Category: MLB

Andy Pages hasn’t forgotten about last postseason, though he’d like to. And he’d surely like you to forget about it, too — or, well, most of it.

Feel free to retain the mental image of his epic smash-and-grab catch over teammate Kiké Hernández.

That stunning play in the bottom of the ninth inning didn’t just save Game 7 of the World Series, it also spared Pages’ reputation. Covered for the ignominy of his historically woeful four-for-51 hitting performance.

You know what will help everyone totally flush those memories? To turn the proverbial page? Maybe keep us from mentioning it ever again?

A steady diet of games like Thursday’s.

In an 8-2 season-opening victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Pages stood out among his club’s standouts.

And, as the eighth man in the order, he also served up a reminder that there really will be no rest for weary opposing pitchers this season.

The buoyant bottom of the lineup has bite, too: Let the record show it was Pages who hit the Dodgers’ first home run and drove in the club’s first runs to kick off their pursuit of a third consecutive World Series championship.

That it was he who cracked the code against Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen in the fifth inning, teeing off on a three-run, 400-foot home run to left-center field.

And that it was his at-bat to lead off the eighth — a full-count single the other way, into right field — that Roberts had to mention postgame.

In spring training, Roberts anointed Pages as this season’s “pick-to-click” candidate, in part because of how hard the 25-year-old center fielder has been working on improving his plate discipline after swinging at 32% of pitches outside of the zone last year.

The pick-to-click distinction previously went to Teoscar Hernández in 2024, before he became an All-Star in his first season with the Dodgers. Last year, Michael Conforto was Roberts’ pick.

Small wonder, perhaps, that Pages isn’t putting too much stock in his manager’s prediction: “It feels really nice for him to say that about me, or to pick me, but obviously I'm not really focused on that,” he said, through an interpreter.

What he’s focused on, he said, “is just trying to do everything I can, every day, to get a little bit better.”

That’s what’s got his manager so revved up.

“He’s a complete player,” Roberts gushed. “And I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

Is an Andy Pages Breakout Season loading?

Were last season’s 27 home runs — second most on the Dodgers, behind Shohei Ohtani’s 55 — not a breakout?

I think ... not?

Not when Pages so clearly has so much more to give.

Now when he does his homework like he did this spring, stationing himself in front of a pitching machine, calling out balls and strikes. (Watch out, Automated Balls and Strikes system?)

Not if the Dodgers can come to trust him at the plate like they now feel secure with him blanketing the outfield.

“Even last year when there were questions if he could play center field at a high level,” Roberts said. “And he's worked his tail off, he really has. Every single day, he's putting in work and he just keeps getting better — his jumps, his lines to the ball, and obviously the arm strength is there.”

Read more:Miguel Rojas cherishes final opening day as 'Uncle Miggy' in Dodgers' win over Arizona

On Thursday, Pages had another one of his sensational snags, taking an angle that would’ve made a defensive back proud in pursuit of Geraldo Perdomo’s fly ball to start the seventh. Stretched out, Pages slid beneath the ball to add to his opening-day highlight reel.

“I feel good,” Pages said, when I asked him afterward not about last postseason, but about his confidence heading into this season — though his mind went back there anyway.

“It's something that happened earlier, the postseason is what the postseason was,” he said. “I'm not really focused on that, I'm focused on what I'm doing right now and my confidence is really high right now.”

Keep it up, and all anyone will remember is the heroics — including those to come.

Read more:Plaschke: Seeing double: Dodgers celebrate titles on a sparkling opening day

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

NY Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees rolled over the Giants on Wednesday, but if you were to guess how they did it, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lot of people who would’ve had them getting 10 hits with nine of them being singles, not one home run slugged, and absolutely nothing from Aaron Judge. That’s the versatility of one of the deepest lineups in baseball though, and they put up the most runs in 2025 for a reason. If they want to repeat the process, there’ll be more nights than you’d expect where the stars take a backseat in a lineup that can do damage at any point, and Aaron Boone is enjoying the process being showcased right away — as the Yankee skipper put it, “I think we can beat you a lot of different ways.”

NY Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): One of the topics on hand for Opening Day was the fact that it was exclusively broadcast on Netflix, adding yet another streaming provider into the mix of platforms that have MLB games in their possession. The full gambit of Yankees games this year will require access to as many as five subscriptions, a wild number to think about when the organization owns their own broadcast media company. Gone are the days of YES carrying all but the occasional national media weekend game though, and the players can relate to fans’ struggles in finding all of the content. Players like Tim Hill and Ryan McMahon expressed their frustration for fans having to juggle all of these streaming costs, with McMahon relaying how he struggled to find where he could watch the WBC games as they were happening. There’s no easy solution in sight as MLB’s wonky media rights deals will surely be a topic of discussion in the upcoming CBA talks, but it’s hard to imagine putting the genie back in the lamp after the commissioner rubbed it.

FanGraphs: Wild predictions are always fun to shoot off right before the start of the season, and the FanGraphs staff took their shot at making some fun ones. Of relevance to New York, Jake Mailhot made the bold claim that four AL East teams will make the playoffs but all of them will fail to make it past the ALDS — a prediction that, logistically, sounds impossible so long as the division winner ends up with one of the top two seeds and a longshot even if all four play in the Wild Card Round but hey, who knows. Not to be outdone, Matt Martell took the stance that neither Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani will repeat as MVPs this year, which would be a major upset for sure. Perhaps the boldest yet comes from Paul Sporer, who is throwing down a Ryan McMahon 30-homer season prediction — from your lips to God’s ears, friend.

The season has started! Hooray! Alas, we have too little data to meaningfully dissect. So, today you get to read some final Spring Training tidbits.  Things that came up that didn’t make in neatly in another article.  It will seem kind of random, especially coming after the Regular Season has started.  So, there is that.

First, I will do a quick rundown on the Cardinal’s players who experienced the WBC.  Then a few random stats regarding Spring Training.  Last, will do a quick demographic look at the 2026 Opening Day roster.

Cardinal Players in the World Baseball Classic

Here is quick rundown of various Cardinal players who elected to participate in the WBC.  Suffice to say, this year was not nearly as disruptive as the experience of 2023. 

In no particular order:

Leonardo Bernal – Leo played all 4 games with Panama before they were eliminated.  He appears to have been the main catcher ahead of M. Amaya.  He recorded 17 PA, compiling a .235 BA.  He was made aware before leaving for the WBC that he would be returning to the MiLB side of Cardinal camp and find himself assigned to Memphis.  This is the next logical step in his progression.

Luis Gastelum – Luis played for team Mexico.  He appeared in 2 of their 4 games, pitching 1 inning while giving up a hit.  His limited use puts him a bit behind in camp.  Like Bernal, he was made aware before he left for WBC of his pending assignment to MiLB camp. When Oli was asked about which pitcher had caught his attention this spring, Gastelum and his change-up was the first mention. 

Matt Koperniak – Matt played for team Great Britain.  He acquitted himself well.  He got in all 4 games, going 3 for 9, with 4 BB and 3 K’s, plus 2 RBI.  He was an NRI to MLB camp this year and will retain that status upon his return, at least for a few days.  I don’t know his disposition at the end of camp.  I have him on the bubble for the Memphis squad.  Baez, Ugueto, Ledbetter and Madris would seem to be the 4 priority OFers and I’m not sure both Antico and Koperniak will make the squad.  It will be a few more days before we know.

Riley O’Brien – Riley was going to play for Korea, but an injured calf prevented him from joining the team at the outset.  Calf injuries can hang on with older guys, and yes, he is older.  He is actually one of the oldest players on the Cardinals team at 31 years old.  Only Ramon Urias and Ryne Stanek are older.  Surprised? He ended up not participating in the WBC, remaining behind in Cardinal’s camp.  He is just now getting back into the swing of things in Jupiter.

Ivan Herrera – Ivan did not participate due to insurance issues, which I suspect were related to his recovery from off-season elbow surgery.  The insurance snafu, which snagged many, may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as neither his arm nor his legs are yet in full-go condition.  WBC play would likely not have helped his ramp up, which will carry into the first part of the regular season.

To complete the report, we have Team Italy players Thomas Saggese and Gordon Graceffo, who legitimately could view themselves as the second incarnation of the Memphis Mafia. 

Thomas Saggese – Sags served a utility role for Team Italy, playing behind such luminaries as Sam Antonacci (SS), Jon Berti (2B), Andrew Fisher (3B).  He got 11 PAs over two weeks, which set him behind offensively.  Likewise, he got no time in the outfield, which did not advance his hopes to expand his repertoire and solidify a multi-position utility role.  In the 11 PAs, he struck out 5 times and did not walk.  He got one hit. 

Gordon Graceffo – Gordon pitched twice out of Italy’s bullpen.  No reliever made more than 4 appearances.  That said, two appearances in almost two weeks puts him behind in terms of building up for the regular season.  In two IP, Graceffo had four K’s and 3 BBs, with 1 ER.

For both Saggese and Graceffo, I saw both these guys as bubble guys with a shot to break camp with the MLB squad for Opening Day.  The odds became longer just because they are behind and it would be difficult to catch up in the MLB environment.  Plus, both have options.  I expected both them to start in Memphis and come up pretty quickly.  It turns out Sags made the Opening Day roster, ahead of Nelson Velazquez. Although I don’t it was Sags 40-man spot that blocked NV.

Closing Spring Training Notes

The Spring Training story is written and in the books.  I’ll put my own exclamation point on it with a few data points and conclusions (spoiler alert: Spring Training results have about the same predictive value as how often you open/close your refrigerator predicts next week’s weather). 

Record – 17-9 (with 2 ties)(not counting exhibitions)

The last time the Cardinals had such a fine run of games in Spring Training?  They finished with a Grapefruit League best at 17-7….in 2023.

As a note, the Cardinals were 7-3 in games decided by rallies in the late innings predominated by minor leaguers.  If anything, we can take a hint that the Cardinals minor leaguers are better than the other teams’ minor leaguers.

The Cardinals were 10-4 at home, where the games were predominantly established players vs. other team’s young guys (their travel squad).

At 119 runs scored, the Cardinals finished 10^th in Grapefruit League play (out of 15 teams).

At 106 runs allowed, the Cardinals finished 4^th in Grapefuit Leage play.  Feeling pretty good about that pitching are we?  Consider.  The Cardinals played 18 games against Houston, Miami and Washington (their closest neighbors).  All of those teams sported BA below .200 this spring.  Cause, or effect?  Good pitching?  Poor offenses faced?  Local weather factors?

In 2025 Spring Training, Victor Scott II tied for the team lead with 4 HR.  The player he tied with?  Luken Baker.  Consider that when you try to project Nelson Velazquez.   

The Opening Day Roster

The Cardinals open with a roster of players that average 27.3 years old.  That will line out to be one of the youngest in baseball, if not the youngest. I believe they capture the crown because Mikolas skews the Nats number so much.

Of the 26 players on the roster, 12 were drafted by StL and one came via the IFA route.  That is on the low side for their historical standards, but not markedly so.

Interestingly, 3 of the 26 were “purchased”.  That doesn’t mean anything, it just stood out. Not traded for. Not claimed on waivers. Bought. I think this is the result of a strategy to essentially jump the line on the waiver claim order for players who have been DFA’ed.

6 of the 8 bullpen arms are without minor league options.  That is a new twist.  The old days of “roster flexibility” are gone.

For an offense that was supposed to add more contact and on-base ability this off-season, it was a disappointing showing from the Mariners on Opening Day in front of a sold-out (as announced by the Mariners) crowd. The Mariners hitters combined for 14 strikeouts, scoring all their runs on solo homers. They only had two non-dinger hits: two doubles, one from Brendan Donovan and one by Randy Arozarena (that probably should have been scored as a single stretched to a double with some shaky play from the Guardians outfield).

Initially, it looked like the Mariners were going to be able to outmaneuver the Guardians, despite Logan Gilbert surrendering a first-inning home run to rookie Chase DeLauter, who pounced on a slider from Gilbert and took him deep to put the Mariners in an early hole.

“I was probably leaning too much on not walking [DeLauter] there,” said Gilbert postgame. “I just didn’t rip it like I usually do, a true slider.”

But Brendan Donovan was right there to pick up his teammate, making some history in his first plate appearance as a Mariner. This is the first leadoff home run on Opening Day in Mariners history:

“That’s a lot of prayers answered right there,” said Donovan postgame, who admitted he was trying to lean the ball fair when it came off his bat.

Marine layer? More like Mariner layer, as in the second Dominic Canzone proved he didn’t leave his power behind in Arizona, either, blasting this go-ahead run at 108 mph.

But that was the last time the Mariners were in the lead in this game. Guardians starter Tanner Bibee was able to keep the Mariners quiet, striking out seven over his five innings of work before being forced out in the sixth without throwing a pitch with what was later announced as right shoulder inflammation.

Logan Gilbert, while not the most efficient with his pitches, was able to match Bibee until the top of the fifth. He suffered a bad-luck weakly-hit leadoff single off the bat of Rhys Hoskins, but then gave up a double to Daniel Schneeman on a slider that didn’t slide enough to put runners on second and third with no outs. Brayan Rocchio then punished a terrible cutter that wound up dead red into the right field corner for a two-RBI double that put the Guardians ahead 3-2.

Gilbert relied on his cutter as the most often used of his secondary pitches, second only behind his four-seamer, while burying his slider in his arsenal. The fastball, which started out 95-96, was down to 94

But again, Luke Raley picked up his teammate, assuring Logan could be handed no worse than a no-decision with a game-tying solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. Raley continues to look like his 2024 self instead of the injury-ravaged 2025 version and it’s great to see

Both teams turned to their bullpens in the sixth. Tanner Bibee came out to pitch the sixth, but left shortly after throwing his warmup pitches with what was announced as right shoulder inflammation

The Guardians took the lead back in the seventh against Gabe Speier, again utilizing their brand of high-contact baseball to create traffic on the bases. Brayan Rocchio nubbed a single off a slider at the bottom of the zone, and Chase DeLauter ambushed a first-pitch sinker that caught too much plate for a single of his own. José Ramírez then doubled on a slider that was located approximately at his shoetops, sending it deep into the gap and scoring both runners, then to add insult to injury stole third base before Speier was able to

Again, it was Canzone pulling the Mariners back into it, seizing the MLB home run lead (for today, at least) with his second homer of the game, rudely greeting former Mariner Shawn Armstrong in the seventh with this titanic blast:

“Heaters down the middle,” smirked Canzone when asked what he was looking for on these homers. “And they were just kind of in the honey hole, down and in.” (Hello Honey Hole sandwiches, have I got a pitch for you.)

Casey Legumina also had to deal with some traffic against the pesky Guardians, walking Rhys Hoskins on a pitch that Cal should have challenged for a strikeout looking and giving up an ambush first-pitch single to Gabriel Arias. Brayan Rocchio then apparently his pant leg got nicked by a sweeper, loading the bases, but Legumina wiggled out of trouble with a beautiful pitch sequence to the uber-pest Steven Kwan, getting the contact-oriented Kwan reaching after sinkers up and away before burying a changeup for Kwan to swing over. In a game that maybe didn’t have a ton to get excited about aside from Canzone’s big day at the plate, let us pause a moment for Casey Legumina striking out Steven Kwan.

It was Legumina’s first-ever Opening Day start and he arrived at the park in a sharply tailored cobalt blue suit. When I complimented him on it, he smiled and said, “Thanks. It’s my Opening Day suit. I’ve been waiting three years to wear it.”

Cooper Criswell got dinged up by a solo home run in his outing, again the victim of the rookie DeLauter, who demolished one of Criswell’s cutters to lead off the ninth, but rebounded to strike out José Ramírez on a changeup at the edge of the plate. He then walked former Coug Kyle Manzardo but was able to get Bo Naylor chasing after a changeup for a weak-contact double play, neatly fielded by Criswell. If those are the two non-leverage arms those are two acceptable outings from Criswell and Legumina.

The pitching leaking six runs isn’t the path to winning baseball for any team, let alone the Mariners, but the issue tonight was the offense, which just wasn’t able to click all night, putting up disjointed at-bats. Cal Raleigh struck out to lead off the eighth, once again not using his challenge despite the pitch looking like it landed outside. Postgame, Dan Wilson reaffirmed that his hitters do have the green light to challenge and they will “remind the guys as much as we can about using the challenges” (which in Dan Wilson language is about as stern a rebuke as you will get).

“It is new for everybody, and I think it doesn’t jump to the forefront of your mind all the time when you’re in the box. But it’s part of the game now and something we will use.”

One player who isn’t panicking after tonight’s game is Brendan Donovan, who said the focus is on quality at-bats and earning a little “dot” in Kevin Seitzer’s notebook to represent a quality at-bat: “chase as many dots as possible.” Sounding eerily like his new manager, he praised this group’s ability to not quit, fighting for every at-bat.

“I know we didn’t get the win,” Donovan said, “but it’s cool to show that this group can flip it on a time at any time.”

“I’m excited.“

Sometimes excitement is a blue suit you don’t get to wear and then one day you get to take it out of the closet. The Mariners will seek their first win of the season tomorrow at 6:40 with George Kirby on the mound.

LOS ANGELES — It was Joe Namath sitting poolside guaranteeing a Super Bowl victory for the New York Jets.

It was Muhammad Ali at ringside telling the world he’d “whup’’ George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle.

And it was Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and president Stan Kasten predicting a baseball dynasty.

The date was Feb. 28, 2013, and the Dodgers were coming out of the throes of bankruptcy, failing to reach the playoffs three consecutive seasons, when Walter was asked whether it was remotely possible to duplicate Atlanta’s success when they won 14 consecutive division titles under Kasten as president.

“It's going to be done again," Walter told USA TODAY Sports. “This time on the West Coast.’’

Kasten recoiled, Walter apologized, and 13 years later Thursday night, were laughing about their bravado.

“It’s funny, too,’’ Walter said Thursday, “because at the time I didn’t realize how hard it would be. But even though we did it, it's still crazy.

"It’s nuts."

It’s also reality.

The Dodgers have since played 13 full seasons, won 12 NL West Division titles, five National League pennants and three World Series championships.

And the way they looked Thursday night in their 8-2season-opening victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of a sellout crowd of 53,712 at Dodger Stadium, their dynasty isn’t about to end any time soon.

Tonight was mostly very fun for Guardians fans with one big caveat relating to Tanner Bibee. But, Cleveland beat Seattle 6-4, and here’s how it happened.

The game got started with a very exciting event – a Chase DeLauter home run on his first official major league at-bat:

There is a reason we have been screaming for him to play for Cleveland since last May, folks. Please, please, stay healthy.

DeLauter debuted a new home run celebration for the team:

Apparently inspired by a team trip to Medieval Times:

Unfortunately, Brendan Donovan followed up with a homer off Tanner Bibee to tie the game as the Mariners’ first batter. Bibee gave up three solo homers, one on a fastball, one on a sinker (to Dominic Canzone) and one on a cutter (to Luke Raley). So, that’s not helpful. He only gave up 4 hits and 2 walks and struck out 7… but left in the sixth with what was later reported as right shoulder inflammation. So… that’s bad. Hopefully it’ll be a short IL stint.

Back to more positive news- after a Rhys Hoskins single and a Daniel Schneemann double, Brayan Rocchio put the Guardians up 3-2 with a double:

After Bibee gave up the game-tying homer, Jose rapped a double to score Rocchio and DeLauter who had reached via singles in the top of the seventh.

Shawn Armstrong surrendered another homer to Canzone in the bottom of the frame, but Canzone got a well-placed cutter in the bottom of the zone. The bullpen was spotless outside of that with a scoreless inning from Connor Brogdon in the sixth, and ine and a third DOMINANT innings from Erik Sabrowski, who struck out four and went through the heart of the Mariners’ order like a knife through butter. Cade Smith had a perfect ninth for the save, striking out one.

Oh, did I forget to mention that DeLauter hit ABOTHER HOMER??!!:

The Guardians got their first win and I already can’t wait for tomorrow night’s sequel!

Guardians 6, Mariners 4

Opening Day festivities: Dominic Canzone, .23 WPA

Opening Day fartivities: Gabe Speier, -.31 WPA

Game thread comment of the day:

It was not the most fun Opening Day game, but always remember:

The Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, unveiled their initial roster on Thursday, with opening day set for Friday night in Oklahoma City against the Albuquerque Isotopes, a Rockies’ farm team.

Among the 43 players on the Dodgers 40-man roster, 10 are on the injured list (three on the 60-day IL, which expands this list to 43), and 26 are active in the majors. Six of the seven remaining 40-man players for the Comets.

River Ryan is the only unaccounted 40-man player not on the preliminary Oklahoma City roster, but he could join them soon. Ryan is slated to pitch this weekend in Arizona, Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic reported Thursday.

Hyeseong Kim lost out to Alex Freeland for a spot on the opening day roster, with the Dodgers wanting Kim to split time between second base, shortstop, and center field in Triple-A.

“There’s no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out. I think the driver, as far as at the outset, is giving Hyeseong an opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday.

Kyle Hurt is among the relievers. After an impressive spring training, the Dodgers opted to slow-play the right-hander missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get called up as a need arises in the majors.

Paul Gervase also impressed in spring, and left-hander Ronan Kopp is in his first year on the 40-man roster. Expect a lot of strikeouts from that pair.

Ryan Ward is also on the 40-man roster for the first time, but he returns to Oklahoma City, where the reigning Pacific Coast League MVP he holds several club records in the Bricktown era, a period since the current ballpark opened in 1998. Michael Siani will patrol the outfield for the Comets, likely flanked by Zach Ehrhard and/or James Tibbs.

Ehrhard and Tibbs, acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Dustin May last July, impressed as non-roster invitees in camp and as the older and more experienced of the plethora of stellar Dodgers outfield prospects are the closest to the majors among the group.

Jack Suwinski was briefly on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster this offseason, as was utility man Ryan Fitzgerald, who will likely play all over the infield and potentially some outfield for the Comets. Defensive whiz Noah Miller will play shortstop for Oklahoma City, whose infield also has Nick Senzel and Ryan Fitgerald, all of whom were non-roster invitees this spring for the Dodgers.

Veteran pitchers Cole Irvin and Keynan Middleton are on the Comets’ staff. Other Oklahoma City pitchers with major league experience are River’s brother Ryder Ryan, Garrett McDaniels, and Carlos Duran (pitched one game for the Athletics last season).

Irvin and Ryder Ryan will start the first two games, followed by Christian Romero on Sunday, per play-by-play broadcaster Alex Freedman.

Left-hander Antoine Kelly and right-hander Chris Campos, who were the last two non-roster pitchers standing in Dodgers camp this spring, each are on the Comets preliminary roster. left-hander Logan Allen, who signed a minor league contract last week, is also with Oklahoma City.

Pitcher José Rodríguez, who was touted as a potential Rule 5 Draft pick last December but went unselected, was a non-roster invitee this spring training but did not pitch. He starts the season on the 60-day injured list, as does veteran first baseman Matt Gorski.

Oklahoma City preliminary roster

• Starting pitchers (4): Cole Irvin, Ryder Ryan, Cristian Romero, Carlos Duran
• Right-handed relievers (8): Kyle Hurt*, Paul Gervase*, Chris Campos, Keynan Middleton, Jordan Weems, Wyatt Mills, Antonio Knowles, Jerming Rosario
• Left-handed relievers (4): Ronan Kopp*, Antoine Kelly, Logan Allen Garrett McDaniels
• Catchers (2): Eliézer Alfonzo, Seby Zavala
• Infielders (4): Ryan Fitzgerald, Noah Miller, Nick Senzel, Austin Gauthier
• Outfielders (4): Michael Siani*, Ryan Ward*, Jack Suwinski, Zach Ehrhard
• Infielder/outfielders (2): Hyeseong Kim*, James Tibbs III
• Injured list (2): rhp José Rodríguez (60-day), 1b Matt Gorski (60-day)

The Comets will finalize the roster before Friday’s season opener.

A bird defecating on a person’s head promises good fortune, according to the old superstition. 

There is less information established about the dark or promising omens when a bird dies nearby in your major league debut, but maybe Carson Benge will be the test case. 

On an afternoon that had a bit of everything — a phrase that nearly applies literally in this case — the Mets’ exciting rookie first sunk, then soared, then watched a bird soar and then sink in a scintillating and strange 11-7 Mets Opening Day victory over the Pirates at Citi Field. 

How did this measure up to your expectations, Carson? 

“Everything and more,” Benge said, accurately, after a Thursday that was mostly wondrous and part bizarre. 

First, the wondrous: Every at-bat from the club’s No. 2 prospect looked stronger than the previous one. He struck out twice, first against Paul Skenes — “Calm down,” Benge told himself after the three-pitch strikeout. “Deep breath, calm down.” — then Yohan Ramirez, before an impressive fight against lefty Mason Montgomery in the fifth. Benge dug a 1-2 hole before fouling off two pitches and letting three balls go by, earning an eight-pitch walk. 

With a bit more familiarity and feeling better about himself, Benge stepped up in the sixth inning, got a first-pitch sweeper from Pittsburgh’s Justin Lawrence and smoked a home run to right field. 

A person known as a baseball player and not an entertainer — a throwback who does not show much emotion on the field — made an exception. The 23-year-old watched the ball fly, touched first base and took a leap, his back to home plate, while his arms crept toward his torso and flexed. The moment he had dreamt about as a child had become a reality. 

“I just got chills,” said Benge, who was a spring star and only learned Monday that he won an Opening Day job. “This is where I’m supposed to be and just having fun.” 

He resumed his gait, rounded the bases and arrived at a rocking dugout. Manager Carlos Mendoza “told me it’s fun here,” Benge relayed with a smile. “I was like, ‘You’re right.’ ” 

He went through the high-five line, which was punctuated not by a slapping of hands but a big hug from Juan Soto. 

From there, Benge heard the sold-out crowd swell louder until he made his way to the top step of the dugout, where he took a curtain call. 

“It means the world,” said Benge — whose parents made the trip from Oklahoma, and who had 22 friends and family at the park. “Having all the people that have sacrificed so much for me come up and watch that happen is definitely big.” 

Offensively, Benge added a five-pitch walk in the eighth and swiped second base, which was the last normal “first” he could check off. There was the bizarre one — perhaps one proving that Benge can take whatever that is thrown at him in stride. 

Late in the game, “I heard a thud,” Benge said. He looked over and a bird had fallen from the sky a few feet away in right field. 

“I looked over and it was just down,” Benge said. “Down for the count.” 

He did not panic, his eyes trained on the batter. At least on the field, he appeared to be the only one aware of the animal. 

“I just looked around and was like, is anyone going to grab this?” Benge said. “No one was looking at it, so I wasn’t about to stop the game for it.” 

Unfortunately for him, the fans noticed, too, and they began chanting for him to pick it up. He declined, and after the frame a stadium worker ran onto the field and removed the bird, ending a surreal first day of Benge’s major league life. 

Is this a good or bad sign? 

“I’m not superstitious,” Benge said. “It worked out.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Aaron Boone likes to call this the week of overreactions.

Small sample sizes in the opening days of the season can provide dangerous fodder from which to make sweeping conclusions.

But given that this group of Yankees hitters had a substantial run together last season on the way to scoring the most runs in the majors, there was a little more legitimacy behind their reminder Wednesday night of what they are capable of on a daily basis — rolling deep and making life tough for opposing pitchers.

“I think you got a lot of different guys with a lot of different abilities,” said Austin Wells, who chipped in two hits out of the nine-hole in a 7-0 win over the Giants at Oracle Park.

“I think it blends really well and we all feed off each other. Starting with [Trent Grisham] at the top and working its way down, one through nine, that’s how it played out [Wednesday] and it’s been playing out for the last half-year.”

On many nights over the course of the season, the Yankees will crush homers or jump on Aaron Judge’s back to rack up wins.

But since this group has been playing together after last year’s trade deadline, it has also shown the ability to have nights like Wednesday, when it racks up 10 hits — nine of them singles, with Grisham’s two-run triple being the only exception — with a well-balanced attack.

“I think we can beat you a lot of different ways,” Boone said. 

Boone noted some of the Yankees’ aggressiveness on the bases paying off — such as Giancarlo Stanton scoring from second on José Caballero’s single to left field, Caballero hustling into second on the play when the throw went toward third base, and later Jazz Chisholm Jr. beating out a double play and forcing an errant throw that allowed Ben Rice to score from third.

Even more encouraging was the production from the bottom of the lineup, which fueled the five-run second inning and took the pressure off Judge, who went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.

“I think guys were just going up there, doing what the game asked them to do, take their knock and we put a bunch of balls in play, found a couple holes and ended up putting up a good number,” Ryan McMahon said. “No easy outs. If we can just [keep] stacking those good at-bats, hopefully good things like that keep happening.”

The Yankees will try to show off more of their lineup depth Friday, when Boone plans to play all of his right-handed hitters against Giants lefty Robbie Ray (the only southpaw scheduled to face the Yankees this trip).

That could mean Paul Goldschmidt leading off and playing first base (for Ben Rice), Amed Rosario manning third (for McMahon) and Randal Grichuk starting in left field (with Cody Bellinger sliding to center and Grisham on the bench).

Happy Opening Day, Braves Country! During Thursday’s presser, Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss informed the media that Drake Baldwin would be in the Opening Day lineup, but not behind the dish. Instead, Baldwin will be in the DH role while Jonah Heim is behind the plate. 

It’s a pretty interesting way to roll things out. The Braves still get Baldwin’s bat but don’t have to throw him straight into catching duties on day one. At the same time, Heim gives them a nice presence behind the plate, which should help the pitching staff settle in early. It feels like a simple way to get the best of both worlds from the jump.

Weiss gave a few other hints at how the lineup would shape up, like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski’s roles. The Braves kick off the 2026 campaign Friday evening with a matchup against the Kansas City Royals.

More Braves News:

The Braves reached a deal with Xfinity that will broadcast BravesVision, beginning today, March 27.

MLB News:

New York Mets non-roster outfielder Mike Tauchman will miss six weeks after undergoing meniscus surgery. 

Nico Hoerner and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a six-year extension. The financials of the contract have not been announced. 

The New York Mets and outfielder Tommy Pham agreed to a minor league deal. Should he be selected to the majors, he will earn a prorated salary of $2.25M.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed outfielder Jackson Chourio on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture in his left hand. He is expected to return in two to four weeks. 

There were fireworks, there was a flyover, there was Will Ferrell screaming and Keith Williams Jr. crooning and four months of cheers unleashed by fans wearing championship belts and howling grins.

But the real stars of Thursday’s Dodger opening day show never made a sound.

They arrived silently at the end of the pregame ceremony, carefully held by two of the men who helped win them, lifted high for all those who so passionately longed for them.

They were the last two Commissioner’s Trophies, the back-to-back World Series championship trophies, the two symbols of the Dodgers domination held side by side in the afternoon sun.

Man, it was beautiful. Goodness, how they sparkled. Incredible, how they glowed.

Read more:Miguel Rojas cherishes final opening day as 'Uncle Miggy' in Dodgers' win over Arizona

It was almost as if they were powered by some electrical force, some sort of championship current running between them, lighting them up with a blinding power curated by the battered fingers of the two veterans who touched them.

Freddie Freeman, whose grand slam doomed the New York Yankees, held the 2024 trophy. Miguel Rojas, whose home run stunned the Toronto Blue Jays, held the 2025 trophy.

Together they brought the trophies to the dugout from center field while riding in the back of a blue convertible driven by Ferrell as part of an elaborate video skit.

It was the first time many had seen the hardware side by side, and, amid audible gasps, their power was unmistakable. The greatness of the Dodgers accomplishment came to life on a day when their new task became equally clear.

“Three-peat!” screamed one of the pregame musicians.

Welcome, Dodgers, to 2026.

While manager Dave Roberts downplayed the three-peat talk before the opening 8-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, you know it’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere.

“At this moment, very minimal,” said Roberts when asked about the pressure. “...So yeah, hopefully we can keep that to a minimum throughout the season. But yeah, there’s obviously going to be a lot of talk about it.”

Thursday did nothing to dampen that talk. It was as if last season’s Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays was still being played. The Dodgers behaved like the exact same team with some of the same heroes.

The winning pitcher? Once again, it was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw six solid innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

The game-changing play? Once again, it was Andy Pages, whose three-run home run in the fifth inning gave the Dodgers a lead they never lost.

The final big blow? Yep, Will Smith, whose two-run homer in the seventh inning clinched it.

There was even a World Series star coming out of the bullpen, new cult hero Will Klein entering the game to the night’s loudest ovation and throwing a scoreless inning.

It’s as if the Dodgers have been on the same roll for four months…with no signs of slowing. This could be crazy. This already is crazy.

Other than the cool trophies and the Diamondbacks trampling, the most notable show Thursday was unwittingly staged by Dodger Stadium itself.

Your dutiful correspondent’s first impression of his favorite place on earth upon returning here for his 37th home opener wasn’t about the deep green or brilliant blue or enduring mountainscape.

It was, when did this place become Las Vegas?

Illuminated by the new grotesquely red Uniqlo Field billboard hanging high above center field, the stadium appears to have been transformed into something straight from NASCAR, advertisements filling every nook and cranny of the pavilion and beyond. There are giant billboards above the bullpens. There are scribbled ads on the bullpen walls. There are screaming displays for beer, soda and healthcare, the latter of which you will need if you heed too many of these ads.

The incessant sales pitches are buffeted by the usual deafening pounding music, which makes Vin Scully Avenue seem like Las Vegas Boulevard.

Was it always like this? It doesn’t seem like it. The Dodgers have always been relentless billboard salesmen, but since the arrival of Shohei Ohtani, they’ve become a global attraction with seemingly every major company on earth willing to pay for a piece of their success.

Fans will probably notice that the biggest difference this year is the $125-million sponsorship deal with Uniqlo, a Japanese apparel company that bought center field. Chavez Ravine is now officially known as Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium and, yeah, on Thursday it was awful hearing public address announcer Todd Leitz introduce it like that.

Not to worry, nobody in their right mind is ever going to call it that. Nonetheless, the whole atmosphere was weird and unsettling.

Still, it’s hard to blame the Dodgers. They’ve spent gobs of money building a two-time defending champion, and those bucks have got to come from somewhere.

You want Kyle Tucker? Live with the beer ad. You want a $1 billion rotation? Deal with the bank ad.

Unlike many other teams that have made baseball a haven for cheapskates, the Dodgers invest much of their revenue back into the roster.

It’s not always pretty. It can be loud and distracting and obnoxious. But it works.

As night fell on a blessed blue Thursday, the Dodgers had won their eighth straight home opener. They did it with pitching, hitting, depth, and two of the prettiest pieces of jewelry you’ve ever seen.

It was a day to celebrate the completion of the most incredible two-year journey in franchise history.

It was also a day to realize that the journey has just begun.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Apologies for the late thread, I went out to say hi to staffers John and Isabelle who are in attendance at the game tonight. Luke Raley hit that game-tying nuke just as I got up so maybe now that I’m sitting down again we can have another, this time a go-ahead one.

I want to start this recap by saying how grateful I am to be back for another season of Arizona Diamondbacks baseball with all of you. Today brought back all those familiar feelings from my childhood. Opening Day is always the best day of the year—a fresh wave of hope and optimism, the first sign of the dog days of summer ahead, and a welcome reunion with the friends we share this team with.

For D-backs fans, though, this nationally televised Opening Day felt more like a Dodgers home broadcast. Through the first three innings, we witnessed a classic pitchers’ duel between Zac Gallen and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The two matched each other inning for inning, with Gallen actually holding a slight edge in pitch count and efficiency.

The highlight for Arizona came in the top of the fourth, when last season’s team MVP Geraldo Perdomo launched a two-run homer to put the D-backs up 2-0. Sadly, the national announcers were so focused on the Dodgers that they sounded almost surprised by the blast—and the broadcast barely captured it, with just one replay and a poor camera angle.

The momentum shifted in the bottom of the fifth. With a lead in hand, Gallen hung a knuckle curve to the Dodgers’ eighth-hole hitter, Andy Pages, who crushed a three-run homer to give Los Angeles a 3-2 advantage. It was an all-too-familiar scene for Gallen on Opening Day. As Jesse Friedman of Snakes Territory pointed out, Gallen posted the exact same line last year: four innings pitched and four earned runs allowed.

That one pitch aside, Gallen actually looked quite sharp, showing excellent command of his four-seamer and generating good downward movement on his hard cutter/slider. It was a frustrating end to what had been a solid start.

Once the Dodgers took the lead, the game quickly became all LA. Torey Lovullo turned to much of his high-leverage bullpen early, but the Dodgers kept piling on runs. One of the D-backs’ key bullpen additions this offseason, Taylor Clark, had a rough introduction in the seventh, surrendering four earned runs while recording just one out. It was far from the debut the front office or Clark had hoped for, and it raised early questions about the 2026 bullpen.

After the Dodgers blew the game open, Arizona’s offense went completely quiet. Dodgers relievers retired 18 of the final 19 D-backs batters—a stark tale of two very different bullpens.

On the bright side, Jordan Lawlar had an encouraging debut to the 2026 season. He ripped a big double in his first at-bat and later made a spectacular highlight-reel catch in left field, crashing into the wall in the seventh inning. After a slow start to his 2025 campaign, this was exactly the kind of confident beginning the young infielder—and the team—needed.

It was also nice to see newcomer Nolan Arenado pick up his first hit in a D-backs uniform in the seventh. Here’s hoping it’s the start of a strong offensive rebound for the veteran. He also made a couple of great plays at the hot corner highlighting his defensive value early on in the season.

At the end of the day, it’s simply great to have meaningful baseball back. Opening Day remains a highlight of the year for so many of us. Unfortunately, today carried some echoes of last season: the D-backs looked competitive against one of the game’s top teams for about half the game, only for the bullpen to let things slip away and the contest to get out of reach.

What did you guys think of the start to the season?