| Joe Gutierrez. 10th April, 2006 - 11:50 pm
 With emotions running high in Pittsburg today, most of the Dodgers roster saw some old faces across the opposite dugout. Odalis Perez was given the nod to start the first of a four game series against his former manager Jim Tracy and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
What seems to be a frequent phase to expect in a Dodger first inning, LA scored three early runs on CF Jason Repko’s two-run homer to left field, which scored SS Rafael Furcal. A busy day for 1B Olmedo Saenz began also in the first when he hit a rocket up the middle for a single. Making his season debut and giving J.D. Drew a break, RF Cody Ross then tripled to right, bringing in Saenz.
The Pirates went silently in the second, but Los Angeles would add two more runs to their lead. After Perez and Furcal reached aboard, Repko continued his hot hitting by smacking a triple to right, scoring both runners with ease. The Dodgers now had a five run lead before the fans could even get seated.
The third and fourth innings went by until the Dodgers exploded for two more runs in the top of the fifth. Saenz hammered a Zach Duke breaking ball into left field on the first pitch he saw from the lefty. LA now had a commanding lead, which threw Tracy’s game plan out the window.
Finally in the sixth, the Bucs’ would answer with their first run of the game on RF Jeromy Burnitz’ single to center, scoring 1B Sean Casey. Perez was then taken out, allowing only earned run while striking out three, on six hits through five innings.
Pittsburgh put up two more runs on the board in the seventh on base hits by Casey and Burnitz, but the Dodgers weren’t done in the eighth, as 3B Ramon Martinez singled to give them a five run lead. That was all Los Angeles needed as they took the first game by defeating the Pirates 8-3 on Pittsburgh’s Opening Day.
Final Score: Dodgers 8, Pirates 3
Coming Up
Jae Seo makes his Dodgers starting debut against the Bucs’ Ian Snell
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