Ohtani, Dodgers open MLB season with win over Padres at Seoul Series

Shohei Ohtani's RBI single capped a four-run eighth-inning rally in his Dodgers debut, and Los Angeles beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 in Wednesday night's season opener in Seoul.

The game turned when a routine grounder went through the webbing of the glove of first baseman Jake Cronenworth as the tying run scored.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 in his first game since leaving the Los Angeles Angels for a record 10-year, $700-million US contract with the Dodgers. A crowd of 15,952 was on hand to watch at the Gocheok Sky Dome for Major League Baseball's first game in South Korea.

The two-way star, limited to batting following elbow surgery, also had a mental error that caused the final out of the eighth. He was called out when he passed second base and then failed to retouch the bag while retreating on Freddie Freeman's flyout, causing an inning-ending double play.

A bomb threat did not seem to affect pre-game preparations. Police found no explosives and said they acted on a tip that the threat was against Ohtani.

San Diego led 2-1 entering the eighth when Max Muncy led off with a walk against Wandy Peralta. Teoscar Hernandez, also making his Dodgers debut, singled off Jhony Brito (0-1), among the players the Padres obtained in the trade that sent star Juan Soto to the New York Yankees.

Josh Outman walked — Padres pitchers issued nine free passes — and Kike Hernandez's sacrifice fly tied the score. Adrian Morejon relieved and Gavin Lux hit a chopper to Cronenworth that the two-time all-star tried to backhand. The ball went through the webbing of the large first baseman's mitt.

"That's a double-play ball," Padres manager Mike Shildt.

Hernandez came home for a 3-2 lead.

"That's a tough error for Cro," Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said.