The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a historic and lopsided 18-1 defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. The game began ominously for the Dodgers when pitcher Ben Casparius allowed a first-pitch home run to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes. What followed was a night of relentless offense from Houston, who amassed a season high-tying five home runs.

Houston’s offensive onslaught was spearheaded by second baseman Jose Altuve, who had an exceptional night going 3-for-3 with two homers, a double, two walks, four runs, and five RBI. Altuve, who had never hit a regular-season home run at Dodger Stadium prior to this game, broke that streak with two long balls. His second homer was part of a devastating 10-run inning for the Astros, marking the first time the Dodgers had allowed double-digit runs in a single inning since April 23, 1999, which was previously the longest such streak in baseball. The Astros even hit a grand slam in this brutal inning, further compounding the Dodgers' woes.

The Dodgers' pitching staff, already depleted by injuries throughout the season, struggled immensely. Starter Ben Casparius yielded six earned runs before exiting. Reliever Noah Davis bore the brunt of the 10-run sixth inning, allowing six hits, 10 earned runs, and three walks in just 1 1/3 innings, inflating his ERA to 19.50. Dodger fans, witnessing the carnage, began chanting “Start the fireworks!” as the game spiraled out of control. Even Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser cautiously alluded to the Astros' 2017 cheating scandal, remarking that the team was hitting as if they knew what pitches were coming. The only Dodgers pitcher to escape the night without allowing a run was infielder Miguel Rojas, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning while down by 17 runs.

The Dodgers' lone run came from a solo home run by All-Star catcher Will Smith. Another key tormentor for the Dodgers was first baseman Christian Walker, who continued his impressive hitting at Dodger Stadium. Walker hit a home run for a sixth consecutive game at the ballpark, tying an MLB record for the longest streak by a batter on the road against a specific team, a span that includes two multi-homer games. He now aims to set the outright record on Saturday. Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, only Mark McGwire, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez have hit more homers in their first 43 games at a specific venue than Walker's 20 at Chavez Ravine.

The overwhelming nature of the defeat sparked discussions about the absence of a mercy rule in Major League Baseball. While common in college baseball to manage travel or tournament schedules, such a rule does not exist in MLB. This situation highlights ongoing discourse around position players pitching in blowouts and the extended length of such games. Despite the humiliation and pain of Friday night, Dodger fans have reason to tune in for Saturday's game, as Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to take the mound against Framber Valdez for his fourth start since returning from UCL surgery.