The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off their 2026 Spring Training in style, dominating the Los Angeles Angels with a commanding 15-2 victory in their Cactus League opener.
The Dodgers wasted no time, racking up 10 runs in the first three innings, including a six-run explosion in the second that effectively sealed the game early on.
Shohei Ohtani got things rolling for the Angels with an infield single down the third base line, eventually crossing home on a two-out single by Hyeseong Kim. A wild pitch allowed the third run of the opening inning to score.
The Dodgers answered back with Zach Ehrhard starting the second inning with a single. Teoscar Hernández followed with his second hit of the day, driving in Ehrhard to make it 4-0. Andy Pages then tripled, bringing in another run, and Santiago Espinal's single pushed the lead to 6-0.
Hyeseong Kim continued the onslaught with a line drive single, and Ehrhard doubled to plate two more, pushing the Dodgers’ lead to 9-0. A sacrifice fly from Dalton Rushing, following back-to-back doubles by Hernández and Pages, added the 10th run.
After a brief lull, the Dodgers tacked on another run in the sixth inning courtesy of a Ryan Fitzgerald double and a Nick Senzel single. The ninth inning saw James Tibbs III and Fitzgerald contributing with a single and a triple, respectively, to wrap up the scoring.
On the mound, Yoshinobu Yamamoto started strong with a perfect first inning, including two strikeouts. However, the second inning was a different story.
Jorge Soler led off with a double, and a fly ball dropped by Hernández allowed a run to score, putting Jo Addell on second. Logan O’Hoppe and Christian Moore added singles, bringing in the Angels' second run.
Yamamoto's outing ended after 1.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits, striking out three without issuing a walk. He's set to make another start on Friday before joining Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers continue their Spring Training schedule against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, with Jackson Ferris taking the mound against Randy Vasquez at Peoria Stadium.