Dodgers continue to enjoy opening weekend at home by beating Nationals again
LA TimesThe Dodgers’ Chris Taylor rounds the bases after hitting a three-run homer in the second inning Saturday night. A series of potential distractions hasn’t deterred the Dodgers so far during a home-opening weekend that featured Friday’s World Series ring ceremony, Saturday night’s pregame tribute to the late Tommy Lasorda and concludes with Sunday’s 40th anniversary celebration of “Fernandomania.” The Dodgers hung a five-spot on Washington left-hander Patrick Corbin in the second inning Saturday night and defeated the Nationals 9-5 before a reduced-capacity crowd of 15,021 in Chavez Ravine. So yeah, there’s a lot of stuff going on that could be looked upon as distractions, but it just doesn’t get in the way of us taking care of business.” The evening began with a video recording of Lasorda, the former Dodgers manager and franchise ambassador who died at age 93 on Jan. 7, singing an off-key but full-throated karaoke version of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” while a montage of his career highlights played on the scoreboards. Saturday’s start behind him, Urías can relax and watch fellow countryman and pitching idol Fernando Valenzuela, whose rise from the obscurity of Navojoa, Mexico, to 20-year-old Dodgers pitching phenom in 1981 sparked the “Fernandomania” craze, get honored before Sunday’s game.