Wow. Just, wow. Where do you even start? I’m not kidding when I say the fact that Chad Billingsley’s fantastic eleven strikeout performance (including six of his last seven betters) may only be about the fifth best thing that happened today. Seriously, things just do not come together better than this. How about the fact that any Opening Day under blue skies at Dodger Stadium is pretty much the best day of anyone’s life? The record-setting 57,000+ crowd? Vin Scully’s moving first pitch and commentary? The offensive explosion against the hated Giants, including Orlando Hudson’s cycle - a Dodger Stadium first? And Andre Ethier’s two homers? Any description I’d have of today’s game would be woefully inadequate, and I wouldn’t even know what to focus on, so let’s let the day speak for itself in pictures. They’re worth a thousand words, I hear.
Vin, you’re not wrong about much, but you’re wrong about this – we need you much more than you think we do.
I like to think that the stealth bomber is coming to eradicate the Giants, here. What? You know you were thinking it, too.
Orlando Hudson: massive kiss-ass. Come on, Orlando. Hitting for the first Dodger cycle since Wes Parker 39 years ago is one thing, and so is being the first Dodger to ever do it in Dodger Stadium. But on Opening Day, in the first game in front of your new home crowd? That’s a little blatant, don’t you think? (Loving Hudson so far.)
We’re showing Manny here, but every single Dodger got a hit, including Chad Billingsley and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta… except for Juan Pierre, who was robbed by Aaron Rowand. Womp womp!
Andre Ethier with the third two-homer game of his career… he’s sort of good. Remember when he was fighting for playing time with Pierre and Luis Gonzalez? Yeah, me neither.
Plus, Billingsley’s sublime performance. There’s not too many games I can remember that went this well, period, but on Opening Day? This might have been the best ever.
Off day tomorrow, Clayton Kershaw vs. Matt Cain on Wednesday.
