This game marks the first MLB regular season game of 2024, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the San Diego Padres, inaugurated at Gocheok Dome in Seoul, South Korea.

This event is MLB’s return to Asia after five years, the last being in 2019, and notably, it is the first official regular season MLB game ever held in Korea, making it a historic occasion for Major League Baseball.

As this article delves into a detailed analysis of the game, it is complemented by highlights available on the MLB official YouTube channel.

This analysis is divided into 8 sections:
1️⃣ Performance of Padres’ starting pitcher – Yu Darvish
2️⃣ Performance of Dodgers’ starting pitcher – Tyler Glasnow
3️⃣ Bullpen performance & management from both teams
4️⃣ Batting performance & offensive strategies from both teams
5️⃣ Defensive performance & strategies from both teams
6️⃣ The critical top of the eighth inning
7️⃣ Reasons behind some unusual control issues from the pitchers
8️⃣ Summary

This article will analyze sections 1️⃣ – 3️⃣.
The next piece will cover 4️⃣ – 8️⃣.

1️⃣ Padres’ Starting Pitcher – Yu Darvish’s Performance

Yu Darvish, a veteran Japanese pitcher, was the starting pitcher for the Padres. Despite an off-year in performance in the previous season (8 wins, 10 losses, ERA 4.56, ERA+ 90), his impressive performance in spring training this year (2 wins, 0 losses, ERA 2.89) and his experience made him the chosen starter for the opening game.

In this game, Darvish pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing 2 hits and one unearned run, along with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks. He threw a total of 72 pitches, 42 of which were strikes, indicating a higher than usual rate of balls; his strike rate was only 54.69% during the first three innings, improving to 87.50% in the fourth inning.

Darvish used a total of 7 different types of pitches, with the following usage rates:

Four-seam fastball (20.83%) / 15 pitches
Slider (18.06%) / 13 pitches
Curveball (16.67%) / 12 pitches
Slurve (15.28%) / 11 pitches
Splitter (12.50%) / 9 pitches
Forkball (8.33%) / 6 pitches
Cutter (6.94%) / 5 pitches

One pitch was not classified by the pitch tracking system.

Overall, Darvish maintained his typical variety in pitch usage, but unlike previous seasons, he incorporated significantly more curveballs (16.67% this game vs. 5.2% last year). He often chose breaking balls in critical counts, sticking with his unpredictable pitching strategy.

However, Darvish’s overall pitch execution was not ideal, with lower velocities and spins, possibly due to early-season adjustments.

Despite threats from the Dodgers in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, Darvish managed to prevent any scoring through effective pitch selection, a testament to his skill under less than ideal conditions.

2️⃣ Dodgers’ Starting Pitcher – Tyler Glasnow’s Performance

Tyler Glasnow, previously with the Tampa Bay Rays and traded to the Dodgers this year, started for the Dodgers. Known for his stability as a starter in previous years and his role as an ace for the Rays, Glasnow’s main challenge has been maintaining health.

In this game, Glasnow pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 earned runs, with 3 strikeouts and 4 walks among his 77 pitches, 47 of which were strikes. While his strike rate wasn’t low, the number of walks given in just over 5 innings was less than ideal.

Glasnow’s performance in spring training showed strong control, which wasn’t fully evident in this game, possibly due to his first regular-season game pitch-calling sync with Dodgers’ catcher Will Smith and the unique pressure of an international season opener.

Glasnow’s pitch breakdown was as follows:

Four-seam fastball (50.65%) / 39 pitches
Slider (32.47%) / 25 pitches
Curveball (12.99%) / 10 pitches
Sinker (3.90%) / 4 pitches

Notably, Glasnow reintroduced the sinker, a pitch he hadn’t used much between 2018 and 2023, showcasing effective velocity (average speed 96.2 mph). His slider was particularly

effective, achieving a 50% swing-and-miss rate.

3️⃣ Bullpen Performance & Management

With the season starting 8-9 days earlier than typical MLB openers, starting pitchers were limited to about 70-80 pitches, roughly 4/5 of their usual count, necessitating earlier bullpen use.

(Padres’ Bullpen)

The Padres used 7 relievers as Darvish exited after 3 2/3 innings, applying a bullpen-by-committee strategy early in the game. The deployment was notably matched against the Dodgers’ lineup’s left-handed hitters, utilizing four left-handed pitchers out of seven to counteract the Dodgers’ lefty hitters.

Despite using many of their key bullpen pieces, the Padres may face tighter bullpen management in the next game, necessitating a longer outing from the next starter, Joe Musgrove.

An unusual aspect of this game was the occurrence of four ‘pitch clock violations’ that resulted in walks, all charged against Padres’ pitchers. One critical violation by Jhony Brito in the eighth inning led to a four-run inning for the Dodgers, turning a 1-2 deficit into a 5-2 lead.

(Dodgers’ Bullpen)

Glasnow’s 5 1/3 inning start was solid for an early season game, allowing sufficient rest for the bullpen.

The Dodgers used a strategy of one inning per pitcher for their four relievers, stabilizing the game with experienced pitchers Ryan Brasier and Daniel Hudson when behind, and later deploying their planned late-game relievers, Joe Kelly and Evan Phillips, after taking the lead.

Daniel Hudson’s inclusion is notable, having re-signed with the Dodgers after a limited 2023 due to injury, and making a strong showing in spring training to secure a spot on the opening roster.

The Dodgers’ bullpen management in this game likely won’t impact their strategy too severely in the next game, especially with rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting, whose performance in spring training suggests he may need significant bullpen support.

This concludes Part 1 of the analysis. Part 2 will cover sections 4️⃣ – 8️⃣.

Sources:
Baseball Reference
Baseball Savant
Fangraphs
Wikipedia