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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Edwin Díaz #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are two games into their three-peat bid and already look every bit the team everyone expected. After a dominant 8-2 Opening Day victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, they survived a tighter affair on Friday night, pulling out a 5-4 win to take the opening series.

The ring ceremony came first. The defending back-to-back champions received their 2025 World Series hardware in front of a packed Dodger Stadium crowd. Then came the ninth inning. And everything the Dodgers had been building toward this offseason arrived at once.

Edwin Diaz made his Dodger Stadium debut. It was electric.

Diaz’s Bold Message After His Dodgers Debut

Diaz worked around a walk, struck out two, and closed out a 5-4 victory to earn his first save in a Dodgers uniform. When it was over, he spoke with conviction about what this roster is built to do.

“I think this is a really good team,” Diaz said. “I think we’ve got a lot of good players here. If everyone stays healthy, this team has the chance to win, three-peat.”

Diaz had built his legacy in New York, becoming one of the most iconic closers in the sport. When he opted out of his Mets contract, the path forward was uncertain. Diaz decided on the Dodgers, agreeing to a three-year, $69 million deal that brought him to LA.

Friday night was the moment the investment started paying dividends.

The Entrance That Electrified Dodger Stadium

What happened before a single pitch was thrown may have been the highlight of the night.

As Diaz emerged from the bullpen, a local trumpeter performed a live version of his entrance music from just beyond the left-field wall. The sound reached him before he even stepped onto the warning track.

He hadn’t been expecting it. The live performance caught him completely off guard, and the reaction from the crowd that followed was everything the Dodgers could have hoped for.

For a while, the ninth inning had been a rotating door in Los Angeles. That era might be over. Diaz changes everything about how this bullpen operates, and Friday night was the first real proof of it.

Kyle Tucker Delivers Again

Mookie Betts provided the earlier fireworks, crushing a three-run homer to give the Dodgers a 4-2 lead, before Arizona tied up the game.

Alex Freeland had a double to lead off the eighth inning. Shohei Ohtani moved him along with a groundout.

Kyle Tucker did the rest, punching a single into right field past a drawn-in infield to give Los Angeles the 5-4 lead. It was Tucker’s second go-ahead contribution in as many games. Two games in, he already looks like exactly the player the Dodgers envisioned when they signed him.

GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits an RBI single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Dodgers

Edwin Diaz came to Los Angeles for exactly this. The saves, the entrance, the chance to be part of something historic.

Friday night delivered on every part of that. The crowd was ready for him. He was ready for the crowd. And when the final out was recorded, the message he sent afterwards was clear.

Diaz believes it. This team is built to three-peat.

Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins

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