding 29.8 percent strikeout rate.
It wouldn’t be surprising if manager Dave Roberts lets Yamamoto get used to pitching at least five innings, which should give a stronger bullpen staff plenty of room.
The Padres were more focused Wednesday, but Mike Shildt will likely rely on his starting pitcher if he has to consider an extended period of rest in the future.
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Don’t worry too much about these two’s struggles in spring training (Musgrove posted a 13.50 ERA).
Other than an eighth-inning fumble by Padres pitchers, the first game proceeded at a steady pace.
The Dodgers have a strong grip on this game both offensively and defensively, but there’s plenty of value in the under with two premier pitchers looking to prove something on multiple fronts.
choose: Less than 8.5 runs (+100, bet 365)
