LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers opened the season the way they hope to finish it: celebrating a championship and looking every bit like a team chasing more history.
With another World Series banner raised above Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Opening Day and began its bid for a third straight title in emphatic fashion.
For Cooper Evans, though, the day meant more than the final score.
Walking hand in hand through Dodger Stadium with his grandfather, David Evans, Cooper said Opening Day is one of the days he looks forward to most each year.
“I love being with my grandpa on Opening Day,” Cooper Evans said.
Cooper’s love for the Dodgers, like the family’s annual trip to Chavez Ravine, was passed down from his grandfather.
“We were here in ’24, ’25, and now ’26 for opening,” David Evans said.
The traditions of Opening Day were all there — the flyover, the buzz of the crowd, and the stars taking the field. This year, there was also another championship banner, celebrating the Dodgers’ second straight World Series title.
“Would do anything every day,” David Evans said. “It’s crazy how much tickets cost to run a game.”
If the day felt like a celebration, it also served as an early statement.
The Dodgers looked every bit like a team capable of making another deep October run. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked sharp, and the offense produced eight runs in a convincing victory.
“We live and die with the Dodgers,” David Evans said. “Support them and Dave Roberts and the entire organization. Everything they’re doing, they’re doing right.”
As Cooper flipped through the schedule and started making his case for another trip to the ballpark, he said this season feels a lot like the last two.
“I think the Dodgers are going to win the World Series,” Cooper Evans said.
For one family, it was another Opening Day memory. For the Dodgers, it was a strong start to a season that already carries enormous expectations.