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Dodgers: Balloons, Kiké, 5 things we learned from opening night win

By Jeffrey Bellone

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 23: Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two run homerun off of Conner Menez #51 of the San Francisco Giants, to take an 8-1 lead during the eighth inning, on MLB Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on July 23, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 23: Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two run homerun off of Conner Menez #51 of the San Francisco Giants, to take an 8-1 lead during the eighth inning, on MLB Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on July 23, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 23: Dustin May #85 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

2. Dustin May fills in admirably for Clayton Kershaw

What a 24-hour span for top pitching prospect Dustin May. As Clayton Kershaw prepared for his ninth Opening Day start, he experienced back stiffness after working out in the gym on Tuesday. This put May on alert that he could have to fill in for the future Hall-of-Famer, but before he got official word he was optioned to the team’s alternate workout site.

As Dodger fans reacted to the news that May was likely going to be left off the Opening Day roster, Kershaw was informing the Dodgers that he wasn’t comfortable enough to make his first start.

Suddenly, May was being called back up to become the first Dodger rookie to pitch on Opening Day since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Imagine that!

Pitching in front of cardboard cutouts, May was poised from the beginning, throwing 100 MPH gas in the early going.

"“He wasn’t nervous or intimidated by the amount of cardboard we had in the stands tonight,” Dodger teammate and fellow hero of the night Kiké Hernández told reporters after the game."

The 22-year-old spread seven hits over 4.1 innings of work, striking out 4 while walking none, and allowing only one Giant run to score. Over 60 pitches, he threw 46 strikes, generating 8 swings-and-misses. His sinker was used 29 times with an average velocity of 97.9 MPH. He offset that with an effective curveball that he threw for a strike 7 out of 9 times.

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