Top Ten Dodger Homeruns of 2014: 9- Scott Van Slyke Slugs First Homerun of 2014 in Sydney

We continue to countdown the Top Ten Dodger Homeruns of 2014, and the next long ball came off the bat of Scott Van Slyke during the Opening Series in Sydney way back in March.

Scott Van Slyke hit some of the longest homeruns of the season for the Dodgers with his May 16th homerun measured at 454 feet and his June 9th homerun at 448 feet. SVS was fifth on the team in homeruns with 11 on the year over 98 games, both a career high. Van Slyke continued to be a great option off the bench and against left-handed pitching for Don Mattingly in 2014. He hit 8 of his homeruns against left-handers, and he hit one pinch-hit homerun as well on July 22nd versus Pittsburgh. Van Slyke’s pinch-hit homer is an honorable mention and just missed making the top ten list.

I could have chosen Van Slyke’s pinch-hit homerun, since it was the only pinch-hit homerun for the Dodgers all season long, but there was one homerun hit by Van Slyke which set the tone early for the Dodgers’ 2014 season.

9. 3/22/14 Scott Van Slyke first homerun of the season for Dodgers during opening series in Sydney.

The Dodgers opened up the 2014 season in historic fashion down under in Australia in March, and Scott Van Slyke was the first player to hit a homerun in all of Major League Baseball with his Opening Day shot against Wade Miley leading the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the D-backs.

Clayton Kershaw secured his first of 21 wins on the season, and the Dodgers went on to sweep the two-game set.

Scott Van Slyke actually narrowly hit one out earlier in the top of the second inning, but it bounced off the wall as Mark Trumbo misjudged the double. Van Slyke had Miley’s number, and he hit the two-run opposite field homerun in the top of the fourth just inside the right-field foul pole to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

"“I thought it would be foul or caught,” said Van Slyke. “I didn’t think there was a chance it would go out.”"