Dodgers start season 6-0 for the first time since 1981

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers continue their undefeated streak in 2025 as Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández both hit their second home runs of the season. Their performances helped the Dodgers secure a 6-1 victory on Monday night in front of 50,816 fans at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers’ offense has been unstoppable lately, winning their sixth straight game to open the season for the first time since 1981.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a 95 mph fastball from right-hander Grant Holmes over the center field wall in the first inning, driving in Shohei Ohtani, who had walked to lead off the game. This marked Hernandez's second home run of the season, following his first homer against the Detroit Tigers in the home opener.

Michael Conforto has been impressive at the plate, driving in a run in each of his last three games. He doubled in the third inning, bringing Mookie Betts home. After hitting a walk-off home run on Friday night, Betts had the day off on Saturday but returned to the lineup on Monday. He reached base with an infield hit, which was the only hit he had in five at-bats.

Shohei Ohtani went hitless on Monday night, striking out three times, including two swinging misses. Despite not getting a hit, Ohtani walked twice and stole his second base of the season in the sixth inning.

Ohtani had a bullpen session on Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, where he threw 25 pitches, including a mix of four-seam and two-seam fastballs. Manager Roberts is unsure when Ohtani's next bullpen session will take place, but he anticipates that it will be more intense as he continues to progress.

“It was good,” Roberts said. “He felt really good coming out of it,”

Freddie Freeman injured his ankle after slipping in the shower on Saturday night, which led to Kike Hernandez starting at first base. In the sixth inning, Hernandez launched a solo home run to deep left field off right-hander Jesse Chavez. The ball was hit at 107.4 mph and traveled 412 feet into the pavilion.

The Braves started right-handed pitcher Grant Holmes in the series opener at Dodger Stadium. He threw four innings, allowing four hits, four earned runs, and four walks.

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow had an impressive first outing of the season, not allowing a hit until the fifth inning when Jarred Kelenic got a hit off him. Glasnow appeared nearly unhittable at the start of the game, striking out eight batters through the first five innings. He threw a total of 79 pitches, 48 of which were strikes.

“I thought he had a good rhythm throughout the night,” Roberts said. “Overall, I thought his stuff was great.”

The 31-year-old pitcher showcased impressive efficiency, with his fastball reaching speeds of 98 mph. He particularly highlighted his devastating curveball in the third inning, striking out all three batters. Out of his total strikeouts, five were earned with an 83 mph hanging curveball, while two came from fastballs and one from his slider. Manager Roberts considered sending Glasnow back out to pitch in the sixth inning but ultimately decided against it, as Glasnow had thrown 64 pitches in his previous outing at Angel Stadium.

“I think tonight was a good stepping stone moving forward,” Roberts said.

Glasnow talked about his efficiency on the mound during the first inning, acknowledging that he felt it would be a challenging night for him. He credited his pitching coach, Mark Prior, for the help he provided with his throwing program during the offseason. Glasnow had been used to throwing a lot of weighted balls, but he made a change after being advised to focus more on long tosses and to gradually build up his strength through traditional methods.

“It was good, especially in that first inning I felt really synced up,” Glasnow said. “Having that curveball helped me a lot,”

This was Glasnow’s first regular-season start since August 11 of last season. He’s been waiting for this moment since missing the whole postseason. 

“It was awesome. I think it was cool in spring. Obviously, it's just a little different during the regular season,” Glasnow said. “It’s just nice to be home pitching at Dodger Stadium. The energy is just unmatched. Walking out in the first inning and grabbing the ball was a very cool moment.”

Glasnow had the opportunity to sit in the dugout and observe his team win the first five games of the season. He realized that the offense is operating at another level as they went on to win their sixth game in a row, thanks to his outstanding performance on the mound on Monday night. Glasnow notes a significant difference in this year's team compared to last season's approach.

“I didn’t know what to expect going into spring, and it just seemed like the atmosphere was way hungrier than last year,” Glasnow said. “I think it’s been since day one that everyone has been super motivated to come out strong and win it again. The focus is very high this year; it’s really good.”

Roberts decided to use left-hander Jack Dreyer for a scoreless inning, followed by Alex Vesia in the seventh and Tanner Scott in the eighth. The Dodgers had allowed only two hits through the first seven innings until Michael Harris II hit a solo home run to left-center, marking the game’s third hit. Harris II ended the Braves’ 29-inning scoreless streak with his first home run of the season.

The Dodgers faced a team that had lost four consecutive games to the San Diego Padres over the weekend. On Monday morning, it was reported that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a banned substance and has been suspended for 80 games. This suspension is a significant setback for the Braves offense as they begin the season. After spending the previous few seasons with the Padres, Profar signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves this offseason.

The Dodgers will aim to secure their seventh consecutive win to begin the season as they start right-hander Dustin May on Tuesday night. This will be May's first start since May 2023. The Braves will respond with left-hander Chris Sale, the 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner.