Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani grounds out in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres in the season opener at Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday. Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — The Los Angeles Dodgers started their Shohei Ohtani era with a memorable win on a night of firsts.
Ohtani’s RBI single capped a four-run eighth-inning rally in his Dodgers debut, and Los Angeles beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 in Wednesday night’s opener, Major League Baseball’s first game in South Korea.
“Just a good night overall for Shohei,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. “The bigger picture it’s significant because you’ve got such a generational talent that is on your ballclub in a big market in Los Angeles. There’s a lot more eyeballs on the Dodgers and on Major League Baseball.”
The game turned when a routine grounder went through the webbing of the glove of first baseman Jake Cronenworth as the go-ahead run scored.
Ohtani went 2 for 5 with an RBI in his first game since leaving the Los Angeles Angels for a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. A crowd of 15,952 was on hand to watch at the Gocheok Sky Dome.
The two-way star, limited to batting following elbow surgery, also had a mental error that caused the final out of the eighth. He was called out when he passed second base and then failed to retouch the bag while retreating on Freddie Freeman’s flyout, causing an inning-ending double play.
A bomb threat did not seem to affect pregame preparations. Police found no explosives and said they acted on a tip that the threat was against Ohtani.
San Diego led 2-1 entering the eighth when Max Muncy started with a walk against Wandy Peralta. Teoscar Hernández, also making his Dodgers debut, singled off Jhony Brito (0-1), among the players the Padres obtained in the trade that sent star Juan Soto to the New York Yankees.
James Outman walked and Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly tied the score. Adrián Morejón relieved and Gavin Lux hit a chopper to Cronenworth that the two-time All-Star tried to backhand. The ball went through the webbing of the large first baseman’s mitt.
Hernández came home for a 3-2 lead.
Betts and Ohtani followed with RBI singles.
Xander Bogaerts had an RBI single in the third for the Padres. He became the third player with hits in five nations after Edgardo Alfonzo and Paul Goldschmidt, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Bogaerts also has hits in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and England.
• Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend has been fired by the Dodgers following allegations of illegal gambling and theft from the Japanese baseball star.
Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was let go from the team following reports from The Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker. .
Mizuhara has worked with Ohtani for years and been a constant presence with him in major league clubhouses. When Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels to sign a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December, the club also hired Mizuhara.
The team did not have an immediate comment.
NOTES
YANKEES: Slugger Aaron Judge had an RBI double in his first at-bat against Pittsburgh after sitting out nine days with an abdominal injury.
Judge hadn’t played since March 10, when he struck out in both at-bats against Atlanta. He had an MRI the following day.
Judge started feeling discomfort with his abdomen during his swing’s follow-through a couple weeks ago.
REDS: The Cincinnati Reds are bracing for the possibility of another key player being unavailable for the season opener after second baseman Matt McLain’s recent injury to his non-throwing shoulder.
Reds Manager David Bell told reporters that all options, including surgery, were under consideration by the club for treatment.
GIANTS: Blake Snell joined the San Francisco Giants just nine days before their opener and the two-time Cy Young Award winner hopes he will be ready to start during the first series at his old team, the San Diego Padres.
“We’ll throw a bullpen tomorrow and go from there,” he said at his first news conference with the Giants, a day after finalizing a $62 million, two-year contract.
Right-hander Logan Webb, runner-up to Snell in last year’s NL Cy Young vote, starts the opener. Snell could pitch later in the four-game series.
Snell was 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA last year for the Padres, winning the NL Cy Young to go along with his 2018 AL Cy Young with the Tampa Bay Rays.
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