When Shohei Ohtani steps into the Wrigley Field box for Game 1, the Cubs will not simply be trying to record an out. They will be trying to prove they can force Los Angeles to play at their pace.
Chicago already owns a useful blueprint. On April 5, 2024, the Dodgers scored twice while forcing Kyle Hendricks through a 33-pitch first inning. Bobby Miller then struck out Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Cody Bellinger in order. The matchup looked tilted toward Los Angeles. One inning later, Chicago flipped it.
Dansby Swanson homered, and the next six Cubs hitters saw at least five pitches. Happ and Suzuki each worked nine-pitch plate appearances. By the end of the inning, Chicago had scored five runs and chased Miller after only 1⅔ innings.
That 9–7 victory offered more than an entertaining afternoon. It showed how Chicago can control a Dodgers opener without matching Los Angeles star for star. The Cubs must extend at-bats, use Craig Counsell’s bullpen aggressively, and turn difficult contact into outs.
Why the Chicago Cubs Dodgers Opener Changes the Rest of the Series
Winning the opener does not guarantee a series victory. However, dropping it forces hard decisions regarding starters, relievers, and bullpen availability.
Los Angeles creates that pressure better than most teams. Mookie Betts, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Teoscar Hernández can stretch a pitching staff before the second game begins. Even a close loss may require several high-leverage relievers.
Chicago cannot afford that kind of opener. Counsell needs his team to establish an early lead or remain close enough to avoid chasing the game with his best bullpen arms.
Chicago Cubs Dodgers Opener: Starter Must Limit the First Trip Through the Order
The April 2024 series demonstrated the value of striking first. Chicago survived a difficult opener, then faced Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2. Yamamoto threw five scoreless innings and struck out eight during a 4–1 Dodgers victory.
Because the Cubs had already banked Game 1, that loss did not place them on the brink of a sweep. Shota Imanaga followed with four scoreless innings in the finale before rain ended his outing. Chicago won 8–1 and took the series.
That sequence provides the tactical argument. Control the opener, absorb the Dodgers’ best counterpunch, and enter the finale with options.
The Starter Must Limit the First Trip Through the Order
Chicago’s first responsibility belongs to its starting pitcher. Los Angeles cannot receive extra outs, favorable counts, or free baserunners ahead of its middle-order power. Hendricks struggled with that assignment in the 2024 opener. The Dodgers sent seven hitters to the plate in the first inning and built a 2–0 lead. His 33 pitches also created an immediate workload problem for Counsell.
Still, Hendricks prevented the inning from becoming decisive. That distinction gave Chicago’s offense time to respond.
Different Problems at the Top
Against the Dodgers, the Cubs starter should attack the lower edge of the zone and avoid predictable sequences. Ohtani can punish pitches at nearly every location, but repeated mistakes over the plate remove any margin for recovery.
Betts presents a different problem. He can spoil competitive pitches, extend counts, and give the hitters behind him a longer look at the starter’s repertoire. Freeman then forces pitchers to execute against a left-handed swing built to cover the entire strike zone.
The Cubs cannot pitch scared. Too many noncompetitive breaking balls will produce hitter’s counts, walks, and early bullpen movement. Chicago needs strike one without repeatedly challenging the center of the plate.
One bad inning flips the momentum of the entire series. A controlled two-run inning, however, remains recoverable. Chicago proved that against Hendricks and Miller.
Counsell Cannot Wait for the Traditional Bullpen Window
Bullpen strategy against Los Angeles begins earlier than the seventh inning. Counsell must identify the game’s highest-leverage moment, even if it arrives in the fifth.
That happened in the 2024 opener. Ohtani hit a two-run homer, Freeman walked, and Will Smith doubled him home. Suddenly, Chicago’s 6–2 lead had shrunk to one run. Counsell removed Hendricks before the Dodgers could complete the comeback. Drew Smyly entered with Smith on second and nobody out.
Smyly’s Game-Changing Assignment
The matchup offered no soft landing. Smyly had to face Muncy, Hernández, and James Outman with the tying run already in scoring position. He struck out all three.
That sequence changed the afternoon. Smyly did not merely protect the lead. He stopped Los Angeles before its lineup could build another rally.
Smyly worked 2⅔ innings and struck out five, according to the official box score. Adbert Alzolay later recorded the save after the Dodgers threatened again in the ninth.
The lesson for Counsell remains straightforward. He cannot reserve a preferred reliever for a cleaner inning while the Dodgers threaten to take control. If the dangerous section of the lineup arrives with runners aboard, Chicago must use the pitcher best equipped for that moment.
Long At-Bats Can Break the Pitching Plan in the Chicago Cubs Dodgers Opener
Chicago should not try to outslug Los Angeles from the first pitch. The more reliable path starts with controlling the strike zone. Miller dominated the opening inning of that April game. His fastball overwhelmed the top of Chicago’s lineup, and he needed only three batters to retire the side.
The second inning looked completely different. Swanson opened the scoring with a home run, but the at-bats that followed caused greater damage.
Happ and Suzuki Changed the Count Battle
Each of the next six Cubs hitters forced Miller to throw at least five pitches. Michael Busch walked, while Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal kept the inning moving.
Happ then fouled off two fastballs with two strikes before drawing a walk on the ninth pitch. Suzuki followed with another nine-pitch battle. He fouled off three consecutive 2–2 offerings before driving a two-run double into right field.
Those plate appearances stripped Miller of his greatest advantage. Instead of using his velocity to finish hitters early, he had to repeat difficult pitches from the stretch. Miller recorded only five outs. Chicago scored five runs against him and forced the Dodgers into their bullpen before the third inning ended.
That approach involves more than vague calls for patience. The Cubs should not take hittable fastballs simply to increase the pitch count. They need to attack mistakes while spoiling quality two-strike pitches.
Happ and Suzuki executed both parts. Their combined 18 pitches created fatigue, traffic, and run-scoring opportunities. That represents a repeatable offensive plan.
The Chicago Cubs Dodgers Opener Demands Production Beyond Central Bats
The Dodgers can plan carefully for Suzuki, Happ, and Chicago’s other established hitters. The Cubs gain leverage when the lower half of the order refuses to provide easy outs.
Swanson and Busch supplied that pressure in the 2024 opener. Swanson started the five-run second with his homer. Busch later hit his first home run as a Cub, sending a Dinelson Lamet pitch into the right-field basket.
Neither contribution came from the expected center of the lineup. Both forced Los Angeles to navigate every inning with urgency.
The Sixth-Inning Rally Offered Another Model
Hoerner, Madrigal, and Yan Gomes created another rally in the sixth. Hoerner walked, Gomes singled, and a wild pitch removed the double-play possibility. Happ then drove home two runs with a triple. Suzuki followed with a sacrifice fly, pushing Chicago’s lead to 9–5.
That inning showed what productive pressure looks like. The Cubs did not need another homer. They used a walk, a single, an advancement, and two balls hit with purpose.
Against Los Angeles, empty power will not carry an entire series. Chicago needs hitters who can move runners without giving away plate appearances.
Clean Defense Must Protect the Pitching Staff
Once the starter and bullpen create playable contact, Chicago’s defense must finish the job. The Dodgers turn small mistakes into extra bases too quickly. Hoerner made the first defining play in the fourth inning. Gavin Lux hit a ground ball through the right side with two runners positioned to score.
The Cubs second baseman dived to his right, secured the ball, and threw out Lux at first. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts later said Chicago’s defense minimized Los Angeles’ potential for more damage. Without Hoerner’s stop, the ground ball likely becomes a two-run single.
Busch Saved the Final Two Runs
Busch delivered the final defensive answer. Los Angeles placed runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth, bringing the potential tying run to the plate. Outman lined a ball toward the right side. Busch reacted quickly, dived to his right, and caught it before the ball reached the outfield.
The game ended there. That play offers a better measure of Chicago’s defensive value than an abstract metric. A slower first step allows two runs to score. Busch’s reaction preserved a 9–7 victory.
Sharp defense also changes how Counsell manages his pitchers. Relievers can attack contact when they trust Hoerner, Swanson, Busch, and the outfield behind them. That confidence reduces walks and prevents long innings.
The Test Waiting in the Next Opener
The core question facing Chicago remains simple: Can this roster handle elite pressure when the lights get bright?
Los Angeles will create uncomfortable innings. Ohtani may homer. Freeman may turn a quality fastball into a double. Betts may extend an at-bat until the defense shifts and the bullpen begins moving. Chicago cannot build its strategy around preventing every damaging swing. No team can promise that against the Dodgers.
Instead, the Cubs must control what happens next. The starter must stop a two-run inning from becoming five. Counsell must attack leverage before the traditional late innings. Hitters must force the opposing starter to work for every out.
Chicago Cubs Dodgers Opener: Forcing Los Angeles to React
The April 2024 opener showed the formula under real pressure. Chicago fell behind, drove Miller from the game, survived Ohtani’s homer, and protected the lead with two run-saving defensive plays. Those details mattered more than any sweeping statement about confidence.
A future Game 1 will demand the same discipline. Winning it will not settle the series, but it will force Los Angeles to adjust its pitching plan and manage the remaining games with less freedom. That represents genuine control. Chicago does not need to overpower the Dodgers’ reputation. It needs to dictate the strike zone, the bullpen decisions, and the final six outs.
Do that, and the Cubs will leave the opener with more than one win. They will leave with proof that their approach can withstand the opponent every National League contender eventually expects to face.
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FAQ’s
Why is winning Game 1 against the Dodgers critical for the Cubs?
Winning the opener protects Chicago’s bullpen depth. It prevents desperate pitching changes later in the series and keeps late-game management options open.
How did the Cubs beat Bobby Miller in April 2024?
Cubs batters forced Miller into long pitch counts during the second inning. They worked deep at-bats, scored five runs, and knocked him out early.
How should Craig Counsell manage the bullpen against Los Angeles?
Counsell must deploy his top relievers during early high-leverage jams. He cannot wait for traditional late innings when the Dodgers threaten to score.
What role does defense play in Chicago’s strategy against the Dodgers?
Sharp defense turns tough contact into outs and prevents big innings. Reliable fielding gives pitchers confidence and keeps overall pitch counts manageable.
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