Mar 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Los Angeles, California – Blake Snell made a successful debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Teoscar Hernández delivered a crucial three-run homer as the Dodgers edged the Detroit Tigers 5-4 in their home opener on Thursday.
Snell (1-0), a two-time Cy Young Award winner who signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in the offseason, allowed two runs and five hits over five innings. The left-hander struck out two and walked four in his first regular-season appearance with Los Angeles.
Hernández’s decisive home run came off Tarik Skubal (0-1) on the first pitch of his at-bat in the fifth inning, putting the Dodgers ahead 4-2. The rally started when Shohei Ohtani reached on a fielder’s choice and Mookie Betts drew a walk, setting the stage for Hernández’s blast.
Before the game, the defending World Series champions celebrated their title in front of a sellout crowd of 53,595, with the Commissioner’s Trophy making its entrance in a blue convertible driven by rapper Ice Cube.
Snell’s only major miscue came in the fourth when a wild pitch allowed Spencer Torkelson to score the Tigers’ first run. Detroit briefly took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Snell surrendered back-to-back singles to Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene before walking Torkelson to load the bases. Manuel Margot followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in a run.
The Tigers continued to fight back, with Torkelson homering in the seventh to trim the Dodgers’ lead to 4-3. Kerry Carpenter added a sacrifice fly in the eighth off Tanner Scott, bringing Detroit within a run again at 5-4.
Tommy Edman got the Dodgers’ power display started in the second inning, launching the first home run of the season at Dodger Stadium off Skubal. Edman previously hit the first home run of the 2025 MLB season during Game 2 of the Tokyo Series.
Dodgers closer Blake Treinen took the mound in the ninth with a 5-4 lead. He allowed the potential tying and go-ahead runs to reach base but secured the save by retiring Trey Sweeney and Colt Keith.
Skubal, last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, gave up four runs and six hits in five innings, striking out two and walking one in his first start of the season.
