LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Dodgers, powered by a relentless offensive display in the middle innings, opened their 2026 season with a decisive 8-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

A sellout crowd of 53,712 watched as the Dodgers, overcoming an early two-run deficit, erupted for four runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to turn a tight contest into a comfortable win. The victory validated their status as pregame favorites, though the final margin surpassed expectations after Interstat’s game simulator had projected a narrow 2-1 Arizona win.

The game’s pivotal shift occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning, transforming what had been a pitcher’s duel into a showcase of the Dodgers’ deep lineup. Arizona starter Zac Gallen, who had cruised through the first four frames allowing just two hits, suddenly lost his command and the Diamondbacks’ lead.

The trouble began with one out when Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández hit consecutive singles. That brought rookie center fielder Andy Pages to the plate. Pages, in his first at-bat of the new season, launched a towering three-run homer to left-center field, instantly erasing Arizona’s 2-0 advantage and electrifying the home crowd. The inning continued as Miguel Rojas singled and Shohei Ohtani walked, chasing Gallen from the game. Reliever Andrew Hoffmann entered but could not stem the tide, allowing an RBI single to Will Smith that scored Rojas and capped the four-run rally. The hit parade turned the game on its head, giving the Dodgers a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.

The Diamondbacks had seized their brief advantage in the top of the fourth against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Corbin Carroll led off with a single, and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo followed by driving a Yamamoto offering over the right-field wall for a two-run homer, accounting for all of Arizona’s offense.

Yamamoto, however, settled in after the homer to earn the win. He worked five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four and walking none. The Dodgers’ bullpen then slammed the door, with four relievers combining for four scoreless innings. Will Klein, Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen each pitched a perfect frame before handing the ball to Scott for a clean ninth.

Los Angeles put the game out of reach in the seventh inning, batting around to plate another four runs. Ohtani was hit by a pitch to start the inning and scored on Kyle Tucker’s ringing double down the right-field line. Mookie Betts followed with an RBI single to center, scoring Tucker. After a flyout, Will Smith stepped in and delivered the final blow, a two-run homer to left-center off Hoffmann that pushed the lead to 8-2. Smith finished the night 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, a key performance in the Dodgers’ 10-hit attack.

Gallen took the loss for Arizona, charged with four runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. The Diamondbacks managed only six hits total and went quietly after the fourth, failing to advance a runner past first base in the final five innings.

The most important sequence of the game was undoubtedly Pages’ three-run homer in the fifth. It not only erased the deficit but also catalyzed the Dodgers’ offense, which had been stifled by Gallen to that point. The blast shifted all momentum to the home dugout and set the stage for the later offensive explosion, effectively deciding the contest.

With the win, the Dodgers begin the season 1-0, while the Diamondbacks start 0-1. The two teams will continue their opening series at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. Arizona will then return home to host the Detroit Tigers for three games beginning Monday, followed by a four-game set with the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers will host the Cleveland Guardians for three games starting Monday before embarking on a six-game road trip to face the Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays.