The power trio plays the hits
by Cary Osborne
Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman shot out from behind video screens in center field and jogged down a blue carpet in the Opening Day pregame ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
And they kept coming.
Cardinals pitching faced the trio of MVPs four times on Thursday and the best St. Louis could do was retire two of the three in the fifth inning.
By that point, Betts had homered. Ohtani had reached base all three times. And Freeman homered.
One of the greatest assemblages of a top three in a lineup in baseball history displayed in its 2024 Dodger Stadium debut how difficult it’s going to be for opposing pitchers this year.
“First word that comes to mind is daunting,” said manager Dave Roberts.
The three former MVPs went a combined 5-for-8 with four walks, two home runs, a double, six runs scored and four RBI in the Dodgers’ 7–1 win.
Here’s their combined slash line for the game: .625/.750/1.500/2.250. Each player made just one out in the game.
The power trio started quickly.
Betts walked to lead off the game against Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Ohtani doubled to left field, but overran second base, was caught in between and tagged out. Freeman followed with an RBI single to give the Dodgers a 1–0 lead.
Betts homered to lead off the third inning. Ohtani followed with a walk. Then Freeman poked a ball over the wall in right-center field for his first homer of the season.
Betts went 1-for-2 with the homer, one RBI, two walks and three runs scored.
Ohtani, in his highly anticipated Dodger Stadium debut as a Dodger, went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.
Freeman went 2-for-3 with the homer, three RBI, a walk and two runs scored.
“I was the only guy who couldn’t hit a homer but overall I think I had a pretty good game today,” Ohtani said.
Through three regular season games — the two in Seoul, South Korea on March 20 and 21, and Thursday — the trio is 15-for-33 with five extra-base hits, 10 walks, 10 runs and 14 RBI.
Betts, Ohtani and Freeman have driven in 61% and scored 43% of the Dodgers’ 23 runs through three games. Betts is off to a torrid start, going 7-for-11 with two home runs, eight RBI and four walks.
The Dodgers’ last batter of the game came up in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday. It was the №9 hitter.
Betts was on deck, Ohtani was in the hole, Freeman was stirring in the dugout — all anticipating a fifth plate appearance. It didn’t happen.
The Cardinals were OK with that.
