The Los Angeles Dodgers played what could be their Opening Day starting lineup against the Cincinnati Reds in a late-night Cactus League matchup, but it was the prospects and non-roster invitees who led them to a 4-2 victory.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto started the game as he continued building up for the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs in two weeks. He was scheduled to pitch four innings—and he made it through all of them.
The first two innings proved challenging, as he allowed four hits, including three extra-base hits. The Reds scored twice in the first inning on an RBI single from Elly De La Cruz and a triple by Austin Hayes. Yamamoto then stranded Noelvi Marte in the second after a one-out double.
From there, Yamamoto rebounded with two dominant, scoreless innings, needing just 18 pitches combined. He also struck out three consecutive batters between the third and fourth innings.
Following Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki made his much-anticipated Cactus League debut—and he did not disappoint. The right-hander struck out two batters in his first inning and finished with five strikeouts over three scoreless frames.
Sasaki allowed just two hits and one walk while flashing electric stuff. His fastball topped out at 99 mph and averaged 96 mph. However, his offspeed and breaking pitches were arguably the most encouraging aspects of his outing, as they looked sharp and well-commanded.
Mookie Betts got the Dodgers on the board with a solo home run in the third inning, but they remained scoreless until a late-inning rally.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, the Dodgers surged ahead with three runs. Jake Vogel tied the game with an RBI double, followed by an RBI single from Austin Gauthier to take the lead. Hunter Feduccia then drove in an insurance run on a forceout.
Will Smith leaves Dodgers game with injury?
Will Smith was in the starting lineup and took two at-bats, but he exited the game after being hit on the left knee in his second plate appearance. Smith took his base, but ended up coming out of the game two batters later when Jake Vogel entered to pinch-run.
It’s unclear if that was the scheduled plan for Smith, precautionary, or a more serious concern, so that will be something to follow. Smith has also been dealing with a bone bruise in his ankle dating back to last season.