- 2 days ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00On NBC is brought to you by T-Mobile T-Mobile members get free MLB dot TV redeem at T
00:06-Mobile dot com slash MLB play ball is baseball's global youth initiative to learn more including how to find a
00:15league near you scan the QR code or go to play ball dot org moments ago at Dodger Stadium there
00:25he is Magic Johnson Lakers legend who's now part of the Dodgers ownership
00:29group and he connected with Shohei Otani for the ceremonial first pitch well today and tonight mark the full return
00:39of baseball to the NBC network for the first time since the 2000 ALCS but NBC's history with our national
00:46pastime runs much deeper than that beginning with the first televised baseball game called by Red Barber in 1939 the
00:54first World Series on TV in 1947 and a relationship with the game for
00:59virtually the entire second half of the 20th century and that legacy includes some of the game's greatest voices Red
01:07Barber who I mentioned a moment ago and Mel Allen Kurt Gowdy Joe Garagiola Tony Kubik the Dodgers own Vin
01:14Scully Bob Uecker and more and now as a new generation of baseball on NBC begins we pass the baton
01:22or in this case the mic to a guy who's already distinguished himself as the TV voice of the White
01:27Sox
01:28and now the Tigers Jason Bonetti take it Jason but no pressure Bob thank you so much and let me
01:35first say baseball is better when you are involved you couldn't list yourself but you are in the pantheon of
01:41greats in this game and we are so excited to have such unique conversations every week two legends here World
01:49Series hero Luis Gonzalez of the Diamondbacks former World Series MVP
01:54Aurel Hershizer let's start with you Aurel you heard Dave Roberts talk about it how did the Dodgers get that
02:02third straight title you know it's one thing to have star power it is another thing to have culture and
02:08to be able to coexist among these stars so I think that's the biggest thing going for these Dodgers the
02:13fact that they get along they believe in the edges of the game the difference between winning and losing and
02:17that gives them a very good chance to have a three-peat Diamondbacks last year were third and slugging in
02:23Major League Baseball
02:24their aim today is Yoshinobu Yamamoto how do they deal with it yeah one of the hottest pitchers last year
02:30especially in postseason play the World Series MVP this guy has a good fastball split and a curveball for the
02:36Diamondbacks to be effective here they've got to see the ball up in the strike zone
02:40we are also thrilled to have his former teammate Clayton Kershaw with us he is at the edge of the
02:48hill instead of on it today Clayton what makes Yamamoto such a machine
02:54he is an absolute machine that's a great way to describe him it's his routine it's how he goes about
02:58his business and the ball just comes out of his hand like a piece of art it really is amazing
03:03when I tell my kids to watch people pitch Yamaha's right at the top of the list I'm excited to
03:07watch this game today
03:08and it's a weird thing but it's pretty awesome to be here where do your eyes go as you watch
03:12him as you tell your kids about him what do you watch it's just so fluid like it takes so
03:17much athleticism to be that fluid out there he's so consistent with his delivery he can make changes he can
03:24make edits when he's missing by a little bit and
03:27this the repertoire is unbelievable and it starts with a split finger so I'm excited to watch his split tonight
03:31that's his out pitch that's what he's going to need against these left-handed bats at the top of the
03:35lineup and
03:35it's pretty nasty so we'll see how they do there is that starting lineup presented by
03:40Capital One for the Arizona Diamondbacks who played the Dodgers pretty well last year it was a 13 game series
03:46seven Los Angeles six to Arizona gentlemen I could not think of better people to spend opening day with I'm
03:54so thrilled to have baseball back on NBC we are thrilled as a group let's have a great time tonight
04:01shall we looking forward to it should be a lot of fun
04:03still the haze of the pregame ceremony the banner raise and Yoshinobu Yamamoto who threw the final pitch of the
04:13World Series starts with strike one or a split finger right away when he establishes the fastball at the knees
04:20that split is devastating he leads them off with that yeah and Marte is not your prototypical leadoff hitter you
04:27saw there swinging at the first pitch a lot of time leadoff guys are taking that first pitch a
04:32very aggressive hitter the 32 year old could tell Marte he swings through that it's 0 and 2 now Luis
04:40we were talking about before the game how did the Diamondbacks have to see Yamamoto here well you saw them
04:45swing at that first pitch down in the dirt they have to see the ball up and try to stay
04:49to the middle part of the field and not pull off that split
04:54one ball and two strikes Marte takes their Yama's a lot of like Clayton Kershaw or even with an 0
05:012 count they don't like to waste pitches today with the pitch count try and be as efficient as possible
05:06and attack you heard Dave Roberts mention it to Bob pregame seeing if they can get him through six as
05:13Marte catches a piece there how about that ceremony by the way that was full Hollywood blue carpet
05:21Will Ferrell it was crazy to see the men Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas bring the two back to back
05:28trophies in what a celebration for the Dodgers one and two and that's guided by Marte down the right field
05:36line and foul this Diamondbacks top three in the order Luis I think for a national audience still gets underrated
05:46three silver sluggers at the top of this order boy they really do I mean these guys go out there
05:51they work and they work there
05:51They work hard each and every
05:52day and you know they're
05:54left handed hitters Marte the
05:55switch hitter there but other
05:57than that these guys go out
05:59there and put their work in.
06:03Yamamoto ready for another one
06:06to pitch number six and could
06:08tell Marte ramping up that
06:10pitch count.
06:13That's exactly what you want to
06:15lead off hitter to do try to get
06:16deeper and see more pitches
06:17those guys in that dugout get
06:19an opportunity to see what's
06:20working for him early in
06:22Yamamoto.
06:28Two balls two strikes.
06:30Sometimes the difference between
06:31the Dodger professional hitters
06:33and the rest of the National
06:35League West specifically is that
06:37there are more swingers and
06:38chasers and the Dodgers take
06:40advantage of that over the last
06:41few years.
06:42This at bat right here was a great
06:43example for Arizona this year.
06:46Diamondbacks last year seventh in
06:48lowest whiff rate in Major League
06:49Baseball.
06:50There's some contact in that
06:51lineup.
06:52They will chase but contact
06:54within it and now already three
06:56balls two strikes a long count
06:58pitch number nine.
07:01Crowd rises with the World Series
07:05MVP Yamamoto.
07:07And Marte is proving to be an
07:10irritant.
07:13Fastballs away that he's fouled off
07:14beat him with fastball in earlier
07:16in the count on the second pitch
07:17and got him to chase the first
07:19pitch which was a split.
07:20See what he pulls the trigger on
07:22here.
07:26Three and two again.
07:28And a swing and a miss strike
07:29strike three Jason it was the
07:34splitter and it was a good one
07:35because it was a strike for a
07:37long time before it dove out of
07:39the zone.
07:39Boy you see that good movement on
07:41it just moving down and away to
07:42Marte just a tough pitch to stay
07:48on so the split finger for strike
07:50three and here is Corbin Carroll
07:52who has had a wild month and a
07:54half.
07:54I mean he broke his handmaid
07:57bone swinging not in a game
07:59situation and that's the type of
08:01thing that can cause a four to
08:03six week step aside.
08:04He's back here on opening day
08:05Louise.
08:06How do you do it.
08:06The day after surgery he was
08:08back out there already starting
08:09to rehab so this guy takes no
08:11days off he wants to be out
08:12there accountable with his
08:13teammates to see fastball for
08:17strike two I mean Tory Lavelle
08:18was talking to us for the game
08:19he said Corbin Carroll walked by
08:21him the day he did it he said
08:23yeah I think I broke my handmaid
08:24bone but I'll be ready for
08:25opening day.
08:26Those thoughts came together in
08:29his mind as he takes a strike
08:30there and that is it for Carol.
08:34He's going to challenge right he
08:35will hitters challenging so our
08:38first ABS challenge it's brought
08:40to you by T-Mobile you get two
08:41of them and if you get them
08:43right you keep them that is a
08:45that is a ball so it's a miss
08:47and it's an overturn for Corbin
08:50Carroll.
08:51Boy that's a close one there and
08:52or I know if you're going to use
08:54one early in the ballgame you
08:55better make sure that it's going
08:56to be a ball.
08:57It was a cutter up and in just
08:59barely up and in.
09:02It's a good challenge from
09:04Corbin Carroll you have to do it
09:05immediately no help from the
09:07bench has now a ball and two
09:09strikes there's another fastball
09:11from Yamamoto but again if you're
09:12just joining us the rule is you
09:14get two challenges that you
09:16exhaust when you lose them so if
09:18you get it right you get it back
09:25one two in the air down the
09:29left field side and Oscar
09:31Oscar Hernandez squeezes out number
09:34two so the ABS challenge system
09:37there are uniform strike zones
09:39each team as you see starts the
09:40game with two challenges pitcher
09:42catcher hitter the only ones who
09:44can do it if a position player is
09:47pitching you can't challenge
09:48because let's face it they don't
09:50deserve this ranker ball so the
09:52immediacy part of the rule is just
09:53they don't get help from anyone
09:54that's right that's right and so
09:56here the strike zone formations
09:58you're talking basically if you
10:01broke it down into the quarters
10:02of your body your height it's the
10:04second quarter of your body feet
10:07up what do you guys think of this
10:09as a pitcher and a hitter it's
10:11going to be interesting to say the
10:12way it plays out and how the
10:13hitters read the strike zone after
10:16their stride because their height
10:18does change that changes their eyes
10:20and I think talking with Luis last
10:22night it might be the high strike
10:24that comes into play that fools
10:26them no doubt I think so and not
10:27only that but you you kind of
10:29want your players to use that
10:30challenge when they're second and
10:33third or bases loaded really I
10:34mean if Corbin if that would
10:36have been a strike there would
10:37have been one of the challenges
10:38exhausted early in the ballgame
10:41each team is going to kind of do
10:42the calculus on their own of when
10:44they should when they shouldn't
10:46challenge when it's worth it as
10:47that's a base hit to right from
10:49Perdomo who had such a breakout
10:51year last year for the Diamond
10:53Backs release yeah this guy is a
10:55phenomenal player is a great
10:56leader in the clubhouse I mean
10:58you would think on the infield
10:59that it's going to be somebody
11:00like Marte or Nolan Arnato now
11:02leading the infield charge but it
11:04is Perdomo so at the very least
11:09here the Diamondbacks have ramped
11:11up the pitch count for Yamamoto
11:13it's a twenty one pitch first
11:15inning that said as you say that
11:18you know that he pitched game
11:20seven of the World Series on no
11:21rest so certainly he's not a guy
11:24where fatigue becomes a huge
11:26issue for him personally but it's
11:27it's a long season or game seven
11:29two and two thirds on no rest at
11:31all historic innings for him and
11:34for the Dodger organization and of
11:37course Miguel Rojas tied it in the
11:39ninth and Will Smith won it with a
11:41home run Clayton said it's the
11:46greatest thing somebody's done
11:48meaning Yamamoto game six to game
11:50seven why'd you say that Clayton
11:52it's the greatest thing
11:53somebody's done in the game well
11:55just the from the pitching
11:56aspect of it to pitch to throw a
11:58complete game in game six and
11:59then we come back and not just
12:00get an out or two outs but to get
12:03two and a third I'll look at that
12:04jump right there by Perdomo that
12:05was I'm not sure if I would have
12:07done that at the pitch count that
12:08he had right there I would let him
12:09swing the bats good awareness
12:11from Yamamoto is that Will Smith
12:13doing that for him I think that's
12:14Yama right there Yama just felt
12:16it.
12:17Yep there's a spin and the throw to
12:19retire the side Dodgers bat next
12:45after what did he say those two
12:46times go in there way and you find
12:47school like you one day and come
12:48to five or four and you can understand
12:55what happened to Mike and always
13:00they used it to be very small
13:00and you know that he's got
13:00it's so effective for him to Cowder
13:00is what he's done doing all the
13:00to be stopped and everything to
13:01talk to him about in theля
13:01herb event I'm
13:02in aarson here for
13:02example it's
13:02it's about water
14:28Diamondbacks scoreless in the
14:29first and here is the fourth
14:31opening day start for Zach
14:33Gallin who has added a runner a
14:35sinker he calls a runner Louise
14:37to his arsenal to help with the
14:38east west here.
14:39Yeah just trying to switch it up
14:41a little bit show a little bit
14:42more depth to his pitches.
14:44This guy struggled a little bit
14:45last year giving up the home run.
14:47So one of the things that he has
14:48to try to do with this highly
14:50potent offense is keep the ball in
14:51the ballpark.
14:52But Shohei Otani sidesteps a
14:55fastball two nights ago he just
14:59for fun in the freeway series he
15:01threw an eleven strikeout
15:02performance just to ramp up get
15:05ready for this at bat and a full
15:07season now again or all of him on
15:09the mound and at the plate.
15:10Yeah and talking to Dave Roberts the
15:12most impressive thing about Shohei
15:14and his preparation for the season
15:15was the non disruption of the WBC
15:18how he came back into Dodger camp
15:20and just dominated with the bat and
15:22with the arm.
15:24I mean he's won three straight MVPs
15:27four of the last five years.
15:29He's now a published children's
15:31author as well to add to the mantle
15:35and every video that you see there
15:38is a keepsake for fans.
15:40I mean it is very much like when the
15:43Beatles played here at Dodger
15:45Stadium.
15:46The ghostwriter for decoy.
15:51That's upstairs.
15:53He's got a four seed fastball two
15:54and two.
15:55It's called decoy saves the day
15:57with Shohei Ohtani now official
15:59published author along with being
16:01the best baseball player and the
16:03most versatile baseball player on
16:06the planet and he launches a
16:08pole side single to open the
16:11Dodgers offense in twenty twenty
16:13six.
16:14Well he got a knuckle curve there
16:16right in the center part of the
16:17plate.
16:18Look at that swing just a
16:19beautiful swing by Ohtani.
16:20This guy is unbelievable.
16:21All the things that he can do on
16:23the baseball field.
16:26That curveball got hit around
16:28some for Zach Gallin last year.
16:30He tried to flip it on two
16:32strikes and Ohtani was wise to the
16:34game as here is our starting
16:35lineup presented by Capital One
16:38for this Dodgers offense which is
16:40so deep and now deeper with the
16:42addition of Kyle Tucker.
16:44I thought it was interesting how
16:45Dave Roberts put it why he's at
16:47two in the order.
16:48He said Kyle Tucker's DNA is to get
16:51on base.
16:53If you can get Ohtani on and if he
16:55doesn't get on Tucker's like a
16:57secondary leadoff hitter he still
16:58has power that you can be
17:00intimidated by that but he is a
17:02guy that has knowledge of the
17:03strike zone and really sets up the
17:05rest of the order.
17:08It's got to be nice to be Dave
17:10Roberts stretching that line up
17:11out like that.
17:13Yeah it's a comforting position
17:15embarrassment of riches.
17:17I mean no especially the main
17:19players on this team they want to
17:21be on the field every day.
17:22These guys don't take a day off.
17:24They're going to be on the field
17:24and they're going to be on the
17:28Ohtani at first one one opposite
17:32way diving stabbed by Arenado
17:34and a beautiful play.
17:36I mean that's in large part why
17:38you go get a guy who's got
17:40double figure gold gloves over a
17:42third.
17:44Even a platinum glove he has over
17:46there and showing some range at
17:47his age maybe a half a step
17:50slower now as a veteran but still
17:53unbelievably soft hands.
17:55Yeah and I think him coming to
17:56Arizona kind of revitalized him a
17:58little bit because he wanted to
17:59play with guys like Corbin Carroll
18:01Perdomo Marte some of the younger
18:03players on the team.
18:06Came over that trade in January
18:09as Tucker gets back over at first
18:12the one thing you miss when
18:13there's no baseball in your life
18:14it's fans booing throws to first.
18:19You don't get it all that much
18:21with the disengagement rules.
18:24Now there's a fastball up from
18:27Zach Gallin to Mookie Betts who
18:30has got to just feel good to feel
18:33good on opening day after that
18:35weird illness he had in the
18:37openers at the Tokyo Dome last
18:39year.
18:41And as Gallin will come home he
18:44lost twenty pounds in a
18:46heartbeat right.
18:46Yeah the illness really got him
18:48and set him back and he feels
18:50strong got his strength back.
18:52Actually the measurements on the
18:54bat speed are up about ten miles
18:55an hour or so Mookie is usually a
18:58little bit low key about what kind
18:59of year he's going to have but he
19:01is very outgoing now about talking
19:04about how good he feels and how
19:05big a year he thinks he can have.
19:08Clayton what did you see from
19:09Mookie Betts last year and what
19:10do you expect this year.
19:12Just an incredible work ethic to
19:13get as good as he got at
19:14shortstop.
19:15You know he started at the
19:16position and ended up at the
19:17end of the year right there in
19:19the gold glove conversation.
19:20So you know kind of like girls
19:21said I'm expecting a big year
19:23for him.
19:23That was a nice pitch right there
19:24by Zach.
19:24But you know another offseason
19:27healthy didn't have that stomach
19:28thing he's got his bat speed back.
19:30I'm expecting really big things
19:31from Mookie and and the guy on
19:33deck here with Freddie you know
19:34his ankle's got another year
19:35under the belt and these two
19:37guys I expect to have really big
19:39years two and two check swing
19:43did he yes he did but we saw
19:48the breaking ball to a tiny that
19:50was slightly up had him out in
19:51front because of the off
19:52speedness but the strength of
19:53a tiny got the base hit.
19:54It's breaking ball looks like a
19:56strike ends up down where it
19:58needs to be for a pitcher to get
19:59that check swing.
20:00Yeah and that's more of that
20:01knuckle curve that he likes to
20:03throw.
20:06So two down Freddie Freeman to
20:08the plate and this is a rare
20:10Dodger that Kirsch has some
20:12experience against from
20:14Freddie's Atlanta days he was
20:16eight for twenty five against
20:18you.
20:18How would you get Freddie Freeman
20:20out.
20:21OK.
20:21Eight for twenty five I'll take
20:22that.
20:23You know that's about you know
20:24that's well under Freddie's
20:25career average so I'll
20:26definitely take that but with
20:27Freddie it's I don't think
20:29there is a way to do it I think
20:30you just have to be
20:30unpredictable.
20:32Don't let him see kind of the
20:33same looks multiple times.
20:35You know there's a lot of guys
20:36in this league that can hit any
20:38pitch and you just have to be
20:40able to mix it up a little.
20:41So with Freddie I never thought
20:42about inside outside breaking
20:44ball fastball I just kind of
20:45was like don't ever give him the
20:46same look twice.
20:47So interested to see how that
20:49comes about facing right here.
20:50So OK so he spins him a cutter
20:53there to and oh if you're
20:54looking at Freddie from the
20:55mound Clayton we go inside the
20:56pitch here.
20:57What are you thinking if you're
20:58Zach Gallin.
21:00Well you know there's two outs
21:01runner on first.
21:02I don't want to walk this guy to
21:04have a beginning with will
21:05potentially on deck so I'm going
21:06fastball away right here see if
21:08Freddie can beat me opposite
21:09field and if he does tip your
21:11cap.
21:11And that's where the setup was.
21:13It's a ground ball to first
21:14Santana stabs it and hits the
21:17covering gallon to retire the
21:19side.
21:19So Zach Gallin does try to stay
21:21away.
21:22He gets the ground ball and we're
21:23scoreless through one.
21:43in the third row.
21:44Is it right with the
21:46You know.
21:57You know.
21:59Oh.
22:03Yeah.
22:05Yeah.
22:07Yeah.
22:08Yeah, yeah.
23:45Opening game for the Diamondbacks kind of an up and down year last year they finished 80 and 82 but
23:49they charged to three over before losing their last five even though they sold at the deadline they were still
23:55involved they get a couple veteran offensive bats we already saw Arenado with a great defensive play and Carlos Santana.
24:02As this all comes out in the wash Luis what do you make of all this along with the pitchers
24:08that are expected to come back like AJ Puck and Corbin Burns and some other bullpen arms too.
24:13Well I think you just got to try to keep your head above water as much as you can right
24:17now.
24:18He's popped up back of second in the center and Andy Pajas makes the catch on Moreno for our number
24:26one.
24:26Well you traded Merrill Kelly late in the year the trade deadline sent him over to Texas.
24:30You re-sign him back you got Zach Gallin that was a free agent didn't exactly get what he wanted
24:37so he came back so I think it works out well for the Diamondbacks.
24:41They got two guys very familiar with the ball club very familiar with the division that's going to help and
24:45hopefully when Corbin Burns comes back.
24:47That'll be a great addition to that you know when we get toward the trade deadline there's always one team
24:55that people say oh they might not trade for somebody but they're going to get a lot of guys back
25:00so it's like trading for somebody so let's just anticipate that and say it's going to be the Diamondbacks with
25:05those injury questions that will get better over the course of the season as Yamamoto goes with a cutter ball
25:13to strike.
25:17These are two of the longest tenured managers in Major League Baseball two of the top three Torrey Lavello over
25:24the Diamondbacks dugout year number 10 Dave Roberts 11 years with the Dodgers as well good friends close friends UCLA
25:32guys Torrey Torrey wasn't afraid to drop the UCLA Bruins on everybody wasn't at all.
25:37I think I think he was actually just taunting you for the South Alabama UCLA game a couple of years
25:42ago at the Rose Bowl.
25:44Two one lifted by Arenado to second base and Miguel Rojas for out number two just down the road in
25:55Westwood was where they plied their trade Dave Roberts and Torrey Lavello.
26:00Look at those young guys laying down a bond dock laying down a bond Torrey making a catch.
26:06When you talk to both of them they don't talk like managers they talk like ex-players that understand players
26:13they really do.
26:14How so for for people who don't get a chance to talk to him how so it's the passion in
26:19their answers it's the extra comment above and beyond about the intricacies of the game what they like in players
26:26what they don't like in players.
26:29And with this day and age of social media and quotes from the you know every camera around them as
26:34managers they have to watch what they say so you don't hear a lot of negative but when they're neutral
26:38that's more of a negative and when they're over the top that's a guy they really love.
26:44Clayton when Dave Roberts wanted to motivate you what did he do.
26:48You know Doc's pretty hands on you know I think he has a good heartbeat of what's going on in
26:52our clubhouse.
26:53And I don't know I bet he might have a different answer than I would say but you know I
26:58think at times you know when things aren't going great or you know you're not doing your best on the
27:03mound I think he kind of gave me some space which was probably smart because I don't I didn't like
27:07to hear a whole lot of stuff from people but as far as motivation I hope I never needed to
27:11be motivated.
27:12I mean look at this place you're at Dodger Stadium getting a pitch in a baseball game you shouldn't need
27:15you shouldn't need any motivation to get out there and do your absolute best.
27:18So but I had a ton of fun playing for Doc and we went through our ups and downs for
27:23sure and I'm so happy we ended it on a couple World Series championships at the end.
27:28Anybody proceeds at you yet from the dugout.
27:30You know I've gotten a few fist bumps like old times you know I'm in the kind of I'm in
27:34the twilight zone over here you know I'm kind of in the dugout kind of not so it's I'm not
27:39going to lie to you guys this is a pretty weird feeling but it's also still baseball and I've watched
27:43a lot of games from this side of the field so I'm having a blast.
27:46They can look right through we're looking at you right now they can look right through sort of the wiring
27:50right at you.
27:51Oh yeah.
27:52Yeah.
27:52I'm in the dugout basically I'm just back just not getting paid the same just renting strike three from Yamamoto
27:58who dotted Santana a very selective hitter.
28:02No score after an inning and a half from lovely Dodgers Stadium.
28:19No score after an inning and a half from the field so I can see you guys in the middle
28:24of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you
28:24guys in the middle of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so
28:24I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you guys in the middle
28:24of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you
28:26guys in the middle of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so
28:27I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you guys in the middle
28:27of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you
28:28guys in the middle of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so
28:29I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you guys in the middle
28:30of the field so I can see you guys in the middle of the field so I can see you
28:33guys
30:43with Zasko Hernandez and Will
30:45Smith likely isn't going to pay
30:47for a meal in Los Angeles for a
30:49long time after the World
30:50Series 11th inning home run so
30:52many memories.
30:53memories but the one memory that
30:55everybody will remember for sure
30:57is his home run first pitch
31:03second base to tell Marte for
31:07round number one if you haven't
31:09seen it and I think it's gotta
31:11be like five people in the world
31:13who haven't seen it at this
31:14point that's what he did in the
31:16eleventh inning against Shane
31:18Bieber I mean Louise you you've
31:20been there right you you've been
31:21in that moment with one swing
31:24changing the course of a World
31:26Series yeah and I think when you
31:28talk about Will Smith that look
31:30at all the talent on that field
31:31he's kind of the X Factor on that
31:33team I mean he's the one that
31:35kind of quarterbacks all the
31:36pitchers out there Clayton could
31:37probably tell you you know oral
31:38when you got a catcher out there
31:40and he's been Captain Clutch for
31:42these guys for a while Clayton
31:46you talk about Will Smith and how
31:48much you've enjoyed his growth
31:49and what he's done and how he has
31:50become Mr. Clutch yeah Will is
31:53Will is a rock back there man he
31:55just every day is the same good
31:57bad he just continues to go out
31:59there and you know when you talk
32:01about the superstars of the
32:02Dodgers obviously there's a lot
32:04of name recognition show hey
32:05Freddie Mookie all these guys
32:07but Will Smith is a superstar I
32:09mean he really is he's one of
32:11the top you know him Cal Raleigh
32:12you know what the team USA
32:14world baseball classic catchers
32:16these guys are the two best in
32:17the game right now in my opinion
32:18so it's just a it was such a
32:21wonderful thing to have to be
32:23able to pitch to him every
32:23single time and he's really come
32:25a long way man and he can really
32:27hit he's got some short arms he
32:29can turn on the ball there's
32:30nothing inside where he can't
32:31put it in our bullpen over there
32:32in my field yeah and I think when
32:34the game's on the line you look
32:35at all the guys in there that's
32:37probably one of the guys that
32:38nobody a pitcher doesn't want
32:39to see at the plate because he's
32:40been coming up with some big
32:42clutch hits late in ballgames
32:43yeah Doc mentioned it to us in
32:45our meeting but before the game
32:46you know with the guy on second
32:47base and he needs a big head or
32:49needs to move the runner Will
32:50Smith is probably one of the
32:51guys that he won up most on this
32:53lineup just not it doesn't
32:55strike out able to put the ball
32:56in play able to come up with big
32:58hits and that's that's quite a
32:59compliment when you look at this
33:00lineup that last pitch as you
33:02saw that's kind of the challenge
33:04system in a nutshell right that
33:06was probably a strike you have to
33:08challenge it right away if you
33:10don't it goes away but so early
33:14and this is why somebody like
33:15Will Smith as you're talking
33:16about Clayton is so important
33:18you have to have an
33:19understanding of the zone as a
33:21catcher to help your pitcher out
33:22as Muncie takes the first walk
33:24of the season for the Dodgers
33:26yeah you see that right there so
33:27Will Smith he's not a super
33:29aggressive guy but he swings at
33:30the first pitch okay and he gets
33:31out you have a guy like Max
33:33Muncie who you can guarantee is
33:35going to have a good at bat like
33:36he is he doesn't swing at
33:38balls he's always found pitches
33:39off yes he might strike out some
33:41but that was a six or seven pitch
33:43walk right there and that's what
33:44you need in those situations so
33:45guys can have confidence to let
33:47it fly on the first pitch like
33:48that like a little bit one on one
33:54out to Oscar Hernandez takes the
33:58first pitch called a strike do
34:00you feel like guys that there are
34:02team concepts offensively
34:04throughout Major League Baseball
34:06ball or is it rarer now well it's
34:09always voiced in locker room and
34:10it's voiced in the hitters
34:11meetings but do they play it out
34:13on the field or do the does the
34:16team all of a sudden take on an
34:17individual approach which kind of
34:19breaks down the system if we're
34:21going to wear out a pitcher we're
34:22going to wear out a certain
34:23portion of the plate where he
34:24likes to pitch so it is the
34:27superpower of this Dodger team to
34:30get everybody on the same page
34:33catch two strikes from gallon to
34:35Hernandez and he dives it in the
34:37air for center field for Alec
34:40Thomas for round number two point
34:42getting back to that point Oral I
34:44think the Diamondbacks are the
34:45total opposite I mean these guys
34:47are very early swingers very
34:50aggressive they don't go up there
34:52taking pitches it's almost like
34:54when you got young players are
34:55afraid to hit with two strikes so
34:57these guys are up there trying to
34:59swing early in the count they
35:00don't want to fall behind
35:01especially when you got a top
35:02notch pitcher like Yaku Yamamoto
35:05up there on the mound that's
35:09interesting you hear about two
35:10strike approach and there's
35:11great value the Diamondbacks as
35:12they've said they're going to have
35:13to hammer out runs in that way
35:15this year but teams that homered
35:18more than the opponent won almost
35:20seventy percent of the time last
35:23year in Major League Baseball so
35:24you understand why teams chase
35:27it's a nice power but it's
35:29situational right like not every
35:31pitch is a home run potential
35:33pitch yeah and I think last year
35:37you saw in postseason play I
35:38think it went back to
35:39fundamental baseball you know
35:41everybody's swinging for the
35:42three run homer during the
35:43season then you get in
35:44postseason play and all of a
35:46sudden you got guys trying to
35:47bump people over and just do the
35:48little things to win those
35:50close ballgames 3 and 0 on Andy
35:53Paez who really went through it
35:55last year in the postseason
35:57offensively but had that
35:59marvelous catch in Toronto and he
36:02said look I I know people go
36:05through stretches it's just
36:06unfortunate it happened in the
36:08postseason too but but here is
36:10the catch that saved the day in
36:12so many ways for the Dodgers
36:14Dave Robertson the Dodgers staff
36:16they were thinking about moves
36:17coming into this inning and this
36:19was the big move Keke Hernandez
36:20was in very shallow to stop the
36:22base hit and Pa has helped him
36:24when the ball got over his head
36:26takes a big pass at that slider
36:29from Gallon three balls and two
36:31strikes with Andy it's all about
36:34the strike zone it's swinging it
36:36strikes hit barreling the ball up
36:38when it is a strike and he has
36:40been kind of a streaky hitter
36:41here early in his career but he
36:43has shown that defensively
36:45catching the ball and throwing
36:46the ball to bases he's elite and
36:48this bat has a chance to still
36:50be elite when he covers a lot of
36:52ground out there in center field
36:54here at Dodgers Stadium 3 2 that's
36:56a nasty slider gallon went back
36:59to back sliders to retire this
37:01side we are scoreless on a
37:03and it was a lovely night in
37:04California.
39:20Opening day on NBC is brought to you by Adobe Fan Experience.
39:25It starts with Adobe official partner of Major League Baseball and by T-Mobile T-Mobile members
39:31get free MLB dot TV redeem and T-Mobile dot com slash MLB.
39:38Look at how excited a young Luis Gonzalez was there at the end and oral World Series MVP in your
39:44own right.
39:46Are you reminiscing?
39:47Mine was a very awkward nerd moment.
39:50He looked like a good athlete.
39:51I didn't get up very high on that jump though but I'll take it.
39:54What are you feeling right then Luis?
39:58Just childhood dream.
39:59You just you know you put yourself in that moment as a little kid and then actually you find yourself
40:04in the batter's box game seven of a World Series and then you go don't screw this up.
40:09You got one shot at it you know everybody's watching it turned out well for me and of course
40:14you know the Yankees had won three in a row trying to get their fourth they had a great ball
40:18club.
40:18It was a great World Series.
40:19Once my ball club got me five runs and I was having a pretty good year where that should be
40:24a win.
40:25My whole idea and mantra the rest of the game was I want to be the last guy on the
40:29mound throwing the last pitch
40:30because the team deserved it for getting me those runs.
40:35In that moment or what are you thinking about like Luis you just said don't screw it up.
40:41Do you have time for thoughts on the mound?
40:44Before the possible last pitch to Tony Phillips I actually walked around the mound and thought to myself
40:49what every veteran tells you take it all in enjoy it.
40:52I almost started to cry on the mound like I can't do this.
40:57So I like immediately got rid of that.
41:01This to left field is two bases for Jordan Lawler a leadoff double here in the third for Arizona.
41:09That's amazing by the way that you had that emotional reaction to get rid of it.
41:12It was like childhood dream.
41:14I did the same to get here.
41:15I did the same thing walking up to the plate trying to take it all in.
41:18But can I just say something here about Jordan Lawley's.
41:21Yeah.
41:22Last year this guy got out of the gate so bad he was over it seemed like a thousand
41:27for him to get a hit his first day be here.
41:29That's a great start a great sign for him.
41:32For a young man who's becoming an outfielder he went to the Dominican Republic to learn outfield
41:37after being drafted as a high school shortstop.
41:40And Torrey Lavello feels like they're going to have a very solid defensive year in the outfield.
41:45Yeah he's one of the best athletes on the team and for him you know making that transition and wanting
41:51to do it.
41:51He wants to be in the big leagues.
41:53I mean he's been hyped up with this organization for a long time.
41:56Put up great numbers in the minors all the way up.
41:59Now it's a matter of him doing it here at the big league level.
42:02Jason we can't talk about the last outs of the World Series without talking to the three-time MVP.
42:08Oh no down there and a three-time world champion.
42:10So Clayton what did you feel like when you guys were winning?
42:13Oh man.
42:14Well that first one we won it was like a sense of relief.
42:17You know like we had been climbing that mountain for so long and then to finally do that and then
42:21run in from the bullpen and celebrate with your teammates.
42:23Just a sense of relief and then it turned into absolute joy.
42:27You know just echoing what all you guys said.
42:29It's just such a it's such a lifelong childhood dream.
42:32And and then you know this past one knowing it was my last one to be able to do that
42:36one last time.
42:37Have my family run out there.
42:39Just I couldn't can't even put it into words what that meant to me to have that be my last
42:44game ever.
42:45It was just yeah just can't put into words can't describe it honestly.
42:49That's probably what you're not supposed to say as a commentator right.
42:51You can't say anything about it.
42:53You learn on the fly.
42:54That's the whole point.
42:55No that's it's as a one two crawls inside two and two.
43:00Let me ask you this Clayton you know Yamamoto well right leadoff double.
43:04Where does his mind go.
43:05What do they like to use.
43:07Yeah well obviously you saw a lot of splits early to Thomas right there and now with two strikes I
43:11wouldn't be surprised if we go back to it.
43:13I think maybe a cutter could get him to roll over to second but I think this has got to
43:16be a split right here.
43:18On two and two Yamamoto.
43:20So that one stayed up with a curve ball and it's a pop up to short Mookie Betts for round
43:26number one.
43:31Clayton he went curve ball and it kind of stayed up at eye level.
43:34Yeah you know I think more than anything it was just the change of speed.
43:37You know it wasn't a great curve ball necessarily but you know the slower pitch kind of got him out
43:41in front.
43:42He had to kind of reset a swing and that was all he needed to get him to pop out.
43:45So you know maybe he stayed hard for that hole at bat and then to have that slow pitch right
43:49there to give him a pop up is what you needed.
43:51And more importantly for him Thomas didn't do his job and move the runner over and that's that's big.
43:56Now you can get out of this without giving up a run.
44:07And back in time over at second base Jordan Lawler man the range of Mookie Betts that was a next
44:15level play defensively speed of the game but be able to slow it down in your mind as you're making
44:21this play going I can't get him at first I'll cross my body and maybe I'll back door and man
44:26this is great quarter
44:27awareness here I Lawler almost looked he looked like he was going to go to first base and then he
44:32just threw it right across his body back to second trying to catch him off balance there.
44:39So it's an infield single it's two on one out and here is.
44:43Could tell Marte who had a long at bat against Yamamoto in the first inning he's seen basically everything he
44:50started him with a splitter the first time.
44:53And there's a curve first two outs of the game we're on splitters the curveball got hit for a hard
45:01foul ball and then he gave a base hit on a fastball.
45:04But the great thing about Yama is he he commands all his pitches Clayton and he is so good at
45:11varying his different arsenals to different hitters.
45:14Yeah this is a tough spot after that big at bat in the first inning how many pitches he saw
45:18to be able to now face him with runners on base.
45:21I face this guy a lot thankfully I don't have to do it anymore he kind of owned me so
45:26he's one of he's a really good hitter from both sides the advantage is I think he's a little bit
45:31better right handed so Yama's got got him here but I don't honestly I don't know what I would do
45:36other than obviously fastballs what he hits the best so I would try to throw a lot of splits curveballs
45:42every once in a while maybe go up high with a fastball just to reset him but any heater in
45:46the zone right now might get hit pretty hard.
45:48Well the Dodger fans tried to start the at bat with beach ball that was cleaned up out in left
45:54center so one and one and Marte slashes that foul off the cutter one and two Marte is really the
46:01only guy that had decent numbers off him he was five for 15 going into this game so and Corbin
46:08Carroll won for 17.
46:09So really not a lot of A.B.'s against Yamamoto but it tells really the only one that's had some
46:14success.
46:17Just short of 50 pitches Yamamoto on one and two and that's downstairs a take off the splitter two and
46:24two when he goes down in the strike zone he's looking for a pitch to get the ground ball to
46:28roll to if he goes up in the strike zone he's looking for more of the pop up or the
46:32strikeout.
46:39He goes down in the strike zone he's looking for a 15th pitch in two at bats Yamamoto to Marte
46:44in the air left field side Hernandez watches that fly foul I don't know if you can see it from
46:54where you are Clayton but he tried to lock him up with a two seamer in yeah that was new
46:58form he tried the hip shot tried to get him to freeze and it actually had a lot of movement
47:02move back good I think if he started that a little bit closer to him he might have gotten the
47:06freeze it just started on the inside and ran back middle but that's new form he didn't do that a
47:10whole lot last year so that's that's an interesting pitch to see right there.
47:13What does he throw off of that you think.
47:16I always want to call a split it's so good I just want to hit the split button.
47:21He went curve ball and right to first base Freeman gets himself a double play.
47:29Curve ball and a couple big spots Kersh that was another great pitch just slowed him down out in front
47:36Freddie being seven feet tall over there and made a great play and that's what he needed pitch countdown that's
47:41a big that's a big two outs right there for the Dodgers.
48:00That wass a big one uncomfortable but Iỏi that's a big two out of my main point.
48:05Good.
48:25We're all going to rub one.
49:55All accounts and descriptions of this game may not be disseminated without express written
49:58consent.
50:01One of the biggest rounds of applause here at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium was for
50:08Miguel Rojas who swings at the first pitch here and grounds out to first.
50:11But the question must be asked now since we have him on the telecast here tonight how do
50:18you make it so Shohei Ohtani is all for eleven against you Clayton Kershaw man I don't know.
50:25I think I got lucky honestly but I will say the one thing I would say about Shohei is middle
50:31speed pitches you know the sliders cutters different things like that he can absolutely
50:37annihilate those it doesn't matter where it is so for me I would try to throw the slider
50:41out of the zone and throw the four seams and the curve balls down and away and it works
50:47sometimes I got away with some you see those pitches there's a lot of them right down the
50:51middle so honestly I probably got lucky a few times too and maybe Shohei just was it was
50:55going bad that time but it looked middle away on all those that was my goal.
51:00I didn't want to throw anything in inside to him I think he hit it on the Budweiser sign out
51:04there so I
51:05just tried to kind of pitch away play away hope for the best and maybe try to get him to
51:09chase a
51:09little on the slider you know if you're facing Shohei left on left you can sometimes get that slider
51:14down and away and he'll chase but that's really about the only chase because he has all that was in
51:19a happy
51:19zone it's a fly ball to left all the way to the warning track he got jammed so bad on
51:24that he hit it a hundred
51:25miles per hour and almost went over the fence in left field that's I mean that got in on it
51:29good and it's still
51:30the ball went all the way to left that's what's amazing about Shohei remember the first at bat the ball
51:36right field played that was hit eleven hundred and eleven miles an hour yeah it's it looked like he was
51:42off
51:42the end and it's just every day every day there's something that you just nobody else can do and you
51:48can't say that much when you're talking about elite elite baseball players it's pretty special you said the ball
51:53got in on the VLO and that one was a hundred I know that was a quick and very quick
51:58hitting I barely had
52:00the chance to say StatCast powered by Google Cloud on Kersh's pitches to Ohtani
52:13the beach to Corona she isn't just a place she is an element and with salt and spray she
52:24shoves us relentlessly into the present that's what's inside every bottle of Corona
52:33so no matter where your journey takes you with just a squeeze of mine the beach is always closer
52:40than you think Corona la playa awaits
53:30the beach here
54:02back at Dodger Stadium here's a
54:04connection historically between
54:06the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers.
54:13The last time that happened was
54:17in 2001 and look at the striking
54:19similarities between the post
54:21seasons for Hall of Famer Randy
54:23Johnson who won five Cy Young
54:25Awards and Yoshinubo Yamamoto
54:27virtually identical five and one
54:29overall in the postseason three
54:32and oh in the World Series ERA is
54:34close to identical and they both
54:36started and won game six Johnson
54:38against the Yankees in 2001 and
54:40Yamamoto against the Blue Jays in
54:42twenty twenty five and then each
54:44came out of the bullpen to become
54:45the winning pitcher in game seven
54:47Jason Bob what a tremendous
54:50connection between these two
54:51franchises two of the ten guys to
54:54ever do that in a World Series is
54:57Corbin Carroll snaps at the second
54:59pitch and has a lead off single.
55:01Luis you had a front row seat for
55:03Randy Johnson back in a one.
55:05Yeah and pretty exciting time you
55:07know to see him dominate game six
55:09and then get taken out of the game
55:11and tell Bob Bradley the manager
55:12hey I'll take the ball in game
55:14seven.
55:15I'm sure this is the same route the
55:17Yamamoto did there.
55:18He was willing to do whatever he
55:19had to do to win that that
55:21second world championship here in
55:22a row for the for the Los
55:24Los Angeles Dodgers here is Perdomo
55:27who flashes a bond and takes a
55:29strike precision movements are
55:32what Yamamoto has on the mound
55:34and that's less wear and tear on
55:36his arm and on his body.
55:37And so he was encouraged by his
55:39trainer that you can do this and
55:41he went down to the bullpen and
55:43and took the ball not only took
55:45the ball once because it's one
55:47thing to pitch with no days rest
55:49just an inning and warm up and
55:51then you're done.
55:51But it's another thing to go sit
55:53down and start to cool off during
55:54the offense of your team and then
55:56go back out and get loose and then
55:58do it again.
56:00Yeah.
56:01And we all know from history the
56:03routine of the Japanese players
56:05is just off the charts the way
56:07they you know he's the javelin
56:09thrower getting his arm prepared
56:10and ready to throw out there.
56:13Just unorthodox things that the
56:15Japanese players that American
56:16players don't.
Comments