With his Dodgers down 2-1 in the fifth and facing perhaps the best pitcher in baseball (that would be Tarik Skubal of the visiting Tigers), slugger Teoscar Hernández put the world champs back on top with a three-run blast off a first-pitch fastball. Here’s the color-television proof that it happened:
Hernández, back in town on a three-year contract, is coming off a career-high 33 homers in 2024, and he’s apparently still got that thump.
Coming off a disappointing 2024 season and the subject of trade discussions throughout the winter, Nolan Arenado has much to prove this season. One positive sign was the much improved bat speed he showed during spring training. Then on Opening Day against the Twins, Arenado did this to give the Cardinals a needed insurance run:
That’s big velocity in a tough spot, but Arenado turned it around. Getting back to the airborne pull power that’s been his calling card is important, and the above is a fine example of it.
The Cardinals’ center fielder made an impressive snare to save one and perhaps two runs in a tight game against the Twins. Dig it:
I gotta say, getting walked off on a Paul Skenes start day is about as wretched a start to the season as you can have as the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s bullpen blew a two-run lead in the eighth and then served up Kyle Stowers’ walk-off single in the ninth:
Sandy Alcantara took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in his first big league start since Sept. 2023. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner of course missed the entire 2024 season with Tommy John surgery. Alcantara was terrific and so was Skenes. He matched Alcantara pitch-for-pitch most of the game. It was decided by the bullpens.
The win snaps a four-year Opening Day losing streak for Miami.
Raise that banner, Los Angeles Dodgers:
The Reds led Thursday’s opener against the Giants in Cincy most of the way. It was 3-0 early and then the Giants cut to 3-2 in the fourth. That remained the score all the way until the ninth, when a Patrick Bailey single tied the game and then Wilmer Flores came through with the big blow, a three-run shot to give the Giants a 6-3 lead.
The Reds would rally in the ninth, but only get one run back. Matt McLain would fly out to deep left as the tying run to end the game. The Giants prevailed, 6-4.
Here’s evidence of that particular claim:
Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell cracked the Opening Day roster, and he got to work quickly when it comes to recording his first major-league hit. Here’s a look:
The Sox are hoping to get big contributions from their impressive young talent on hand or on the way soon. Campbell, whom CBS Sports ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball coming into this season, is a big part of those hopes. So far, so good.
Of all the big-name sluggers in San Diego for Braves-Padres, it is Gavin Sheets with the game-tying blast in the seventh. 4-4.
Considering his strong underlying batted-ball metrics and elite plate discipline, Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar could have a big year provided he stays healthy. Speaking of which, he went yard against the Twins on Opening Day:
With their Opening Day win, the White Sox are above .500 for the first time since March 30, 2023.
Jordan Walker with a 116.5 mph single in St. Louis.
The new Yankees closer struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich to end the threat, the ninth and the game.
The Yankees took a 4-1 lead into the ninth, and now former Brewers closer Devin Williams has loaded the bases with no outs against his former team on a single, a double, and a walk.
It’s a two-homer Opening Day for Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. His second of the day, off Toronto reliever Yariel Rodríguez, spanned an impressive 415 feet. Here are the relevant moving pictures:
It’s Baltimore in a romp so far.
The Phillies were completely dominated through six innings by Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore. It was 1-0 Nats through those six innings. Former Nationals player and current Phillies superstar Bryce Harper came to the plate in the seventh and tied things up.
That was Harper’s sixth career Opening Day homer, which is tied for the most among active players. Take note that Tyler O’Neill hit his sixth straight Opening Day home run earlier on Thursday. The record is eight from Adam Dunn and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
So Harper tied the game and then Alec Bohm made an out before Kyle Schwarber, another former Nationals player, came to the plate and gave the Phillies the lead.
Just like that, it was 2-1 Phillies. That’s what this lineup can do in a hurry when you let them hang around.
In six innings. He threw 93 pitches, gave up one hit, and zero walks against a very good Phillies lineup. It’s been a very long time since the last 13-strikeout, 0-walk performance on Opening day:
The 13 strikeouts are also the Nationals’ franchise record on Opening Day. Max Scherzer had 12 one year.
Aaron Judge’s first hit of 2025 is a ground ball that hits third base and bounces over Vinny Capra’s head for a double. Go figure.
Red Sox-Rangers has been fun as well, it’s 2-2 in the middle of the sixth with Nathan Eovaldi having struck out nine Red Sox. New Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet has thrown 88 pitches through five, so we might soon see the Red Sox bullpen.
Austin Riley homers to give the Braves a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth in what has been a very fun game so far.
There is, rightfully, a lot of attention on Paul Skenes in the Pirates-Marlins bout in Miami today. Skenes has six strikeouts through four innings while having allowed just one run.
Don’t forget about the man on the other side, though. Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is returning after missing last season due to Tommy John surgery. He won the 2022 NL Cy Young, becoming the first Marlins pitcher to ever bring home that hardware.
Alcantara looked like his old self through 4 ⅔ innings before hitting a wall. He was holding a 1-0 lead in the game while having allowed no hits and striking out seven. Then the Pirates jumped on him. Ke’Bryan Hayes singled before Alcantara issued two walks and then Bryan Reynolds sent a rocket liner up the middle to score two Pirates runs. And Alcantara was done.
He sure looked like he was an ace, again, up until those final four batters.
Keep in mind Alcantara is expected to be traded this season, too, so there was a lot of intrigue with this start.
Alan Roden, who won a spot on Toronto’s Opening Day roster with a scorching spring, picked up his first big league hit on Opening Day. Here’s his first career knock:
Baseball America ranked Roden the No. 8 prospect in the Blue Jays’ farm system entering 2025. They said his “advanced hit tool and strong supporting tools should allow him to carve out an everyday role.”
Not a whole lot has gone right for the Blue Jays on Opening Day. Roden’s first career hit is a nice little something to celebrate.
Only five innings too. That ties Max Scherzer’s Nationals record for strikeouts on Opening Day. Gore has given up just one hit to the Phillies. He’s thrown 80 pitches, and who knows how long they’ll let him go in his first start of the season. Washington’s lineup is loaded with top young hitters. Now they need Gore to take that next step and become a legit ace. He looks the part on Opening Day.
Jeimer Candelario has all three RBI for the Reds against Giants ace Logan Webb. Webb’s career splits show he’s much worse away from home and it was expected that the Reds would have a little extra juice heading in given how big of a deal Opening Day is in Cincinnati, along with new manager Terry Francona.
On the first pitch he saw as a big-leaguer, no less. Smith served a single the other way to right off Mets righty Clay Holmes:
Smith was the No. 14 pick in the 2024 draft by the Cubs, then they traded him to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker deal. He played only 32 games in the minors last year, then won a job in spring training. He played third base at Florida State and is in right field now.
Our R.J. Anderson ranked Smith the 26th-best prospect in baseball entering the season.
Jackson Merrill came through with a two-out, two-RBI single off Chris Sale and put the Padres on top in a lively first inning.
Yep, just as we predicted. Two no-hit innings and four strikeouts.
Jake Burger walked before a Josh Jung single and Kevin Pillar single and it’s 1-0 Rangers with two on and no out in the second. Crochet has already thrown 36 pitches.
Zack Wheeler looks razor sharp. Six batters, five strikeouts (all on a different pitch type), 23 pitches. I think he’s the best pitcher in the game just given the track record, the durability, and the current excellence.
