Los Angeles Dodgers are set to introduce a new pitcher, Bobby Miller, a hard-throwing right-hander, into their rotation as they face the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, marking a departure from their earlier strategy of relying on just two starting pitchers in their first three games.
Following Thursday’s match, where the Cardinals debuted their season opener against the Dodgers, the latter secured a 7-1 victory leveraging early offensive strikes and exceptional pitching. This game marked the Dodgers’ home opener, following their participation in two early regular-season games against the San Diego Padres in South Korea the previous week.
Despite a week-long hiatus between competitive matches, the Dodgers quickly found their rhythm on Thursday, securing an early lead with two runs in the first inning and adding three more in the third, powered by home runs from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Shohei Ohtani’s recent inclusion in the Dodgers’ roster didn’t seem to affect the team’s performance negatively, as demonstrated by the impressive batting contributions from Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman, who collectively went 5-for-8 with six runs and four RBIs.
Bobby Miller, known for his stellar rookie season in 2023 with an 11-4 record and a 3.76 ERA in 22 starts, is slated to make his season debut against the Cardinals. Notably, he did not face the Cardinals in the previous season. On the opposing side, St. Louis will rely on left-hander Zack Thompson, making his 11th career start after primarily serving as a reliever in his initial two seasons, finishing with a 5-7 record and a 4.48 ERA in 25 games (nine starts) last year.
Though St. Louis struggled to generate offensive momentum on Thursday, with all three hits credited to Paul Goldschmidt, who delivered the team’s sole run with a fourth-inning home run, Goldschmidt has historically been a formidable force against the Dodgers, boasting 34 career home runs, the highest against any team, with 19 of those homers at Los Angeles, tying his record for most home runs in any ballpark where he hasn’t been a regular player.
Despite the setback in their season opener, Goldschmidt remains optimistic, highlighting the long season ahead and the opportunity to bounce back in the subsequent games.
Injuries to key outfielders Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar, and Dylan Carlson forced the Cardinals to field Brendan Donovan, Victor Scott II, and Jordan Walker in their place from left to right. Unfortunately, the makeshift outfield trio struggled, going a combined 0-for-10 at the plate, contributing to the Cardinals’ lowest hit count in a season opener since 1986.
