LOS ANGELES — The dodger game at Dodger Stadium opened with a clear message: the Los Angeles Dodgers are starting their three-peat chase with urgency and depth. In an 8-2 season-opening win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, center fielder Andy Pages stood out among a lineup that already looked relentless. The performance also put a spotlight on Pages’ push to move past a difficult postseason at the plate.
Pages flips the script in the home opener
Pages entered the new season still carrying the weight of last postseason — a stretch that included a historically rough four-for-51 hitting line, even as one defensive highlight moment lingered: an “epic smash-and-grab” catch over teammate Kiké Hernández that helped save Game 7 of the World Series.
On Opening Day, Pages offered something much simpler and louder: production. Batting eighth, he hit the Dodgers’ first home run of the season and drove in the club’s first runs in the opening win over Arizona. The biggest swing came in the fifth inning against Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, when Pages jumped on a curveball and launched a three-run, 400-foot home run to left-center field.
He wasn’t finished. Pages also led off the eighth inning with a full-count single the other way into right field — an at-bat that manager Dave Roberts made a point to reference afterward, underscoring that the impact wasn’t limited to one pitch or one moment.
Dodger Game operations: gates, ceremony timing, and getting to the park
Beyond the action on the field, the day came with a full slate of Opening Day logistics for fans heading into the dodger game and the three-game series between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.
- First pitch: 5: 30 p. m. ET, with fans encouraged to be seated by 4: 45 p. m. ET for the Opening Day ceremony.
- Gates and team store: Opened at 2: 30 p. m. ET.
- Outside food: Allowed if it is in a clear bag.
- Transit option: Metro’s Dodger Stadium Express is free for ticket holders and begins operating three hours before first pitch, with connections available through Union Station and Harbor Gateway Transit Center.
- Rideshare: Uber drop-off and pickup are routed through Gate B off Stadium Way, using Lot 1.
- Parking: $35 in advance or $40 at the door.
Immediate reactions: Roberts’ “complete player” endorsement
Roberts has been vocal about his expectations for Pages, even labeling him the team’s “pick-to-click” in spring training. The manager pointed to how hard the 25-year-old has worked to improve his plate discipline after chasing 32% of pitches outside the zone last year.
Pages, speaking through an interpreter, downplayed the label while emphasizing routine improvement. “It feels really nice for him to say that about me, or to pick me, but obviously I’m not really focused on that, ” Pages said. “What he’s focused on, ” he added, “is just trying to do everything I can, every day, to get a little bit better. ”
Roberts, in turn, leaned all the way in on the assessment. “He’s a complete player, ” Roberts said. “And I’m excited to see what he can do this year. ”
Quick context and what’s next
The Dodgers opened the season at home as the back-to-back World Series champions aiming for a third consecutive title, with Pages’ early impact serving as a reminder that the bottom of the order can bite, too. In the bigger picture, Opening Day also marked the first in 18 seasons without a locker in the clubhouse for Clayton Kershaw, who retired and is transitioning into a broadcaster role.
Next comes the rest of the three-game set with Arizona, with Los Angeles looking to keep stacking wins while watching whether Pages can sustain the sharper approach that powered this dodger game swing-by-swing.
