From Opening Day to the finale of the four-game set, the Los Angeles Dodgers made franchise and MLB history throughout their Opening Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It began with the Dodgers setting an MLB record by slugging eight home runs on Opening Day. Zack Greinke surrendered four to his former team in what was a 12-5 rout for L.A.
The following night, the teams played into the 13th inning, which ran six hours and five minutes at Dodger Stadium. That marked the Dodgers’ longest regular-season home game (by time) in franchise history.
They bounced back from the loss with another onslaught, beginning with Joc Pederson answering Jarrod Dyson’s leadoff home run with one of his own. That marked the first time in Dodger Stadium history where both teams hit a leadoff homer.
The Dodgers’ offensive outburst led to Russell Martin being called on to pitch in the ninth inning as a means of preserving the bullpen. Martin retired the side in order on 10 pitches in what he estimated was his first time pitching in 20 years.
Martin became the first position player to close out the ninth inning of a win since left fielder Willie Smith did so for the Detroit Tigers in 1963. Moreover, Martin was the first full-time position player to toss a 1-2-3 ninth inning of a win since at least 1925.
And with their 18-5 victory on Saturday, the Dodgers’ 34 runs scored through the first three games of a season were their most in franchise history since the Brooklyn Grays scored 35 in 1887.
Sunday’s win gave them a Los Angeles franchise record of 42 runs in a four-game series, which came just two shy of matching the Dodgers’ all-time record set when the 1953 team scored 44 runs against the St. Louis Cardinals; the 1929 club initially held the mark with 44 runs scored during a four-game set with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Lastly, the Dodgers slugged 14 home runs against the Diamondbacks. That fell one shy of tying a franchise record for most most homers (15) in a four-game series, set against the New York Mets in 2017.
Cody Bellinger enters play Monday leading the team with four home runs, followed by Pederson (three homers); Austin Barnes (two); Kiké Hernandez (two); and Max Muncy, A.J. Pollock and Corey Seager with one each.
