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Dodgers offense goes absolutely nuts in first inning of first spring training game

Dodgers offense goes absolutely nuts in first inning of first spring training game

MLB

Updated:

By: Chris Landers

Well, this certainly isn’t going to slow down the hype train. After an offseason that featured a billion dollars in salary and enough star power to light up the Hollywood sign, the new-look Los Angeles Dodgers finally took the field for a real, actual baseball game on Thursday afternoon, taking on the San Diego Padres in the spring training opener for both clubs. On the mound for the Pads to start was All-Star right-hander Joe Musgrove. He was, let’s say, touched up a bit: The Dodgers scored eight runs before San Diego could even record a second out, finishing with five hits, two walks and a hit batsman.

Mookie Betts started things off with a walk before Chris Taylor singled, James Outman was hit with a pitch and then Teoscar Hernández opened the scoring with a double.

Austin Barnes then struck out, and it might’ve looked like Musgrove would settle in. Instead, he issued a walk to Gavin Lux — making his return to game action after tearing his ACL last spring — before Chris Owings doubled to score two more. Prospect Andy Pages then singled home two more and Kevin Padlo added the exclamation point with a homer for the seventh and eighth runs of the inning.

So, what’s the takeaway from all of this? Are the Dodgers going to shatter records and go 162-0?

Not much, really. Every year we do this, and every year the lesson is the same: Take a deep breath and repeat to yourself “spring training games don’t count and don’t really matter”. You might’ve noticed that absent from the Dodgers’ lineup were the likes of Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and, oh, Shohei Ohtani. Joe Musgrove had a 3.05 ERA last year, and was likely just trying to work on some stuff as he returns from a shoulder injury. Whatever you thought about any of the players involved in this game should still hold.

One thing is for sure, though: After an offseason full of hype, the Dodgers busting through with an eight-run first inning is going to garner plenty of interest from the masses.