A potential inning-ending double play instead became an error, the pivotal at-bat in a four-run eighth inning that keyed the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory in the regular-season opener at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
Cronenworth’s mitt broke, the webbing unfathomably untied. He stared at it, he blinked, he shook his head, trying to grasp the betrayal. Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani followed with RBI singles and that was that.
“It sucks,” Cronenworth said. “I don’t know what else to say.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated the obvious: “That was a fortunate break for us. You’ve got to take them when you get them.”
Players figuratively have a hole in their glove quite often during spring training, and this game more closely resembled the Cactus League than the National League.
The Padres used eight pitchers, and they issued nine walks while committing four pitch-clock violations.
The Dodgers also were sloppy. They went 0 for 14 with runners on base until the RBI singles in the eighth inning. Starter Tyler Glasnow spiked numerous curveballs and botched a defensive play on a bunt. Ohtani failed to retouch second base while returning to first on a deep flyout by Freddie Freeman.
Plate umpire Lance Barksdale wasn’t exactly in midseason form either. His strike zone was erratic and in the first inning was guilty of umpire interference when Padres catcher Luis Campusano elbowed him in the mask while trying to throw out Betts stealing second.
“It’s opening day, obviously just getting back into the flow of things,” said Dodgers closer Evan Phillips, who retired the Padres in order in the ninth for a save.
The teams will play again Thursday at 3 a.m. PT before returning to exhibition action at home. Opening day for the other 28 MLB teams is March 28.
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Calling all baseball fans, the 2024 MLB World Tour: Seoul Series starts bright and early on Wednesday, March 20. It’s a California showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. If you’re unsure of how to watch the Dodgers vs. Padres in Korea, we’ve got you covered so that you can catch Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers debut, Ha-seong Kim’s homecoming, and more.
Since 1996, Major League Baseball (MLB) has played many regular season games outside of the United States and Canada. These types of games were rebranded and renamed in 2023 as the “MLB World Tour.” which, as you might be able to guess from the name, is an effort to spread MLB baseball across the globe. This move was part of the collective bargaining agreement that put an end to the 2021-22 MLB lockout. The league agreed teams could play in additional games outside of the United States and Canada. This includes regular season games in Tokyo, Seoul, Mexico City, London, and Paris between 2023 and 2026.
For the 2024 Seoul Series between the Dodgers and the Padres, “These two teams are a perfect match,” Jeremiah Yolkut, Major League Baseball’s vice president of global events, told The Athletic ahead of the first MLB regular-season games ever in South Korea. “We just need more and more appetite for baseball in this market both from a live event perspective and wanting us to be here, but also from merchandise sales, business sales, and watching our games on the different platforms.”
Both the Dodgers and Padres’ rosters are stacked with baseball stars who are sure to put on a show in Seoul. If you can’t wait to see Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Ha-seong Kim take on Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, then keep reading to find out how to watch the Dodgers vs. Padres in Korea.
Gene Wang/Getty Images.
When is the Dodgers vs. Padres in Korea?
The Dodgers and the Padres play in South Korea on March 20, 2024 and March 21, 2024 at 6:05 a.m. ET / 3:05 a.m. PT on ESPN. The teams will take the field at the Gocheok SkyDome in Seoul.
How to watch the Dodgers vs. Padres in Korea live for free
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Dodgers vs. Padres Odds
These are the Dodgers vs. Padres odds, according to ESPN Bet:
Dodgers vs. Padres money line: Los Angeles -200; San Diego +170
Dodgers vs. Padres run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (-119); San Diego +1.5 (-102)
Dodgers vs. Padres over/under: 8.5 runs
Dodgers vs Padres spread: Los Angeles -1.5; San Diego +1.5
Per ESPN Analytics, the Dodgers have a 61 percent chance of winning, while the Padres have a 38.9 percent chance of winning.
Dodgers vs. Padres Pitching Matchups
Who will pitch in the first game of the Seoul Series? American RHP Tyler Glasnow is expected to take the mound for the Dodgers, while Japanese RHP Yu Darvish is expected to take the mound for the Padres. Tyler Glasnow will make his Dodgers debut on March 20, 2024 in Seoul. In the 2023 season, the RHP earned a 3.53 ERA, a 10-7 record (tied-46th), 162 strikeouts (38th), and a 1.08 WHIP. Glasnow pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays before getting traded to the Dodgers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates before Florida. On the other side is RHP Yu Darvish, who pitched for the Dodgers in the 2017 season. He’s been with the Padres since 2021 and earned a 4.56 ERA, an 8-10 record (tied-76th), 141 strikeouts (tied-56th), and a 1.30 WHIP last season. Darvish previously pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. The RHP is a five-time All-Star (2012, 2013, 2-14, 2017, 2021), made the All-MLB First Team in 2020, was the NL wins leader in 2020, and was the AL strikeout leader in 2013.
For the second game, Japanese RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to take the mound for the Dodgers, while American RHP Joe Musgrove is expected to take the mound for the Padres. Baseball fans around the world have been waiting for Yamamoto’s Dodgers debut ever since he signed with the team in December 2023. He signed an eye-popping 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles team. Not only is this Yamamoto’s Dodgers debut, it’s also his MLB debut. Up against Yamamoto is Musgrove, who earned a 3.05 ERA, a 10-3 record (tied-46th), 97 strikeouts (tied-130th), and a 1.14 WHIP. Before joining the Padres, the RHP pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros. Notable moments in his professional baseball career include being an All-Star in 2022, becoming a World Series Champion in 2017, and pitching a no-hitter on April 9, 2021.
Dodger fans in the Inland Empire were in for a treat at an area fast-food restaurant when pitcher Joe Kelly made an appearance for a meet and greet.
The athlete started his day Wednesday at his alma mater, Corona High School, to lift spirits at a pep rally. While still in the Inland Empire, Kelly then stopped by an Ontario Jack in the Box for a surprise photo op with fans.
Decked out with blue and white balloons, the fast-food restaurant made a warm welcome for the pitcher and had a grass-like backdrop for photos. Once word spread about Kelly’s appearance, several fans formed a line outside the eatery for a chance to meet the World Series winner.
Kelly’s trip to Corona and Ontario was part of the baseball team’s “Dodgers Love LA Community Tour” – a weeklong effort from the team’s players, staff and alum to service Los Angeles and its greater region.
“This year, we are producing one dozen impactful events all intended to provide memorable experiences that showcase the diversity and uniqueness of L.A., to the greatest fans in the world,” Kristin McCowan, Dodgers Vice President of Government & Community Affairs, said in a press release.
Other events from the tour include volunteering at a women’s center, reading with children, an animal shelter visit and more.
A few knew that Garvey, a Republican, was running for the U.S. Senate. But they all remembered his steely forearms — “Hey Popeye,” one yelled — and success on the diamond in two baseball-mad towns.
“Is he a Republican?” Kenneth Allen, 56, asked a reporter as Garvey toured the San Diego homeless shelter where Allen works. “I’m a Democrat but if he is the best person for the job, I’d think about it.”
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Garvey’s baseball fame is central to a Senate campaign that, at best, is considered a long shot in a state where GOP candidates running statewide often receive an icy reception from California’s left-leaning electorate. He hopes what propels him into contention is a nostalgia for his playing days and a political message light on specifics but heavy with criticism about the declining quality of life in California and the scourge of illegal drugs flowing through cities.
This excitement from older fans trailed the 75-year-old first-time politician as he moved through Southern California last week on a listening tour about homelessness. Last fall, he joined a Senate race already dominated by prominent Democratic members of Congress: Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland.
“Once we get through the primary, I’ll start a deeper dive into the [issues],” Garvey said Thursday outside the San Diego homeless shelter.
“I haven’t been at this very long, so you got to give me a little bit of leeway here. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not full-speed ahead in policy and coming up with ideas that will make a difference.”
Since entering the contest Garvey has offered a range of views, including saying he supported closing the U.S.-Mexico border, but also taking decidedly more liberal positions on subjects such as gay marriage and abortion rights — both of which he supports.
“The people of California have spoken. They have spoken for abortion, and as an elected official my responsibility would be to uphold the voice of the people and I pledge to do that,” Garvey told The Times on Thursday in Compton during one leg of his listening tour.
Since entering the race, Garvey quickly rose to be the field’s top Republican, increasing his chances of finishing in the top two of March’s primary election and advancing to the November general election. In the latest UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studiespoll, which was co-sponsored by The Times, Garvey finished in third with support from 13% of likely voters. He trailed behind Porter and Schiff, who had 17% and 21% support, respectively.
The Dodgers’ Steve Garvey kisses manager Tommy Lasorda’s forehead in the locker room of Dodger Stadium after the team beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 to win the National League pennant on Oct. 7, 1978.
(Associated Press)
Support for Garvey has nearly doubled since August, evidence that he might have enough momentum to consolidate the Republican vote and attract some No Party Preference voters for a strong showing in the March 5 primary.
It’s why, in part, Porter and Schiff have ramped up criticism of Garvey’s party affiliation and support of former President Trump. The first Senate race debate is this month and the Democrats on stage are expected to go after the late-entering Republican candidate.
“With Trump’s MAGA loyalists turning out to vote for him in the presidential primary the same day as our election, it could give Garvey the boost he needs,” one recent Schiff fundraising email said.
Garvey told The Times he voted for Trump twice, reasoning that he was the best choice on the ballot in 2016 and 2020. There were good things Trump did, he said, but he won’t identify them. He previously said he doesn’t have an opinion on who is responsible for the violent pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol three years ago.
News cameras trail Dodgers great Steve Garvey during his visit to Skid Row in Los Angeles on Thursday. Garvey is campaigning to represent California in the U.S. Senate, an office formerly held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
For Garvey to do well in the March primary, he needs the support of California Republicans loyal to the former president. But in doing so, he runs the risk of angering an even larger proportion of the electorate who despise Trump.
On Thursday he sidestepped the question of whether he’d vote for Trump this fall or accept his endorsement, saying with a smile: “That’s a hypothetical question. If he calls, I’ll let you know.”
“I’m a moderate conservative,” he said. “I never took the field for Democrats or Republicans or independents. I took the field for all the fans and I’m running for all the people, and my opponents can’t say that.”
Stanford University public policy lecturer Lanhee Chen, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for controller in 2022, said that Garvey starts with an advantage many Republican candidates lack: People know Garvey and have fond memories of him. If he were to make the runoff, which Chen says is possible, he’ll face the monumental challenge of overcoming Democrats’ enormous voter registration advantage.
In the general election, Garvey, who said he wants to serve just one term, would hope to consolidate his hold on Republicans and pick off a small margin of Democrats and No Party Preference voters by appealing to moderates — and in particular, Latino voters — who might be attracted to his Catholic faith and focus on economic issues.
Chen said in a general election he would need to face head-on some of the questions about Trump. The recent Berkeley poll indicated that 34% of likely voters have a favorable view of Trump, compared with 63% who have an unfavorable view, and of that, 58% have a strongly unfavorable view of the Republican presidential front-runner.
“Every Republican candidate, regardless of where they sit on the spectrum of these questions, is having to address them, which is part of the reason why Trump is such a unique challenge for the Republican Party in a place like California,” Chen said.
Democratic political consultant Bill Carrick says that Garvey’s rise is a reflection of the weak Republican bench of candidates. The state has a long history of these sorts of candidates, he said — pointing to Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s election as California governor in 2003, when Democratic Gov. Gray Davis was recalled from office.
Steve Garvey, center, visits Los Angeles’ Skid Row on Thursday, accompanied by executives with the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
In that election, Carrick said that voters in Los Angeles in particular didn’t just see Schwarzenegger as a film star. They saw someone who had been doing charity work in the community and was known to voters on a very human level.
Garvey, who lives in the Coachella Valley, has flirted with politics for decades after his successful baseball career, which included a World Series title and 10 National League all-star selections that ended in the late 1980s.
“The Republicans have no farm system now, so nobody moves up the ladder,” Carrick said, pointing to the small Republican minorities in the state Legislature.
“That leaves it open for people, like Garvey, who have their own capacity to jump in.”
Still, a general election in which 47% of the electorate are registered Democrats, 24% are Republicans and 22% are No Party Preference will be an uphill battle, Carrick said.
During his campaign swing last week, Garvey toured a shelter in downtown San Diego before visiting Los Angeles’ Skid Row alongside the head of the Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District Estela Lopez and a local business owner named Sergio Moreno. He took photos with five uniformed Los Angeles police officers and told them, when elected, he’d make sure that people “you arrested weren’t back on the streets before you finished the paperwork.”
After explaining the challenges of owning property in the vicinity of Skid Row, Moreno told Garvey about the joy he experienced getting a ball signed by him at an event at the Glendale Galleria’s JCPenney in the mid-1970s.
Dodgers and Padres great Steve Garvey, right, visits Ruben Ramirez Jr., owner and operator of Ruben’s Bakery and Mexican Food in Compton, on Thursday.
The business’ interior was essentially destroyed after a crowd of more than 100 people robbed the bakery during an illegal street takeover this month.
But Thursday the 48-year-old establishment was back open and Ruben Ramirez Sr., 83, and his wife, Alicia, 76, were behind the counter in Dodgers gear.
Both recalled watching games as a family and the joy Garvey brought their family — including Ruben Ramirez Jr., who now runs the store.
“All my life I wanted to meet him,” Alicia said in Spanish — a Dodgers scarf around her neck. “He’s such a handsome man.”
She clutched a ball he signed for her and snapped a photo to send to her family. Ramirez Jr. said their family wasn’t political and just works hard. They had little interest in talking politics, he said.
Garvey didn’t either. He just smiled and shook their hands.
New Dodger phenomenon Shohei Ohtani played Santa for a fellow player’s family Friday, gifting a new sports car to Ashley Kelly for her tongue-in-cheek campaign to lure him to the Dodgers by offering Ohtani her husband’s jersey number.
Kelly is married to relief pitcher Joe Kelly, who wore No. 17 — the same number Ohtani wore in all six years of his Major League Baseball career with the Angels, where he earned two American League MVP awards and became a two-way phenomenon as a pitcher and a slugger.
As Ohtani mulled his free agency decision earlier this month, Ashley Kelly launched a humorous social media crusade to bring the Japanese superstar to the Dodgers by assuring him that he could continue to wear No. 17 as a Dodger.
Using the hashtag #ohtake17, the former UC Riverside women’s soccer player posted a video on Instagram in which she promised Ohtani not only her husband’s jersey number, but all of the family’s gear bearing it — even the ones that also feature Joe Kelly’s image and/or name. After Ohtani signed with the team, Ashley Kelly followed up with another video, this time celebrating Ohtani’s agreeing to a 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers. In it, she gleefully tosses all the No. 17 items onto the family’s front lawn while blowing them goodbye kisses.
Her campaign paid off, at least for her. On Friday night she posted a video showing her apprehensively peeking out her front door at the sports car parked in front of the Kellys’ house.
“It’s yours,” a man’s voice says, “from Shohei. He wanted to gift you a Porsche.”
Jersey numbers are semi-sacred in baseball tradition, so it’s common for new players coming to a team who want a number already worn by another player to offer that player something of value for the number. The most prominent player typically has the most leverage, and Ashley Kelly’s playful campaign acknowledged there would be no dispute over who got to wear No. 17 next season.
Ohtani may still reward Joe Kelly in other ways for handing over lucky 17. Meanwhile, the reliever who was part of the Dodgers’ 2020 world championship team will wear No. 99, which was last worn by pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu.
Times staff writer Chuck Schilken contributed to this report.
The long wait for Shohei Ohtani to end his free agency is over. The great Japanese two-way star announced on his Instagram account on Saturday he’s signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a reported 10 years at $700 million, the richest contract by far in Major League Baseball history.,
“To all my fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize it took so long to come to a decision,” he wrote. “I have decided to chose the Dodgers as my next team.”
Increasingly it looked like the 29-year-old would remain in the Los Angeles market, either with the Dodgers or as a return to the Angels on a shorter-term deal. He met with the Dodgers last weekend in Los Angeles while the baseball world was converging on Nashville at the Winter Meetings, a gathering that was confirmed but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Despite rumors Friday that he was on route to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays, Ohtani decided to stay put in Southern California, albeit just miles north from where he played the first six years at Angel Stadium.
“First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who’ve supported me,” Ohtani said, “as well as everyone involved with each team that was part of the negotiation process… The six years I spent with the Angels will be etched in my heart forever.”
The San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Blue Jays were heavily involved in the process.
Ohtani became a one-of-a-kind phenom in baseball history because of his hitting and pitching prowess. Over six seasons in MLB, he’s won two AL MVPs and been named an All-Star three times, despite underdoing Tommy John surgery back in 2018. He underwent surgery on the same elbow in September after tearing his UCL in August, and is expected to be only a hitter in 2024 before returning to the mound in 2025.
When he signed with the Angels in late 2017, Ohtani earned a $2.3 million bonus under the international signing system because of his age and experience, and then was paid the MLB minimum at the time of $545,000 for the 2018 season. The Nippon Ham Fighters, Ohtani’s Japan League team, was paid a $20 million posting fee. His record $700 million contact is worth 64% more than the $426.5 million deal signed by former Angels teammate Mike Trout and more than double MLB’s third-richest contract, which belongs to current Dodgers teammate Mookie Betts.
Ohtani worked his marketing magic with the Angels, who had him for a bargain of $42.3 million during his first six MLB seasons, most of that consisting of $30 million last year to avoid a bigger payday through salary arbitration.
During the 2023 season as a hitter alone, Ohtani led the majors in home runs (44), on-base percentage (.412), slugging percentage (.654), OPS (1.066), OPS-plus (184) and total bases (325). He batted .304 and knocked in 95 runs. As a pitcher, he was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings across 23 starts before the elbow injury.
All these numbers are unprecedented, but they’re more unreal considering he didn’t pitch a game after Aug. 23 and stopped hitting for the season on Sept. 3.
The winner of three Edgar Martinez awards as Major League Baseball’s top designated hitter, Ohtani will be the most expensive DH in history this coming season.
The question now is whether Ohtani can ever attain those levels again. He will be 30 before he throws another pitch in the majors. The Dodgers have won the National League West 10 times in the past 11 years, but have only the 2020 World Series win in the bubble to show for it. Despite winning 100 or more games the past two seasons, they were eliminated in an NL Division Series both times.
“To all Dodgers fans , I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give my all to be the best version of myself,” Ohtani said. “Until the last day of my playing career I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.”
The Dodgers are valued at $5.24 billion, according to Sportico, and as of two seasons ago, had the second-best MLB revenue stream at $605 million. They have been optimizing their financial situation since then by allowing $100 million worth of players to leave via free agency, opening up luxury tax threshold space for the run at Ohtani. Its another win for Los Angeles, which will seek to extend their run of 11 consecutive playoff appearances and return to the World Series for the first time since their 2020 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
A Riverside County man who alleges that he was wrongfully beaten by security personnel at Dodger Stadium on opening day in 2018 has been awarded $105,000 in punitive damages in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The court on Friday assessed $100,000 of Francisco Rodriguez’s damages against the Dodgers and $5,000 against Dodgers security officer Erik Pena, who was found to have acted with malice. Several other security officers included in the lawsuit were found not to have acted inappropriately.
Rodriguez alleged that security officers forcibly ejected him after he objected to the way another fan was being dealt with during the March 29, 2018, game against the San Francisco Giants. The guards escorting Rodriguez to the exit continually battered him, including jabbing his ribs with a baton and repeatedly punching him with closed fists, according to the lawsuit, which also alleges that a guard placed his knee on Rodriguez, who told him, “I can’t breathe.”
The Dodgers said that Rodriguez grabbed Pena by the collar outside the stadium gates and slugged him on the right cheek, according to court documents. Rodriguez admitted taking a swing at Pena and said the guard retaliated by punching him as many as six times.
The Dodgers have several lawsuits against them in the courts. Three suits filed in April 2022 outline three incidents in which security officers allegedly perpetrated acts of assault, battery, false imprisonment, civil rights violations and emotional distress against fans at Dodger Stadium.
According to court documents, the team’s security force is composed of “non-sworn persons,” uniformed off-duty sworn Los Angeles Police Department officers and sworn off-duty law enforcement officers without badges.
A Times investigation in September reported that security at Dodger Stadium increased after a 2011 incident in which two Dodgers fans confronted Giants fan Brian Stow and his friends in the parking lot after a game. They sucker-punched and kicked Stow, causing brain damage. The men were sent to prison for assault and mayhem.
The Dodgers and the LAPD responded to a report by Major League Baseball that cited a deterioration of crowd behavior and “a culture of apathy and indifference” among the team’s security staff by beefing up security with trained LAPD officers.
“We will expend whatever resources necessary to keep fans safe at Dodger Stadium,” said Charlie Beck, chief of police at the time. “This is going to be a game-changer.”
After Beck announced a crackdown, police in 2011 wrote only 20 reports, 12 of which involved assault, battery or other alleged violence against 12 victims at Dodger Stadium. By 2014, however, that total had grown to 69, including 33 violent incidents and 47 victims.
In 2022, 71 crime reports, including 35 violent incidents and 47 victims, were filed, and as of mid-August 2023, police had filed another 53reports — 27 for violence against 33 victims. The alleged behavior included battery, battery on a police officer, simple assault and assault with a deadly weapon.
The Dodgers forbid pregame tailgate parties in the parking lot, revoke season tickets for bad behavior and eject rowdy fans. Yet stricter enforcement by security staff has led to the rash of lawsuits for excessive use of force.
Two United Airlines flight attendants claim in a lawsuit that they were passed over for the plum assignment of working on charter flights for the Dodgers because the players prefer a “certain look” of “white, young, thin women who are predominately blond and blue-eyed.”
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Dawn Todd and Darby Quezada alleged harassment and/or discrimination based on race, national origin, religion and age in regard to the staffing of United’s charter flights for the Dodgers and their treatment by coworkers on those flights. Todd, 50, is Black, and Quezada, 44, is of Mexican, Black and Jewish descent.
The Dodgers are not named as defendants in the lawsuit. A team spokesperson told The Times that the Dodgers do not comment on any pending litigation.
United responded to questions from The Times with a statement.
“United fosters an environment of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” the company wrote in an email. “We believe this lawsuit is without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously.”
According to the lawsuit, Todd and Quezada both have worked for United for more than 15 years and had spent more than a decade trying to join the airline’s program that staffs the Dodgers’ flights. Such assignments can bring attendants up to three times the compensation of typical assignments because of longer flight times and other perks.
“Plaintiffs had the necessary experience and qualifications,” the lawsuit states, “but their requests were dismissed and rejected because Plaintiffs were not white.”
Two other United flight attendants sued the airline in 2020 for allegedly staffing teams’ flights with “young, white, female, and predominately blond/blue-eyed” flight attendants. The case was settled out of court in March 2021.
That led the way for Todd and Quesada to become members of the Dodgers charter flight program, according to the current lawsuit, but only “after extensive interviews.”
According to the lawsuit, “things changed again in 2022 when several white United flight attendants were added to the ‘dedicated crew.’ But, unlike Todd and Quezada, these white United flight attendants did not have to interview for these coveted positions. …
“Instead, these white flight attendants were blatantly selected by United’s management … because of how they looked: they are white, young, thin women who are predominately blond and blue-eyed. When Todd and Quezada asked United why certain flight attendants were added … without having to interview like they did, Todd and Quezada were told that these white flight attendants fit a ‘certain look’ that the Dodgers players liked.”
The lawsuit states that Todd and Quezada started receiving fewer assignments to Dodgers flights ended up being demoted within the program, and Quezada eventually was removed “without any justification.”
Todd and Quezada are seeking a jury trial and an unspecified amount in damages.
LOS ANGELES — Not many people picked the Arizona Diamondbacks to beat Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card Series. Even fewer pegged them to take down the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series.
Surprise! After a rough ending to the regular season, the upstart youngsters from the desert are sailing through the playoffs.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the Diamondbacks made quick work of another Dodgers starter, beating Los Angeles 4-2 on Monday night behind Zac Gallen for a 2-0 lead in their NLDS.
“Why would we play with anything to lose?” closer Paul Sewald said. “We were the sixth seed. We weren’t supposed to win in Milwaukee. No one is going to pick us to beat the Dodgers when we haven’t played well against them. We’re going out there with a lot of confidence.”
The D-backs, who earned the final National League wild card despite losing their last four regular-season games, improved to 4-0 in these playoffs — all on the road against division winners. They were 5-8 against the Dodgers during the regular season, losing the final five meetings.
“These guys are very hungry and they feel like they have a lot to prove,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.
They’ll try for a stunning sweep of the NL West champions when the best-of-five series shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Wednesday.
“It’s two games, but our backs are against the wall,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve got to make some type of adjustments and we have no more margin.”
Gallen allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings for his second win of the postseason. Gurriel laced an RBI single to cap a three-run first, and the Diamondbacks chased rookie starter Bobby Miller in the second.
“I don’t think it’s any secret we’ve come in here and struggled,” Gallen said. “It was good for us just mentally to come in here and set the tone, have a little faith in ourselves.”
The early outburst came two nights after Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw was tagged for six runs while getting only one out during Arizona’s 11-2 rout in Game 1.
Gurriel added a solo homer in the sixth to make it 4-1. Sewald pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the postseason, aided by a nice catch from Gurriel in left field.
Gallen retired nine in a row during one stretch in his second career postseason start. The 17-game winner gave up five hits, struck out four and walked two.
Arizona’s hitters weren’t intimidated by Miller’s 100 mph heat in his playoff debut. They loaded the bases with nobody out and got a sacrifice fly from Christian Walker and an RBI groundout from Gabriel Moreno before Gurriel’s two-out single made it 3-0.
Kershaw and Miller worked a combined two innings and gave up nine earned runs. Miller allowed four hits, struck out one and walked two in 1 2/3 innings before Roberts had seen enough and went to the bullpen.
“Especially after losing Game 1, you want to go out there and set a tone for your offense and get them in a good mood,” Miller said. “Stuff happens. We’re not done yet. They’ve still got to win another game. I know we can do this.”
Kershaw and Miller have a combined 40.50 ERA through the first two games — the worst starters’ ERA over that span in postseason history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The Dodgers have lost five straight postseason games dating to Game 2 of last year’s NLDS against San Diego.
Once again, the Dodgers got little production from the top of their lineup. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, two of the team’s four 100-RBI players, were a combined 1 for 13 with three walks and a strikeout in the first two games of the series.
“All of us gotta get going,” Betts said. “We had a couple opportunities and we didn’t cash it in. For me and Freddie, that’s kind of our role. We’re not doing it, and I take ownership in that. Gotta figure out a way, man. No excuses.”
Los Angeles went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position during the two games and stranded 13 overall.
Despite having the sellout crowd behind him from his first pitch, Miller issued a leadoff walk to Corbin Carroll. Ketel Marte reached on a bunt single and Tommy Pham singled to load the bases.
James Outman crashed into the center-field wall making a leaping catch of Walker’s sacrifice fly that scored Carroll for a 1-0 lead. Outman bobbled a catch in the first inning of Game 1 that contributed to Kershaw’s six-run inning before the three-time Cy Young Award winner was yanked.
After Pham stole second, Arizona added two more runs on Moreno’s RBI groundout to shortstop and Gurriel’s sharp single to center.
Miller had two-strike counts on seven hitters and retired only three of them. He needed 32 pitches to get through the first after visits by catcher Will Smith and pitching coach Mark Prior.
J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer in the fourth that pulled the Dodgers to 3-1. They had runners at the corners in the fifth, but with the crowd chanting “Freddie! Freddie!,” Freeman took a called third strike to end the inning.
“Couple pitches I missed that will make me not sleep,” Freeman said.
The Dodgers chased Gallen with back-to-back singles by Max Muncy and Martinez in the sixth. Andrew Saalfrank, a September callup, walked pinch-hitter Chris Taylor to load the bases.
Pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández bounced the ball over the mound and second baseman Marte made a diving stop as Muncy scored to make it 4-2. Outman struck out and pinch-hitter Kolten Wong grounded out against side-armer Ryan Thompson with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Betts reached on a fielding error by Thompson leading off the seventh, and Freeman came to the plate as the potential tying run. He fouled a ball off the inside of his right leg before hitting into a double play, and Smith ended the inning by taking a called third strike.
“That’s what happens when you take a terrible swing. You hurt yourself,” Freeman said, laughing.
CARROLL’S NUMBERS
Carroll singled in the seventh and finished 1 for 2 with a run and three walks. The rookie leadoff hitter is batting .500 with two homers and four RBIs in four postseason games.
DIGGING THE LONG BALL
Arizona has homered in 15 straight postseason games dating to Game 3 of the 2007 NL Championship Series against Colorado, tied for the second-longest streak in playoff history.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks rookie RHP Brandon Pfaadt is scheduled to start Game 3. He started Game 1 of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee.
The Dodgers will go with RHP Lance Lynn. He gave up a major league-leading 44 homers during the season, when he had a 7-2 record and a 4.36 ERA after joining the Dodgers before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Celebrate With the LA Dodgers in SoCal Design Agency’s Latest Design Remix Series in Honor of Mexican Heritage Night.
LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– The LA Dodgers celebrate Mexican Heritage Night this week against the Atlanta Braves. SoCal design agency Creative Squeeze just released the latest installment of The Design Remix featuring a custom design series honoring Mexican Heritage Night, an annual celebration hosted by the LA Dodgers. An equal passion for sports and design to honor Mexican Heritage come together beautifully in this special project.
Elvis Lopez was one of the main designers on the project and was asked about his main source of inspiration behind the effort:
“Growing up in East LA in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood, one of the core foundations that brought the community together was everyone’s love for The Dodgers. I wanted to bring that nostalgic feeling to the designs so that it properly visualized and represented my community. I know it’s a very specific perspective to identify both my Mexican heritage as well as a Dodgers fan in one design, but I have a feeling that if it represents me, then it will speak to others as well.”
The construction of the logo consisted of three main features: 1) Traditionally inspired typography 2) Mexican culture design elements 3) Timeless design
