When the San Francisco Giants lost left-hander Madison Bumgarner and right-hander Jeff Samardzija to injuries last week, many so-called baseball experts pretty much wrote the team off as being capable of finishing anywhere but dead last in the National League West division, especially coming off a 98-loss season in 2017. But as Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw recently told reporters during an interview: “Anyone with a bat in their hands is dangerous.”

During Thursday’s 2018 season opener at Dodger Stadium against those incapable Giants, that anyone proved to be Giants second baseman Joe Panik, who took Kershaw deep – although not very – for a solo home run down the right field line in the top half of the fifth inning that was fair by a mere foot or two, to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

As it turned out, Panik would be the only dangerous guy in the Giants line-up on this day against Kershaw, who finished his 6.0 innings of work having allowed only that one run on eight hits, while walking two and striking out seven. It was certainly not a bad Opening Day for the future Hall of Famer.

Kershaw pitched well enough to win his eighth consecutive Opening Day start. Unfortunately his teammates gave him zero runs of support. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they did not have even one dangerous guy in their line-up on Thursday. In fact, the closest they would come was with Kershaw himself and with Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, who both went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles.

Taking it one step further, the top five guys in the Dodgers line-up went a collective 0-for-17 at the plate, with eight strikeouts among them. This would be anything but dangerous from the guys who are supposed to be the most dangerous.

The Dodgers could muster only six hits in Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the Giants, of which Kershaw had two of them.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summed it up best after the game:

“We just couldn’t put at-bats together and create stress on their pitchers.”

Ya think?

The Dodgers most certainly had their chanced, none greater than in the bottom of the seventh inning when, with two outs and runners at second and third, Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor looked at a pitch from Giants reliever Cory Gearrin that was right down the middle of the plate for called strike three.

“It was right down the middle,” said Taylor. “I was angry at myself, I was thinking too much, I think. Taking a two-strike slider down the middle is unacceptable.”

Ya think?

If you had to pick a defining moment in Thursday’s Opening Day loss to the Giants, it would have to be when Chris Taylor took called strike three with runners and second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The pitch was right down the middle. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although is goes beyond all reason to be upset about one of what will be 162 regular season games, it sucks to lose on Opening Day in front of your home crowd to a team that is supposed to be among the worst in all of baseball this season. That being said, and as Kershaw himself said, “Anyone with a bat in their hands is dangerous.”

…even a guy on a bad team.