SAN DIEGO -- With the beginning of the Dave Roberts era, and the beginning of the end of the Vin Scully era, the Dodgers had about as much on the line Monday as an Opening Day can offer.
They made it look easy from the very first batter, Clayton Kershaw dominating with a one-hitter over seven innings and seven players driving in at least one run en route to a 15-0 rout of the Padres.
It couldn't have been any sweeter for the Dodgers' new manager, who was given the game ball by reliever Yimi Garcia, a commemorative lineup card and a victorious Gatorade bath by Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez.
"I'm freezing right now," Roberts said.
Only last year, Roberts was San Diego's bench coach, and he still lives 20 minutes north of Petco Park in seaside Solana Beach.
"That seems so long ago," Roberts said of his Padres days. "I took that moment before the game and really enjoyed it, and after that, it was another game."
Well, not quite. Fifteen runs on 17 hits can't happen every night, and Kershaw won't pitch every night. All the planets aligned, not to mention a lineup that simply clicked, pounding Tyson Ross and a few overmatched San Diego relievers.

"It's still one win and still one loss," Roberts said after overshadowing the managerial debut of Andy Green, hired after the Padres bypassed Roberts, who then became the first minority manager of Jackie Robinson's franchise.
Roberts hinted before the game that he had some insight into how to attack Ross from his San Diego days, and the results seemed to support that.
"Fortunately, we've seen him; he made a couple mistakes, and we made him pay," said Roberts. "And we'll have our hands full tomorrow night with James Shields."

Some credit goes to Roberts' batting order, featuring 37-year-old Chase Utley leading off, followed by 21-year-old Corey Seager.
"Chase will be in the leadoff spot tomorrow, and Corey will be [second] as well," Roberts said.

The Dodgers' offense was so prolific, it reduced the club's lone mistake to an afterthought, as new third-base coach Chris Woodward, who successfully waved home 15 runners, also got Utley thrown out at home trying to score him from first base with one out in the third inning on a Justin Turner double while Gonzalez waited on deck.
"Chris continues to break himself into this role," said Roberts. "You're sort of out on an island there. Maybe if he had to do it again, he'd do it differently."