Dodgers beat Tigers to start 5-0 for 1st time since 1981

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman had a homer and an RBI double, Teoscar Hernández delivered a tie-breaking two-run double in the fifth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their perfect start to the season with a 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.

Will Smith and Tommy Edman also homered for the defending World Series champions, who are 5-0 after beating the Cubs twice in last week’s Tokyo Series before sweeping Detroit in Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers are off to their best start since 1981, when they opened 6-0 and eventually won the World Series.

Los Angeles overcame a second shaky start by touted right-hander Roki Sasaki, who couldn’t get out of the second inning after yielding four walks, three singles and two runs. Detroit scored on Manuel Margot’s bases-loaded dribbler and a 10-pitch walk to Trey Sweeney.

Anthony Banda (1-0) pitched the fifth. Six Dodgers relievers combined for 7 1/3 innings of three-hit ball.

Freeman blasted his second homer in the first inning, and Michael Conforto added an RBI double in the second before Hernández put the Dodgers ahead for good.

Shohei Ohtani drew two walks and scored two runs after throwing a pregame bullpen.

Jake Rogers scored Detroit’s only run against LA’s bullpen when Luis Garcia inexplicably didn’t cover first on Zach McKinstry’s grounder in the seventh.

But Edman hit his third homer in four games on Kenta Maeda’s first pitch in the seventh before Ohtani walked, stole second and scored easily on Freeman’s double.

Key moment

With Conforto on third and two outs, Reese Olson (0-1) intentionally walked Ohtani to get to Hernández, who ripped his double down the left-field line.

Key stat

Sasaki has thrown just 57 strikes on his 117 pitches in the majors.

Up next

Both teams have Sunday off. The Tigers visit Seattle on Monday, and the Dodgers welcome the Braves.

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