by Mark Langill
The season-opening party, which began in Japan on March 18, didn’t stop when it moved to Southern California for the team’s first homestand at Dodger Stadium. After sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the two-game Tokyo Series, the Dodgers made history from March 27 to April 2, sweeping the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves to become the first World Series championship team to start the following season with an 8–0 record.
It all started with the pregame ceremonies at the March 27 home opener, where World Series heroes Freddie Freeman and Kirk Gibson threw out the ceremonial first pitch and entertainer Ice Cube emerged from the center field fence in a Dodger blue low rider and delivered the 2024 World Series trophy. It ended with a bobblehead bang — Shohei Ohtani delivering a walk-off homer on his bobblehead night on Wednesday.
April 27 Home opener
Edman hit the Dodgers’ first home run in Japan and hit the team’s first long ball at Dodger Stadium against Detroit on March 27, a solo shot in the second inning of a 5–4 victory.
Left-hander Blake Snell, one of the prized free-agent acquisitions of the winter, pitched five innings in his Los Angeles debut. He allowed two runs on five hits.
March 28 Ring Ceremony
Actor Anthony Anderson hosted the ring ceremony at Dodger Stadium that featured announcements by Randy Thomas, a longtime voice of the Academy Awards. The postgame drone show included a salute to the team’s 2024 World Series title.
After the World Series rings were distributed, three Legends of Dodger Baseball donned their blue jackets and participated in the ceremonial first pitch ceremony. (Left to right) Orel Hershiser, Clayton Kershaw, Steve Garvey, Edman, Manny Mota and Teoscar Hernández.
Mookie Betts gave the Dodgers an 8–5 victory with a walk-off three-run homer in the 10th inning. The postgame drone show included a salute to the team’s 2024 World Series title.
March 29
Right-hander Roki Sasaki made his Dodger Stadium debut in a 7–3 victory. He pitched 1 2/3 innings and had no decision. Freddie Freeman hit his second home run in as many games.
March 31
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow struck out eight batters in five scoreless during a 6–1 victory over Atlanta. The Dodgers’ 6–0 start matched the best start in Los Angeles history, joining the 1981 World Champion Dodgers.
April 1
Dustin May made his first start in 685 days. May allowed one unearned run in five innings and had a no-decision in a 3–1 victory, which gave the Dodgers their best start in Los Angeles history.
Anthony Banda (2–0) picked up the victory in relief of May with one scoreless inning.
Hernández made a circus catch in right field and Mookie Betts launched his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field.
April 2
Ohtani’s walk-off home run gives the Dodgers a wild 6–5 victory after the Dodgers spotted Atlanta a 5–0 lead. It was Ohtani’s second career walk-off homer, the other was Aug. 23, 2024, when he joined the 40/40 club with a grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Snapshots: A historic first homestand was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.