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Baseball officially began on Thursday as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres kicked off Spring Training. Fans were treated to a great game as LA quickly got the scoring started.
Los Angeles scored eight runs in the very first inning, seemingly putting the game away early. San Diego did not have much of a response, as they only scored one run in the game, losing 14-1 in Peoria.
Joe Musgrove had a rough outing on Thursday. He faced four batters and did not retire a single one of them. He gave up a walk and two hits before Teoscar Hernandez roped a ground-rule double.
For a team like the Padres, who are coming off a lackluster season in 2023, this is not the start they hoped for. Fortunately, it is only Spring Training, and these games do not mean anything.
"Death, taxes, Dodgers owning San Diego" one fan posted.
"Own those frauds" another fan posted.
Dodgers fans could not be happier with how their team looked on Thursday. While Shohei Ohtani was not out there, Mookie Betts was, and he looked great. Betts had two walks with a run scored while Kevin Padlo hit the game's only home run.
Los Angeles and San Diego are back at it on Friday at 3:08 p.m. ET. Those looking to watch the coverage can do so on ESPN.
It is going to be tough for the Padres to keep up with the Dodgers in the NL West
Given the offseason the Dodgers have had, many believe they will run away with the NL West division title. They won it last season and have assembled an All-Star lineup this winter.
It will be tough for the Padres, coming into the new season without their All-Star outfielder Juan Soto. He was one of the few bright spots on the team last season and will certainly be missed.
It will be up to Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. to lead this team this year. They must be at their best all season long if they want a chance of hoisting an NL West title and making a run in the postseason.
The pitching staff must also be on point. The team lost Blake Snell and closer Josh Hader in the winter. Those are two elite arms that will be missed in San Diego.
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