THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

The A’s rolled into Dodger Stadium last night and absolutely embarrassed the mighty Dodgers in Game 1, dropping an 11-1 bomb on L.A. like it was batting practice. Now, all eyes shifted to tonight’s matchup, where the A’s handed the ball to Gunnar Hoglund, the former first-rounder still trying to prove he belongs in a big-league rotation. It was a tall order—Hoglund’s got to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the $325 million man and L.A.’s prized ace. On paper, this is a mismatch. But baseball doesn’t care about price tags, and after last night’s demolition derby, it’s clear the A’s aren’t showing up just to trade jerseys.

For the Dodgers, tonight was all about pride. They were humiliated on their home field, and Yamamoto’s job is was to restore order and remind everyone why L.A. is considered a World Series favorite. But the A’s? They’re playing with house money and swagger. If Hoglund can keep his nerves in check and pound the zone, there’s no reason this A’s team—yes, that A’s team—can’t hang another crooked number on the Hollywood hype machine.