PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 26: The Texas Rangers stand on the line for introductions on Opening Day against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on March 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Philadelphia Phillies scored five runs.
The last time the Rangers began a season against the Phillies, they won the World Series. That’s certainly a positive omen as we begin this 2026 season journey.
Those kinds of vibes didn’t last very long, however, as the Rangers whiffed on a scoring opportunity in their first half inning and then trailed 2-0 five pitches into Philadelphia’s first crack at the new campaign.
Opening Day starter Nathan Eovaldi has been excellent over his career in games where there are a lot of eyeballs on the action. He’s been great during his time in Texas. He won the franchise a dang World Series. He was enjoying arguably the best season by a starting pitcher in franchise history last year before it was derailed by ailments. Eovaldi is good for days like this. You feel comfortable with him as your Opening Day guy.
Despite all that, Eovaldi allowed a two-strike, two-run dong to Kyle Schwarber just two batters into this one.
Whoopsadoodle.
Throughout the 2025 season, Eovaldi allowed 25 earned runs total in his 130 innings of work. He allowed two before collecting an out in 2026.
Before his day was over, without even making it through five frames, Eovaldi allowed five runs on eight hits with zero walks and seven Ks. A back-breaking two-out, three-run shot off the bat of Alec Bohm ended Eovaldi’s afternoon in the bottom of the fifth.
Meanwhile, at the plate, the Rangers looked a lot like the group we left behind in 2025 for much of the game. Which is to say, *gulp*
The oft-maligned bats had a makeover over the winter, and they enjoyed some feel-good press for improved stat lines in Arizona, but that translated to all of four hits through the game’s first eight innings with scant few chances to score until a too-little, too-late ninth inning rally.
Granted, the lineup had the unenviable task of trying to get off on a good foot against arguably the National League’s best left-handed starter. Cristopher Sanchez took the mound for the Phillies and he shoved, continuing where he left off last season when he led the NL in bWAR (8.0) and produced a 2.50 ERA on his way to finishing second behind Paul Skenes for the Cy Young award.
In the end, Sanchez struck out ten Rangers in his six innings of scoreless work with lineup waiting for the ninth inning to finally get on the board via a two-run home run from Jake Burger. At the very least, they made things mildly intriguing by getting the tying run to the plate.
Ah well, there’s six months of baseball ahead of us for better days than this one. As far as Opening Days go, though, this one was a stinker.
Player of the Game: Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler deserves a nod for making his MLB debut and pitching a scoreless — albeit shaky — inning with his family hanging on every pitch in the stands.
But Jake Burger collected three of Texas’ eight hits, including the ninth inning home run that prevented Philly from enjoying an Opening Day shutout.
Up Next: The Rangers will take a day off on Friday before resuming this series on Saturday in a rematch of the 2023 opener with RHP Jacob deGrom on the mound for Texas opposite RHP Aaron Nola for Philadelphia.
The Saturday afternoon first pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 3:05 pm CT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 26: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox walks in from the bullpen before the Opening Day game against the Cincinnati Reds on March 26, 2026 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back baseball, indeed!
On an absolutely GLORIOUS day in Cincinnati, the Red Sox took down the Reds by a final score of 3-0. This box score somehow feels earned despite the way the game went? Let me explain.
The Red Sox offense got the better of Andrew Abbott but couldn’t push a run across the plate until the 7th inning. 10 men left on base feels like the boys are picking right back up where they were last year—lots of bark, no bite to get multiple runs.
Thankfully, squeaking one out with a Ceddanne Rafalea RBI single in the 7th seemed to bring the game itself back to life, and then pouring on hits and walks in the 9th gave myself and hopefully everyone a little sigh of relief with insurance runs driven in by Trevor Story and Jarren Duran.
Crochet was Crochet. Exactly the workhorse ace you need him to be but not overextending him early on. Slaten, Whitlock, and Chapman were almost as clean as you can be, giving up only two baserunners total in the final three frames. For game 1 of 162, this was a decent start and showing signs of what should be coming in the 2026 season.
Take the night to soak in the win—the opening series off day is tomorrow so the Sox aren’t back until Saturday afternoon at 1:40pm!
Studs
Garrett Crochet (6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K)
After a rocky final start in Spring Training, the Pig showed everyone why it’s all just practice until the games count. Starting off with a four pitch first inning, he was a dominant force in Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon.
Roman Anthony (3-for-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 K)
The youngest Red Sox EVER with multiple hits on his first Opening Day, three singles, a walk created by a successful ABS challenge. Welcome to your first full season, Roman!
Marcelo Mayer (2-for-2, 2 runs)
Marcelo didn’t get the start today against a lefty starter, but he made an immediate impact upon coming in with a single, a double and two runs scored. I’m really intrigued to see how he fares at second—but his bat had a great start on Opening Day.
The ABS Challenge System (4 challenges, 3 successful overturns)
Today might be the day I realized how pivotal the ABS system is going to be to the success of baseball. Carlos Narváez did a phenomenal job with challenges behind the plate, going 2-for-3 on the day. That also includes turning an Eugenio Suárez walk into a strikeout to end the 4th inning. It was Roman Anthony’s challenge in the 9th that should be talked about the most. A strikeout to end the inning and leave Marcelo on base turned into a walk that sparked some insurance runs to seal the game is absolutely the kind of result ABS should be producing, Reward catchers for making good calls for their pitchers and getting them out of innings. Reward batters for making good calls by extending innings and starting rallies. I really enjoy this balance—I think full on robo-umpires is against the spirit of the game, but I appreciate the chance for in-game policing and taking that calculated risk to have an accurate call.
The lack of hits isn’t great…the error at third was egregious. It was a grounder he should be able to handle pretty easily. Thank the baseball gods they didn’t get burned for it.
Isaiah Kiner-Falefa (0-for-2, 1 K)
Wilson Contreras (0-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K)
I’ll say the same thing for IKF and for Willy…eh. Tepid and inoffensive debuts for each of them to the Red Sox faithful.
Play of the Game
In an absolute pitcher’s duel where neither offense could figure out the starter for long, Garrett Crochet working himself out of this bases-loaded jam proved to be absolutely pivotal.
Dunne, 23, took in the season opener from the stands, sporting jeans and a tank top on the warm spring afternoon, one in which Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, was chased after just 37 pitches.
Livvy Dunne takes in the Mets-Pirates season opener at Citi Field, where boyfriend Paul Skenes started for Pittsburgh. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Pirates staked Skenes to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but he couldn’t hold down the fort, exiting after Mets batters tagged him for five runs — aided by a pair of outfield flubs by Oneil Cruz.
The Amazin’s continued their work against Pittsburgh pitchers en route to an 11-7 Opening Day win.
Livvy Dunne’s MLB star boyfriend was removed after nightmare first inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates. Robert Sabo for NY Post
It’s back to the drawing board for Skenes and the Pirates, and back to business for Dunne, set to star in a reboot of “Baywatch, which is set to air on Fox later this year.
Olivia Dunne was more than ready for Opening Day. Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Dunne and Skenes have been linked together since their days at LSU, where Skenes was the baseball team’s ace and Dunne starred for the Tigers gymnastics team.
The former top prospect had a storybook first MLB game, hitting a solo home run for his first career hit, getting a curtain call from the Citi Field crowd, and celebrating the victory with a Gatorade bath.
"Really can't just top it by trying to imagine it. Once you're there, you'll know the feeling," Benge said when asked how he thought the day would measure up to his expectations.
The 23-year-old struck out in his first two at-bats, including a three-pitch strikeout, saying he had to remind himself to relax so he could go out and play his game.
"Just calm down. Just deep breath, calm down," Benge said. "Great atmosphere, great fans. Just trying to bring myself back down so I can compete."
That reminder worked, as he walked and later blasted a first-pitch sweeper from Justin Lawrence in the sixth inning to put New York up 10-5. Manager Carlos Mendoza added that he was impressed with Benge's demeanor following those early at-bats, showing why he deserves the opportunity.
"Yeah, the personality. Who he is is super consistent," Mendoza said. "He's 0-for-2 with a couple of strikeouts and he still feels pretty good about his chances. He controls the strike zone, he walks, there's a couple of walks there, and then he gets a pitch he can do damage and goes to the pull side like that.
"I'm not surprised by it because of the personality there. Opening Day, first big league game for him, packed house, and he just goes out and plays his game."
Although what Benge doesn't remember is everything after making contact with the ball.
"I kind of blacked out running around the bases. I don't really remember too much," Benge said with a big smile on his face. "I know I got it good off of the bat, but running hard out of the box, definitely."
Luckily, the right fielder had 22 family members and friends in the stands who will remember the moment forever, including his parents and girlfriend. He said having that type of support made hitting a homer in his debut even more special.
"Means the world [to me]. Having all the people that have sacrificed so much for me come up and watch that happen is definitely big," Benge added.
Benge noted that he did get the home run ball back and will be giving it to his parents for safekeeping. He also said it was the loudest crowd he's ever heard, "times five."
As for the curtain call, the energy from the fans carried him up on the dugout steps.
"I kind of saw everyone just staring at me," Benge said. "I didn't know what to do, so I walked up there and did that. Worked out."
He added, "I just got chills. That this is where I'm supposed to be and just having fun every day playing baseball."
Benge said he slept well on Wednesday night and wasn't feeling the nerves, but understandably got a bit anxious during pregame. It ended up working out in his favor, as his debut lived up to his dreams.
"Definitely anxious to get out there, ready to start playing," Benge said. "Definitely everything I thought it would be."
Going forward, Benge said his goal is simply "trying to get better every single day." And for his encore on Saturday, and the rest of the regular season, the rookie is sticking to what got him here.
The Cubs got blasted 10-4 by the Nationals on Opening Day, and the weather, well, it was what you would expect for late March — 49 degrees, very windy, annoying light rain showers off and on.
Matthew Boyd, who was so good at Wrigley Field all of last year, threw two good innings despite allowing a solo homer in the second. After the homer, he struck out five straight Nats but then got pounded out of the game in the fourth, allowing five hits and a walk in that inning. Ben Brown relieved him and gave up a second home run in the frame, but the damage had already been done.
That solo homer, by former Brewer Joey Wiemer, gave Washington a 1-0 lead. The Cubs came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Dansby Swanson led off with a walk and took second on a missed pickoff throw. After Matt Shaw flied to right, with Dansby taking third, Michael Busch’s bloop single tied the game [VIDEO].
As you can see, though, Bregman was out trying to take third. That sort of set the tone for the rest of the game. I get wanting to be aggressive, but maybe those runners should have stayed put for Nico Hoerner.
Anyway, the aforementioned six-run fourth for the Nats gave them a 7-2 lead. The Cubs got one of those runs back in the fourth. Nico led off and reached on a throwing error. He took second on a Carson Kelly walk and third on an infield out.
By then, as you can see, a lot of seats had emptied out because of rain. The Nats scored one more run off Brown in the sixth. Brown didn’t throw too badly in this long relief role, which might wind up suiting him.
That’s something I hope PCA holds in his back pocket for more important situations later in the season. He’s definitely capable of doing that more often.
Hoby Milner threw a scoreless eighth and Jacob Webb allowed a two-run homer in the ninth, both of those runs unearned due to an error charged to Bregman on a ground ball that got through him. Tough error, I thought, given the weather conditions, the ball was likely quite wet at the time.
There were three ABS challenges in the game, all by the Nationals. Two of them confirmed the call made, the other was overturned. None of these had any significant impact on the game, and as has been the case for these during Spring Training, they didn’t take up much time. The game did, though, running a ghastly two hours, 59 minutes, largely because of 195 pitches by the Nats, far more than the approximately 130 per team that’s average for a nine-inning game. (Cubs pitchers threw a more reasonable 138 pitches.)
But that was it for fun for the full house of 39,712. I remain steadfast in my belief that MLB should not be playing games in northern cities in March. Yes, it can be like today’s weather in April or even early May, but at this time of year days like today are more the norm than the exception. The weather had nothing to do with the result, but it was not much fun for fans. The upper deck cleared out by the fourth inning — I can only imagine how cold it must have been up there with a 22 mile per hour sustained wind blowing in their faces.
In any case, the Cubs did not look good in this game, but it’s one game, so let’s not overreact. Boyd looked bad, but… it’s one game. He did strike out seven [VIDEO].
But overall I thought he looked kind of awkward and out of place there. He made a couple of wrong turns on fly balls and didn’t take good routes. Personally, I’d rather see Dylan Carlson out there. Shaw went 0-for-3 at the plate in this game.
Lastly, here are some Opening Day facts from BCB’s JohnW53:
The last Opening Day starter for the Cubs to exit after exactly 3.2 innings was Bob Rush, on April 11, 1955 (four runs on 10 hits). Only other with exactly 3.2 was King Cole, on April 11, 1912 (five runs on nine hits). Both were at Cincinnati. Ten have lasted fewer than 3.2, from 0, Ed Reulbach (faced two batters in 1911) to 3.1 (Clay Bryant, 1938, and Jon Lester, 2018). Most recent was Kyle Hendricks, 3.0, at home vs. Pirates in 2021 (three runs, four hits). …. Michael Busch is the 85th Cub since 1901 to make at least three hits on Opening Day. Billy Herman had five hits in 1936 and eight players had four, most recently Emilio Bonifacio, in 2014. Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes, in 1994, is the only one to do it at home — and the only one with three homers.The last of the previous 75 with three were Ian Happ, in 2022, and Dansby Swanson, in 2023, both at home. Busch also had a walk, as did 18 of the previous 75 with three hits. The most recent was Dexter Fowler, in 2016. …. Alex Bregman’s seventh-inning single made him the 500th Cub since 1901 to make a hit in his first game with the team. …. This is the ninth Opening Day game since 1901 in which the Cubs have surrendered double-digit runs. They also gave up 10 in 1912, 1914, 1965 and 1979. They gave up 11 in 1962 and 1998, 12 in 1994 at home vs. the Mets (8-12) and 16 in 2010, at Atlanta (5-16).
The Cubs will have Friday off and will resume the series against the Nats Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, when it will be chilly (48 degrees) but sunny and less windy. Cade Horton will start for the Cubs and old Cardinals friend Miles Mikolas (who I was almost certain was going to retire after 2025) starting for Washington. Game time Saturday is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Alec Bohm might not be the ideal cleanup man, but he did the job Thursday.
On a day when defending National League home run king Kyle Schwarber picked right up where he left off, swatting a two-run homer in the first inning, it was Bohm who had the biggest hit of all in the Phillies’ 5-3 opening day win over the Texas Rangers at warm and sunny (it sure didn’t feel like March) Citizens Bank Park.
Bohm picked up Schwarber and Bryce Harper after the pair had struck out with two men on base and the Phillies nursing a 2-0 lead in the fifth against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi.
It was a prime situation that the Phillies – or any team that thinks it’s going places — could not squander.
Bohm made sure they didn’t.
He got a 2-0 cutter from Eovaldi and lofted it to the opposite field and into the seats for a 5-0 lead.
Talk about a sweet moment, this was definitely that for Bohm.
Over the past two off-seasons, he’d been a human trade rumor. If the Phillies’ very public attempt to sign Bo Bichette had been successful a couple of months ago, he would have been shipped out, maybe to Detroit, maybe to Seattle, maybe to somewhere else.
When Bichette left the Phillies at the altar, the club had no choice but to stick with Bohm. And on this team, where options for a cleanup hitter to bat behind Schwarber and Harper are thin, he was the guy.
That didn’t sit well with much of the fanbase, who sees Bohm’s 6-foot-4 frame and wonders where the power is.
But Bohm sees his job as an RBI guy, regardless of how they come. He was a good one in 2023 and 2024 when he drove in 97 runs each season. He wasn’t as good last year when he had just 59. However, he was hurt last year, missing time with a rib injury and a shoulder injury. He’s healthy now. And after one game, this less-than-ideal cleanup man leads the team in RBIs.
“I know he takes a lot of … stuff,” Thompson said. “But the guy puts the ball in play. He’s going to give you a good at-bat. He’s not going to chase. So, if there are RBI situations out there, for the most part, he’s going to come through. Last year, he had some time off because of injury, so the numbers don’t reflect who he is, but I really like him in that four spot. Now with the way (Bryson) Stott is hitting behind him, it has a chance to be really effective.”
Schwarber profiles as a cleanup man. But he likes hitting second. And the Phillies win a lot of games with him batting second, in front of Harper.
In Schwarber’s opinion, a healthy Bohm can work in the cleanup spot on this team, even if he doesn’t rack up a slew of homers.
“I feel like the way that he takes his at-bats, with his profile and his game, it plays for us,” Schwarber said. “And it plays on a lot of teams. He doesn’t need to go out there and feel like he needs to do anything (extra). He needs to go out there and be himself. When he does that, you saw it today – he can take you oppo, he can hit a double, he’ll pull a homer. He’s such a tough out in our lineup, and I’m looking forward to getting a full season of him healthy and keeping him rolling.”
Bohm’s big game came on the same day he made some news off the field. During the game, the Philadelphia Inquirer posted a story on its website detailing a lawsuit that Bohm had filed against his parents on Wednesday. The suit alleges that his parents mismanaged his finances.
“I don’t want to get into personal matters,” Bohm said after the game.
According to reports, Bohm is seeking a judgment of at least $3 million.
If he is the hitter the Phillies think he can be – and need him to be – this season, he will make a lot more than $3 million when he hits the free-agent market next winter.
“For me, that’s a lot further down the road than other people think it is,” Bohm said when asked about free agency during spring training. “It’s a long year. We have a lot of baseball in front of us.
“Who knows what’s going to happen. It’s exciting, but my focus is more on opening day rather than what’s going to happen after 162, to be honest. We’ve set an expectation here and that’s to make the playoffs. Hopefully this is the year we win the last game. That fuels me more than free agency.”
Bohm’s career-high is 20 home runs. For the record, he would like to hit more than that. He spent much time in spring training working with hitting coach Kevin Long on catching mistake pitches out in front of the plate so they have a better chance of flying over the wall. But Bohm doesn’t want to sacrifice his line-drive swing, doesn’t want to be a guy who sees his strikeout totals soar for a few more homers.
“I understand cleanup guys hit 40 homers,” Bohm said in spring training. “But 40 homers can come with a lot more strikeouts. Those two 97-RBI seasons that I had, those are closer to me. Hit a lot of doubles, hit the ball in the gap. Don’t give away an at-bat with a punchout when all I need to do is put the ball in play.
“I’m a better hitter when I’m not giving you 150 punchouts. Hit the ball hard, move it around the yard instead of looking for a home run. On this team, with those guys (Turner, Schwarber, Harper) ahead of me, there will be a lot of opportunities for RBIs.”
Move forward to Thursday’s opener. Two men on. Two outs. Fifth inning. Yeah, Eovaldi’s cutter was up, the perfect pitch to elevate.
But Bohm wasn’t thinking that way.
“In that situation, more times than not, Kyle or Bryce is going to drive in those runs,” Bohm said. “So, in the event they don’t, it’s my job as the next man up to try to drive in one, if not both. If it all lines up perfect, you drive in ‘em all in.”
It lined up perfect for Bohm and the Phillies on opening day.
“You can’t win ‘em all if you don’t win the first one,” he said.
Mar 26, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) hits a double during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
Welcome back, Tigers fans! The long winter is over and we have real baseball that counts for real stats on our screens and on our radio. The Tigers started the 2025 season against some of the hardest National League opponents in the game with the Dodgers. Today they did it again, squaring off against Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres. As it turns out, the damage wouldn’t be nearly as bad on Opening Day this year. The Tigers would lean on Tarik Skubal, and they’d hand him a nice lead before he even took his first pitch of the season.
Things got started for the Tigers right in the first inning as Pivetta showed a lot of nerves, having a hard time finding the strike zone, and the Tigers didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity. After a leadoff strikeout by Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres took a walk. Colt Keith then gave a little bloop single that should have probably been an out, but Ramon Laureano couldn’t quite get under it, putting two men safely aboard. Riley Greene walked to load the bases, then a Spencer Torkelson walk brought in the Tigers’ first run of the season.
The Tigers weren’t done yet, though, as fresh-faced rookie Kevin McGonigle got up to take his first major league at-bat and smacked the first pitch he saw for a long double to right field, scoring Keith and Torkelson. A Dillon Dingler single brought another run in and put the Tigers up 4-0.
Then it was time for two-time Cy Young-winner Tarik Skubal to get his first start of the season. Skubal didn’t have as perfectly clean an inning as he hoped, but he rapidly locked in. With one out, he gave up back-to-back singles to Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, but thankfully followed that up with a swinging strikeout (that swing being contentious as Jackson Merrill did attempt to check swing but the third base umpire indicated he went). A groundout then ended the inning with no harm done.
Pivetta had found his groove better in the second inning, allowing a two-out single to Colt Keith, but the Tigers failed to convert the baserunner. Unfortunately for the Padres, Skubal was also more in the groove in the second inning, and he went through the Padres batters in order.
The Tigers weren’t prepared to rest on their early lead. In the top of the third, Spencer Torkelson singled. Then Kevin McGonigle got his second double of the game, lining one off the right field wall just short of a home run. Dingler struck out, but Parker Meadows then came up and hit a single into left, scoring two runs. Two outs followed, but the Tigers were up 6-0.
Tarik Skubal came out and continued to dominate against the Padres with another 1-2-3 inning, ending with a pretty interesting catch from Riley Greene just on the warning track.
Nick Pivetta’s day was—unsurprisingly—done after three innings. Ron Marinaccio came in from the bullpen to replace him and immediately showed better command, going through the Tigers in order. Skubal returned the favor, continuing to churn through the Padres lineup with another three-up, three-down inning.
In the top of the fifth with one out, McGonigle just kept having the greatest first game ever as he hit a little dribbler towards second but beat it out to first, collecting the first single of his major league career. Dingler then hit a two-run bomb, bringing the Tigers score up to 8-0.
With two outs we got our first challenge of the season as Javier Baez disagreed (rightly) on a strike call, and it worked out to be a good thing as Baez then turned around and singled. The Tigers weren’t able to convert any additional runs, but it was still going pretty well. Guys, I’m not sure, but like, Tarik Skubal might be really good? He got another three outs in a row in the bottom of the fifth. Sorry, not sorry, Padres.
In the top of the sixth the next pitcher out of the Padres bullpen was Bradgley Rodriguez, who got the Tigers out in order. With one out in the bottom of the inning the Tigers turned to a play review. Fernando Tatis Jr. was called safe at first, narrowly beating out a throw from Baez, pulling Torkelson off the plate. The call was upheld and ruled an error for Baez. Skubal had his first truly rough moment of play since the first, as Bogaerts then doubled right down the left field line, and brought Tatis home, putting the Padres on the board for the first time in the game. Skubal turned things around, though, getting the next two outs. Six innings would be it for Skubal, going 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, on 74 pitches. And why not get the bullpen going with a 7-run lead.
The top of the seventh was a 1-2-3 inning for the Tigers, once again bested by Rodriguez. In the bottom of the inning Drew Anderson came out of the Tigers’ pen. Anderson was looking pretty good through two outs using his fairly lethal kick change, unfortunately Laureano got the best of him with a solo homer when he absolutely hung one in Laureano’s hot zone. Freddy Fermin walked, which brought out Chris Fetter to calm Anderson’s nerves a little. It’s been several years since Anderson pitched in America, stands to reason the nerves might run a little high. The chat worked all right as a groundout ended the inning with only the one run scoring.
David Morgan was next out of the Padres’ bullpen. The first out came on a high pop out at the plate to the catcher from Parker Meadows. Javier Baez got a one-out walk. Then, with two outs, Gleyber Torres singled, putting men on the corners. Unfortunately a Colt Keith lineout ended the inning, it was well hit, just in the exactly wrong location. In the bottom of the inning, Tatis got things started with a leadoff single against Anderson. Manny Machado drew a one-out walk, and that was it for Anderson, who was replaced by Tyler Holton. Holton did induce what looked like a double play, but the Tigers couldn’t appeal the safe call having already used and lost their review, so they had to settle for the one out. Miguel Andujar drew a walk to load the bases, creating the first really dangerous moment of the game for the Tigers. A pinch-hitting Nick Castellanos, in for Gavin Sheets, was up and hit a long fly for the final out of the inning.
Wandy Peralta was the next pitcher up for the Padres. With two outs, Kevin McGonigle proved he was an unstoppable force, hitting another single, giving him a four-hit day in his debut.
The Tigers weren’t able to turn his effort into another run, as Dingler hit a liner right back to the pitcher to end the inning. Will Vest came in to hopefully keep the Padres in check. He got two quick outs back-to-back. Vest collected the final out, and the Tigers had one heck of an Opening Day.
There it is, Kevin McGonigle makes history. Youngest Tigers player to have four hits and the second youngest in league history. (Delino DeShields) https://t.co/rOziu95HOqhttps://t.co/eOaZuKM8ZV
Los Angeles, CA - March 24: Pitcher Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the outfield prior to an exhibition baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
After opening day Thursday, there’s still pomp and circumstance to be had at Dodger Stadium, including before their Friday tilt against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the middle game of a three-game series.
The Dodgers before the game will have their championship ring ceremony, which is expected to begin at 6:20 p.m., narrated by Anthony Anderson, and will be televised by SportsNet LA. Brad Paisley will perform the national anthem.
Once game action begins, Emmet Sheehan gets the start, looking to build on his strong finish to last season after returning from Tommy John surgery. He has never previously faced the Diamondbacks.
Right-hander Ryne Nelson starts on the mound for the Diamondbacks. In three games against the Dodgers last season, including two starts, Nelson had a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings, with 12 strikeouts against only one walk.
Baseball: Boston Red Sox Garrett Crochet (35) and Carlos Narvaez (75) in action, talking vs New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Bronx NY 8/23/2025 CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164756 TK1)
The Cincinnati Reds got a rock solid start by Andrew Abbott in his first career start on Opening Day. The left-handed All Star fired 6.0 IP of scoreless ball, but the problem was that the Boston Red Sox similarly had an All Star lefty on the mound in Garrett Crochet.
Crochet kept Cincinnati just as scoreless as did Abbott, with Boston’s ace firing 6.0 IP of 3 hit, 2 BB ball to go along with 8 strikeouts, and Boston’s bullpen managed to keep the Reds just as scoreless as did their starter. Cincinnati, though, yielded a run when Pierce Johnson allowed a leadoff double to Marcelo Mayer the moment he took over for Abbott, and Mayer later came around to score the game’s first run in the Top of the 7th.
Connor Phillips then ran into trouble in the Top of the 8th as Boston used an ABS challenge to undo what would’ve been an inning-ending strikeout and turned that into an RBI-single by Trevor Story that put this game in cement, and Brock Burke later allowed another inherited runner to score to make the 3-0 score a final.
While the disappointment of the loss will sting, there were still several positives to take away from the team’s first game of 2026. Abbott, for one, was infinitely better than he’d been all spring, and he danced around 7 hits and a walk while striking out 4 in his 83 pitch day. The hits he did allow were mostly kept on the ground, and two in particular were of the infield hit variety.
One of those was a 110.2 mph rocket off the bat of Boston star Roman Anthony, though, that took a wicked hop and smashed Sal Stewart on the left wrist in a scary moment. Sal stayed in the game, thankfully, and didn’t look any worse for the wear. In fact, he later added a double after he’d already had a double and single in the game, in the process becoming the first Reds rookie ever to have 3 hits on Opening Day.
For that, Sal takes home the first Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game of 2026.
161-1 is still on the table.
Other Notes
Eugenio Suarez got huge ovations early, but his first game back with the Reds was a rough one. He struck out a trio of times, including once with the bases loaded in their best chance against Crochet in the 6th.
In total, Reds hitters struck out 12 times on the day.
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ defense did not score a run today.
Graham Ashcraft touched 101.5 mph with a heater today, which is a damn encouraging thing.
Noelvi Marte, who struggled terribly against LHP last year (as did most Reds), went 0 for 2 against Crochet. The moment a righty was on the mound and his spot in the lineup came up, Will Benson was used as a pinch hitter (and struck out).
Per usual, the Reds have the day off on Friday and will resume their series against Boston in GABP on Saturday afternoon with another 4:10 PM ET start. Announcers will talk about shadows all game, and Brady Singer will start opposite old friend Sonny Gray.
The Dodgers will begin the 2026 season trying to join the 1972-1974 Athletics and 1998-2000 Yankees as the only franchises in MLB’s expansion era (since 1961) to win three consecutive championships.
What’s terrifying for the rest of baseball is that this iteration of the team might be the most talented squad assembled during their historic run of three titles in six seasons.
Shohei Ohtani and his Dodgers teammates are beginning their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship today. Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball, and it’s not particularly close. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, is gunning for a Cy Young Award and takes the ball on Opening Day. Kyle Tucker, a four-time All-Star, and Edwin Diaz, arguably the best closer in baseball, joined the “evil empire” this offseason. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are primed for big seasons, Max Muncy and Will Smith are still the rocks of the organization, and Dave Roberts is still calling the shots.
I think everyone here is thrilled with this news. Nico Hoerner has become the heart and soul of this Cubs team, a terrific player offensively and defensively and a great human being as well. Presuming this deal begins after this year — as PCA’s extension does — that would make 14 seasons in a Cubs uniform for Nico, one of the longest Cubs careers for anyone in franchise history.
This article will be updated when there’s more information about the terms of this contract, but I wanted to get the news out to you right now. The team has not officially announced this extension yet.
A recap of the Cubs’ Opening Day loss to the Nationals will follow shortly.
UPDATE: We now have a dollar figure on the Hoerner contract from Jeff Passan.
Nico Hoerner’s deal with the Cubs is done and will be for six years and $141 million, sources tell ESPN. It’s the fourth-largest contract ever for a second baseman and locks up the 28-year-old into the 2030s. Defense, running, contact skill — Hoerner does everything well.
So that’s an average of $23.5 million a year for the next six seasons. We don’t know about any possible incentives or deferred money, but from Passan’s report, it doesn’t sound like there are any. But if there are, we’ll update.
SECOND UPDATE: There are deferrals. And the contract does start next season, so Hoerner is locked up for the next seven years, including this one.
Source confirms that deferrals in contract will put net present value in mid-$130M range, as @Joelsherman1 said. Deal is huge acknowledgement of Hoerner’s defensive value. He has just 36 career home runs. Contract starts next season. https://t.co/3JvNL9k9oo
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners prepares for a pitch during the Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 14, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Cole Young came to big-league camp last year, the expectation was that he’d get reps with the big-league roster before returning to Tacoma to continue his development. Instead, Young was pressed into service after Ryan Bliss went down with a torn bicep muscle in April and the Mariners were unwilling to test Jorge Polanco’s surgically repaired knee in the field every day. Still battling some arm soreness that had bothered him in spring training, and facing new demands of a 162-game season, Young was forced into a position of treading water, occasionally delivering a big hit but ultimately turning in an uneven rookie campaign that saw him tail off sharply at the back end of the season and be left off the playoff roster.
Now, having just wrapped up his second big-league camp and winning the second base job outright, Young has the failures and successes of his rookie season to build on, and he came into camp ready to address those shortcomings immediately. He built an off-season conditioning and nutrition program and implemented it immediately, preparing his body for the rigors of the season from the jump, and used that as a base for his improvements both at the plate and in the field.
“From day one,” said Jerry Dipoto, “Cole showed up ready to work.”
“As soon as the season ended, it was back to work,” said Young. “Started working out right away. I knew I had to put in some work to be in a good spot for this year, so that was kind of my mindset: just put up the work and it will show up when spring comes.”
In addition to the excellent plate discipline that’s always been a hallmark of his game, Young showed last year he was capable of producing some loud contact in the batter’s box, but he wasn’t able to consistently tap into that power. This off-season, working with a Trajekt machine, he worked extensively on his timing, specifically on being on time for the fastball, and it paid dividends this spring: despite a slower start, he ended as the Mariners’ home run leader this spring, with six, and also notched four doubles while producing some of the loudest exit velocities in camp. And he didn’t leave that power in Peoria: in yesterday’s pre-Opening Day workout, he put on an impressive round of BP, lacing balls with ease deep into right field and even banging one off the glass of the Hit It Here Café.
“I think early on it was frustrating for him, just because he wasn’t seeing it pay off right away,” said manager Dan Wilson earlier this spring. “But now you’re really seeing some strong at-bats, stringing them together, and when your body’s able to handle that and you can take your best self up to the plate every time, your confidence is rolling, and that’s what we’re seeing from Cole right now.”
But the most significant change Young has made is in his fielding. Always surehanded in the minors, Young’s defense took a step back at the big-league level. Part of the culprit was the arm injury that nagged him into the regular season, but in dissecting his rookie campaign, Young realized the bigger fault lay with his footwork. Big-league infields play faster, and Young’s footwork wasn’t setting him up for success. He said he especially focused on double play feeds and turns.
“I came from shortstop, so it’s similar footwork when you’re starting the ball to first, but it changes a lot when you’re turning a double play and have to rotate the other way. The arm angle is a little different, too, so learning that, getting good at that, turning my body and making those turns, that’s what I worked on.”
The prevailing logic is that second base is a step down the defensive spectrum from shortstop; the throws are longer from shortstop, where the majority of balls are hit, and shortstops are charged with starting the double play. But shortstops also have the benefit of almost always having the play in front of them, according to Perry Hill, with an easy throwing lane to first or second base; second basemen more often have to twist their bodies to complete a double play, an adjustment that can take time. For Young, the problem was never his speed nor instincts; you can see that in this play from this spring, where he reads a bunt cover situation perfectly, reacts quickly, and puts on some afterburner speed to get to first base in time—making a barehanded snag to top it off. This is Cole Young, the shortstop, but on the right side of the infield:
And the problem wasn’t actually his arm, even though it was likely impacted by the early-season injury in at least some way. Here is a poor throw from Young that’s actually caused by bad footwork and just general lack of muscle memory for the second base position:
Granted, this ball was a rocket off Soderstrom’s bat (107.6 mph EV, with a .530 xBA). But slowing this down, you can see that Young’s footwork as he fields the ball is off: it takes him four shuffle steps to slow his momentum, and one more shuffle step to get his body turned, leading to some bizarre weight transfers and this as a throwing position:
You do not have to be an infield guru on the level of Perry Hill to know that if you are trying to throw the opposite direction of where your feet are pointed, you are not going to get great results. This position also forces Young into a wonky weight distribution where his weight is primarily on his plant leg and his back side, forcing his arm to come over top for the throw as his plant foot pivots towards first to try to deliver the ball on-target. It is not surprising when the ball instead sails towards the first base dugout.
Some of the body positioning issues might be due to Young coming up as a shortstop and having to reorient himself at second base, especially on double play chances, where he’s essentially moving in the opposite direction he would have as a shortstop, having to turn his body rather than move fluidly through the base. “On the second base side, you know, about 20% of what you do is against where you actually want to go,” points out Hill.
In Young’s 40 in 40, Ryan pointed out that Young especially struggled on plays to his right when he had to throw across his body. This tracks with Young struggling to transfer his skills from one side of second base to the other. Again, though, the footwork makes Young’s arm look weaker than it actually is as he fails to start the double play.
Again, Young takes some extra shuffle steps to funnel in the ball and then doesn’t have a strong base to throw from. As he goes to throw, he has to awkwardly transfer his weight from his front leg, which he’s used to pivot from, to his back leg, his plant leg, to try to get off the throw.
The resulting throw is flat-footed, requiring Young to heave the ball with his upper body to try to get anything on it rather than relying on his lower half for power. That’s something he might have been able to get away with in the minors, where fields are of spotty quality and runners are slower; it’s not something that will play in the big leagues.
But again, Young looks to have improved in that area. Here’s a play from this spring where he has to range extensively to his right on a grounder that came off the bat at 100 mph. Young scampers to the ball, makes a tricky snag on the bounding ball, then makes a good-faith effort at following Perry Hill’s “6 Fs”, funneling the ball in and attempting to set his feet before throwing, resulting in a mostly on-target throw to the first baseman.
“He’s under control now,” noted Dan Wilson this spring of the improvements in his second baseman. “‘Bone’ has put in so much work with him, and I think Cole has done the work and understands why, and has really put it to use out there.”
“He did a good job,” said Perry Hill of his pupil. “He came and he was so much more prepared. He worked hard this winter, and you can see the difference.”
“I learned a ton from ‘Bone’ [Hill’s nickname] last year,” said Young. “I just took everything I could from him and kept working on it extra. He does a really good job of helping me understand how important the fundamentals are. It’s not about how flashy you are, it’s about fielding the ground ball and making the play every time. I’ve always bought into that since I got drafted here, and I love it. I love the 6Fs, I’m all in on those.”
It’s worth noting, too, that growing confidence in the field can transfer into results in the box and vice-versa. This is a solid, instinctual play from a game on March 4 against the Giants – which is also the game where he said he got his fastball timing back, knocking in a clutch RBI.
A year ago, Young was restricted to a half-DH role due to his injury, unable to develop rhythm in the box or on the field, only to be pressed into a big-league regular role by late April for a team fighting for a playoff spot – something Young admitted got him out of his process at times when he was trying to show he was able to play at the big-league level. This spring, with many of his teammates missing due to injury or the WBC, Young was not only the regular second baseman, but oftentimes the anchor of the infield: a challenge he rose to thanks to the hard work he put in during this off-season.
“I think going into last year, I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Young, reflecting on his two disparate springs. “And once I got caught up, I didn’t know how hard the game actually is. So it’s nice to come into the spring and, after failing a lot last year, work on those failures this off-season and come back this year…It’s nice to be able to take those lessons and keep building on top of that.”
ZiPS projects Young as just over a two-win player, with a perfectly average wRC+ of 100; Baseball Prospectus is lower on him, projecting a .7 WARP and a DRC+ of 91. That feels like a fairly low floor for Young, and if his improvements from the spring hold, it’s not hard to see him blasting past those projections. The uptick in offense this spring was encouraging, but it’s the improved defense that will make Young a valuable everyday player for the Mariners. After nearly a decade of intermittent or subpar output at the position, the Mariners might finally have found their long-term answer at the keystone.
Mar 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neil (9) greeted by second baseman Blaze Alexander (3) after scoring a run during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
The Orioles’ 2026 campaign got off to a winning start on Thursday afternoon at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers twirled yet another gem, shutting out the Twins for seven innings, before Ryan Helsley closed out the 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the year.
Rogers picked up right where he left off last season. His velocity was up to 95 mph early in the game, though it eventually settled closer to 92-93. No matter how hard the southpaw was throwing, the Twins struggled to do much with it. He delivered seven shutout frames in which he allowed three hits, walked four, and struck out five.
It was not the sort of “dominant” performance you typically associate with seven scoreless innings. Double plays in the third, fourth, and seventh innings were key to preserving Rogers’ impressive season debut. He also loaded the bases in the second inning, but wriggled out of it unscathed. And the four walks are not something that Rogers will want to make a habit.
But all of that is secondary to the fact that Rogers did, in fact, put together seven shutout frames on Opening Day. He looked a lot like the guy that came out of absolutely nowhere to become one of the league’s best pitchers a season ago. Maybe that negative regression that felt like a certainty coming into the season is gonna take a little while longer to show up.
The Orioles offense was slow out of the gate, and it was looking like Rogers might have to settle for a hard luck no decision. They were stifled by Twins’ ace Joe Ryan for the first 5.1 innings, managing just one hit, walking twice, and striking out seven times.
Finally, in the seventh inning, the bats broke through with a pair of runs off of the Minnesota bullpen. Samuel Basallo led off with a single against Kody Funderburk. Tyler O’Neill followed with a base knock of his own off of Justin Topa. Basallo, not exactly known for his speed, was able to go from first to third on the hit. That set up Colton Cowser for a sac fly to left field, driving in Basallo for the Orioles’ first run of the season. O’Neill advanced to second as well, which positioned him to trot home on a Blaze Alexander single a few batters later and make it 2-0 to the home team.
The Twins only run came against Tyler Wells in the eighth inning. Byron Buxton smacked a rare triple to left field with one out. It was a line drive that Taylor Ward probably could have been a bit more aggressive on corralling in the corner. Instead, Buxton took advantage and scampered around to third. Luke Keaschall made it a 2-1 game with a sac fly of his own to Ward out in left before Wells wrapped up the inning with a strikeout.
The ninth inning brought the Orioles debut for Ryan Helsley, and boy was he good. The new closer did give up a single and uncorked a wild pitch, but he also struck out the side, threw six pitches at 100 mph or faster, and secured the Orioles’ first win of the season.
This game was a classic pitchers duel. Ryan probably had the better stuff between the starters, but Rogers was better prepared to go deep into the game. The Orioles bullpen was just a touch sharper, which proved to be the margin of victory.
The Orioles were fortunate that questionable outfield defense didn’t come back to bite them too badly. There was the aforementioned Ward play in left. It wasn’t an error, but it also didn’t feel like he did everything possible to hold Buxton at second base. In the sixth inning, O’Neill dropped a pop up in shallow right field as he was charging in. At the time, it felt like a potential game changer. But even though it was the lead-off hitter of the inning, Rogers was thankfully able to strand him.
It was a bad day for the top of the Orioles lineup. Ward, Gunnar Henderson, and Pete Alonso combined to go 0-for-11 with four strikeouts and a walk. Meanwhile, hitters 4-6 (Adley Rutschman, Basallo, and O’Neill) went 4-for-10 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Coby Mayo, batting eighth, walked and stole a base.
There will be better offensive showings for this Orioles lineup, but that may have been the peak for certain members of the pitching staff. Rogers was stellar, and Helsley looked like everything they could have hoped for. I will sign up for 162 games of that, please.
These two teams will be off on Friday before continuing the series on Saturday. Game 2 of the season gets underway at 4:05 p.m. Kyle Bradish will face off with Taj Bradley. See ya at the Yard!
Most Birdland Player
Due to some changes behind the scenes, polls don’t work on the site like they used to. So instead we will be asking for you to comment (or rec a comment you agree with) on who should be the Most Birdland Player for every victory this season.
Your nominees for Opening Day, 2026 are:
Trevor Rogers (win, seven shutout innings, four walks, five strikeouts)
Ryan Helsley (first save as an Oriole, three strikeouts, threw really, really hard)
Samuel Basallo (1-for-4, going first to third, scoring first run of season)
Blaze Alexander (1-for-3, drove in the winning run)
Let us know who you think should win it down in the comments!
No one could have predicted the way the first inning of the Mets' Opening Day win against the Pirates unfolded.
A five-spot for the home team, as the Mets chased reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes before he can complete the first frame. But it could have gone very, very differently for both teams if the outfield defense was shored up.
Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz made two crucial misplays in center field. The first came with one out and the bases loaded. Brett Baty lined an 0-1 changeup over the heart of the plate from Skenes to deep center field. However, Cruz misread the ball, coming in off the sound of the bat, and by the time he gathered himself, it was too late. Baty's hit went over his head all the way to the Citi Field wall for a bases-clearing triple, which put the Mets up 4-1.
"Just the sun was right in front of my face," Cruz said of his misplays after the game, via the team interpreter. "You don’t want those things to happen, but it was really uncomfortable today to have the sun right in front of my face. I tried my best, but it was kinda tough."
"Worst-case scenario, I was hoping it was going to be a sac fly," Baty said of the play. "Then I saw Cruz come in on it, so I was like, just keep running."
The very next batter, Marcus Semien, hit a fly ball to left center. What should have been an easy second out, turned disastrous as Cruz clearly lost the ball in the sun and let it fall for an RBI double. The Mets held a commanding 5-2 lead after that, a lead they would not relinquish.
"Not really the first one. The second one for sure. The first one was one of those low line drives and it takes a little more time for me to read it," Cruz explained when asked if the sun affected both plays. "It was a tough ball to read because you don’t know if you got to come in or go back. It got the sun a little bit at the end, but it’s something I have to get better at. I’ll get better at it for sure."
Cruz is not known for his defense. The gifted slugger made 24 errors as the team's shortstop in 2024 before they converted him to the outfield. Last season, playing exclusively at center, he made 11 errors in 120 starts. He was also a zero in outs above average a season ago, according to Statcast.
Despite the costly miscues, Cruz is motivated to improve his defense and help the Pirates this season.
"Last year had nothing to do with this year," Cruz said of his recent defensive struggles. "For sure, I don’t want to start the season the way I did. I’m just going to focus on my work and get better, that’s it.
"You learn a lot," he added. "There’s good days and bad days. No one wants to make mistakes, just gotta learn a lot and continue to work hard. That’s it."
The Mets and Pirates continue their first series of the season on Saturday before wrapping up on Sunday.
Oneil Cruz says the sun was in his eyes during his misplays in center field:
"It was really uncomfortable today to have the sun right in front of my face - I was trying my best, but it was tough" pic.twitter.com/dfsevQoRKO
Mar 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after pitching against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Well, it’s hard to imagine Opening Day having gone much better for the Brewers. Milwaukee’s bats came alive early and never let up, while Jacob Misiorowski and the bullpen shut down the White Sox to earn the Brewers a convincing victory.
Chicago was actually the first team to put a run on the board after Misiorowski threw a 99mph fastball up and in to White Sox leadoff hitter Chase Meidroth. Meidroth was ready, sending the pitch deep into the left field bleachers to give the Sox a quick 1-0 lead. Thankfully, Misiorowski then struck out the next three batters, which ended up being more indicative of how the game would go for Milwaukee.
Brice Turang led off the bottom of the first with a line drive double, but the next three batters — William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Andrew Vaughn — all made outs to keep the Brewers scoreless. Misiorowski kept the White Sox off the board in the second inning, allowing only a walk to Munetaka Murakami. Miz picked up two more strikeouts in the frame, bringing him to a total of five through only two innings.
Milwaukee took the lead in the bottom of the second against White Sox starter Shane Smith. Smith struck out Jake Bauers to start the frame, but Sal Frelick worked a walk on a full count to give the Brewers a baserunner. David Hamilton, making his Brewers debut, reached on a catchers’ interference by Edgar Quero. Smith then issued a five-pitch walk to Garrett Mitchell, with all four balls well out of the strike zone. That loaded the bases for who else but Joey Ortiz, who looped a shallow fly ball into right field that dropped just out of reach of a sprinting Meidroth. Frelick scored to tie the game at 1.
With the bases still loaded, Turang struck out looking. Smith was just one out away from getting out of the inning relatively unscathed, but the next batter — Contreras — smoked a double down the third base line to clear the bases.
That would be it for Smith in his first Opening Day start. Sean Newcomb came in to face Christian Yelich, who grounded out to end the inning. Nevertheless, the damage was done. Milwaukee led 4-1 after 2, a lead they would never relinquish.
At this point in the game, Misiorowski was rolling. Despite needing 94 pitches to get through five innings, Miz gave up just one hit — an infield single to Austin Hays — and struck out eleven, an Opening Day franchise record. He did walk three batters, but otherwise more than looked the part of a No. 1 starter in his first season at the top of the Brewers’ rotation.
Milwaukee tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth against Newcomb thanks to a rally that started with Hamilton beating out an infield hit. Garrett Mitchell advanced him to second base with a sacrifice bunt, after which Hamilton promptly stole third. Joey Ortiz then hit his second single of the day — this one much harder hit — to give the Brewers their first run of the inning. Brice Turang grounded out for the second out, advancing Ortiz to second in the meantime. Newcomb then walked Contreras in order to face Yelich with runners on first and second. Bad idea. Yelich ripped a single into centerfield. Ortiz scored, but Contreras was thrown out trying to take third base.
Milwaukee would score five more runs over the next two innings. Sal Frelick hit a two-run homer into the second deck in the fifth to give the Crew an 8-1 lead. Jordan Hicks came in for the sixth and immediately gave up a single to Turang, who was then thrown out trying to steal second. After that, Hicks promptly melted down, walking two straight batters before allowing an RBI single to Andrew Vaughn. Bauers popped up for the second out, but Hicks walked Frelick to load the bases. That brought up Hamilton, who — you guessed it — walked, scoring another run. Jedixson Paez came in for Hicks, but he was unable to get out of the inning before walking in another run, bringing the score to Brewers 11, White Sox 1.
Bauers, the Brewers’ hottest hitter this spring, hit a three run bomb (108.6 mph exit velocity) in the seventh to widen the lead even further. Chicago got a run back in the ninth off of the newest Brewer, reliever Jake Woodford, courtesy of a home run from former NPB Triple Crown winner Munetaka Murakami. That brought the game to its final score: Milwaukee 14, Chicago 2.
Every starter had a hit today except Garrett Mitchell, who walked twice and had a sacrifice bunt. Turang, Yelich, Bauers and Ortiz each had two hits. The pitching staff (Misiorowski, Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, DL Hall, and Woodford) combined to allow just four hits while striking out 20. Milwaukee dominated this game in essentially every way possible.
The Crew have a day off tomorrow before continuing their three-game series with the White Sox on Saturday. Chad Patrick will get the ball for Milwaukee, with right-hander Sean Burke slated to start for the visiting team. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m.
