Dodgers take Opening Day behind late surge
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. LOS ANGELES — The pageantry came first — the thunder of fireworks, the shimmer of championship banners, and the unmistakable hum of 53,712 voices ready to usher in another October chase. The substance arrived a few innings later.
And when it did, it came all at once. Behind a late offensive eruption and a composed recovery from their ace, the Los Angeles Dodgers opened their 2026 title defense with an 8-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. For four innings, it looked nothing like a celebration.
Then it looked exactly like the Dodgers. A rocky start, then a reset The symmetry was too perfect to ignore: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, taking the mound on Opening Day — a feat previously accomplished in franchise history only by Sandy Koufax. But the first real swing of the season belonged to Geraldo Perdomo.
Up 0-2 in the count, Yamamoto tried to elevate a fastball. Instead, he left it just enough over the plate. Perdomo didn’t miss, launching a two-run homer into the right-field pavilion and briefly quieting the celebratory mood.
From there, the right-hander had to recalibrate. He did more than that. After the home run, Yamamoto retired nine consecutive hitters and steadied himself into a six-inning outing that, while not dominant, was undeniably effective: six innings, two runs, no walks, six strikeouts.