The best Opening Day games ever

Opening Day is at all times probably the greatest days of the 12 months. These Opening Days had been the perfect of the perfect.

Here are a dozen of the best Opening Day video games in MLB historical past.

April 2, 2017: D-backs 6, Giants 5
This sport seemed like it could be a pitchers’ duel, pitting two aces towards one another in Madison Bumgarner and Zack Greinke. At first, Bumgarner was the one who stole the present. He dazzled on the mound, racking up 11 strikeouts in seven innings and outlasting his counterpart Greinke. And Bumgarner had a historic day on the plate — he slugged two dwelling runs, turning into the primary pitcher ever to homer twice on Opening Day.

But the D-backs bought the final snicker. Trailing by a run within the backside of the ninth, they strung collectively a comeback towards Giants nearer Mark Melancon. With two outs and no one on, Jeff Mathis doubled, and Daniel Descalso adopted with the game-tying single. Two batters later, Chris Owings got here via with a walk-off base hit.

April 6, 2012: Rays 7, Yankees 6
The Rays’ 2012 opener towards the Yankees at The Trop wasn’t only a matchup of AL East foes. It was the golf equipment’ first assembly after their legendary Game 162 the earlier season. From the final sport of 1 season to the primary sport of the following, the 2 groups stored up the drama. Opening Day 2012 began with a first-inning grand slam by Carlos Pena off CC Sabathia, however the Yanks rapidly got here again to take the lead within the third on a three-run shot by Raul Ibanez off James Shields.

Down 6-5 getting into the underside of the ninth, Tampa Bay confronted Mariano Rivera … and got here out on high. Ben Zobrist tied the rating with an RBI triple off the Hall of Fame nearer, and after the Yankees deliberately walked the bases loaded, the sport fell on Pena’s shoulders. He delivered a protracted walk-off single to provide the Rays the 7-6 win.

March 31, 2011: Dodgers 2, Giants 1
On Opening Day 2011, Clayton Kershaw was 23 years previous, not but an All-Star or Cy Young Award winner and stepping right into a marquee matchup in his first Opening Day begin. The Dodgers had been going through the rival Giants, who had simply gained their first of three World Series in a five-year span, and reverse Kershaw was Tim Lincecum, who had already gained two NL Cy Young Awards and had gained each of his 2010 World Series begins.

Kershaw and Lincecum placed on a present. Lincecum allowed only one run in seven innings, and it was unearned, scoring on a botched pickoff play. But Kershaw was untouchable. He spun seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball and struck out 9, outdueling Lincecum for the win. He went on to win pitching’s Triple Crown and take dwelling his first Cy Young Award that 12 months.

April 4, 2005: Rockies 12, Padres 10
There was no lack of offense or lead adjustments on this Opening Day affair at Coors Field in 2005. The Rockies jumped out to a 7-3 lead via 5 innings, however the Padres scored 5 within the high of the sixth to take an 8-7 lead. Colorado rapidly tied the sport within the backside of the sixth on a base hit by Todd Helton, just for San Diego to retake the lead on a pair of solo homers within the high of the seventh. By that point, the 2 groups had mixed for seven dwelling runs within the sport — and there have been extra fireworks to return.

The Padres held onto a 10-8 lead getting into the underside of the ninth, after they despatched in Hall of Fame nearer Trevor Hoffman to strive for the save. Hoffman bought two outs, however the Rockies wouldn’t go down. Cory Sullivan pulled them to inside one with an RBI double, and the following batter, Aaron Miles, tied the rating with a single. Finally, Clint Barmes stepped in towards Hoffman and launched a walk-off two-run homer to provide Colorado a loopy win.

March 31, 1996: Mariners 3, White Sox 2
The Mariners’ season opener on the Kingdome in 1996 began with the dominant Randy Johnson on the mound. But the Big Unit was rudely greeted by the Big Hurt. Frank Thomas crushed a two-run homer off Johnson within the first inning to provide Chicago an early lead.

Johnson dominated the remainder of the way in which. Those runs had been the one ones he allowed in seven innings, and he struck out 14, one in all two profession Opening Day begins wherein he had 14 K’s (tied for second-most by any pitcher in a season opener). But the Mariners nonetheless trailed by a run getting into the underside of the ninth, till Edgar Martinez got here via with the game-tying double. The rating stayed tied till the twelfth, when a 20-year-old Alex Rodriguez — simply beginning his first full Major League season — lined a walk-off single to provide Seattle the win.

April 8, 1975: Mets 2, Phillies 1
This was a very good old school pitchers’ duel between two of the perfect to ever take the mound: Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton. Tom Terrific made extra Opening Day begins than another pitcher in MLB historical past, 16, and this one at Shea Stadium was his better of the bunch. Seaver held the Phillies to 1 run in 9 innings and struck out 9. But Carlton, who made 14 Opening Day begins himself, was simply nearly as good till the underside of the ninth. The Mets lastly bought to him for the profitable run, with Joe Torre the person who knocked it in.

This wasn’t the primary time Seaver and Carlton squared off on Opening Day, and it would not be the final. The two Hall of Famers confronted one another 5 occasions in season openers, they usually by no means dissatisfied. In these 5 Opening Day video games — in 1973, ’74, ’75, ’81 and ’83 — Seaver had a 1.19 ERA and Carlton had a 2.91 ERA. Seaver’s staff gained 4 of the 5 video games.

April 4, 1974: Reds 7, Braves 6
This sport was most memorable because the setting for a historic second: Hank Aaron’s 714th profession dwelling run. Aaron entered the 12 months only one shy of Babe Ruth’s all-time report, and he did not make baseball followers wait lengthy. Hammerin’ Hank tied the Bambino with a first-inning drive at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

The remainder of the sport was thrilling, too. The Braves held a 6-2 lead getting into the eighth inning, however the Big Red Machine immediately churned into excessive gear. Hall of Famer Tony Perez cracked a three-run homer within the backside of the eighth to drag the Reds inside a run, and with two outs within the backside of the ninth, Pete Rose roped a double to heart area to tie the sport. In the underside of the eleventh, Charlie Hustle doubled once more, then scampered dwelling with the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

April 15, 1947: Dodgers 5, Braves 3
Opening Day for the Dodgers in 1947 was some of the necessary video games within the historical past of the game — it was the day Jackie Robinson made his Major League debut, breaking baseball’s colour barrier.

With 26,623 available at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, many carrying “I’m for Jackie Robinson” buttons, the Dodgers rallied from a run down within the backside of the seventh inning, scoring thrice and holding on for a 5-3 win. Robinson scored the go-ahead run.

April 16, 1940: Cleveland 1, White Sox 0
The followers in attendance at Comiskey Park on Opening Day in 1940 bought to witness an historic sport: The solely no-hitter by an AL/NL pitcher in Opening Day historical past, thrown by Hall of Famer Bob Feller. He was sensational on an appropriately blustery day within the Windy City. Feller was simply 21 years previous on the time, and this was the primary of three no-hitters he would throw in his profession.

The sport’s solely run got here on Rollie Hemsley’s two-out RBI triple within the fourth inning. With the tying run aboard within the ninth inning, Indians second baseman Ray Mack made a lunging cease for the sport’s ultimate out.

April 13, 1926: Senators 1, Athletics 0 (15 innings)
Walter Johnson wasn’t simply one of many best pitchers of all-time, he was additionally one of many finest ever on Opening Day. The Big Train began 14 season openers for Washington in his Hall of Fame profession, and in these video games, he tossed a Major League-record seven shutouts. His efficiency on Opening Day 1926, although, was merely mind-boggling.

At age 38, Johnson held the Athletics scoreless for 15 innings, permitting solely six hits to a lineup that included Hall of Famers Al Simmons and Mickey Cochrane. But he was matched by Philadelphia starter Eddie Rommel, who stored the sport scoreless into the fifteenth himself. Finally, within the backside of the fifteenth, Hall of Famer Bucky Harris singled for Washington, Goose Goslin — one other Hall of Famer — doubled him to 3rd, and Joe Harris singled him dwelling for the profitable run.

April 14, 1925: Cleveland 21, Browns 14
Cleveland turned the highest-scoring staff in an Opening Day sport again in 1925. That April 14, the membership opened the season with a 21-14 win over the St. Louis Browns, and boy was the sport wild. The rating would not even inform the story.

This was no blowout win for Cleveland. It was a back-and-forth affair that noticed it leap out to a 7-1 lead, just for the Browns to rally to tie the sport at 9 by the fifth inning. St. Louis scored 4 extra occasions within the sixth to take a 13-9 lead … after which the enjoyable actually started. Cleveland scored 12 runs within the high of the eighth, with the go-ahead blow a three-run homer off the bat of Hall of Famer Tris Speaker. But possibly the strangest a part of the sport? The Browns dedicated a whopping 10 errors — tying the Major League report for a single sport — together with 5 within the 12-run eighth. Eleven of these runs had been unearned.

April 18, 1923: Yankees 4, Red Sox 1
In 1923, the Yankees gained the primary of their Major League-record 27 World Series championships. But the season was particular from the start: Opening Day for the Yanks was additionally the grand opening of the unique Yankee Stadium. The ballpark, in fact, turned often known as “The House That Ruth Built.” And earlier than the primary sport ever performed there, the Babe stated, “I’d give a year of my life if I could hit a home run on Opening Day of this great new park.”

The Yankees legend delivered. Ruth christened Yankee Stadium with a three-run homer that made the distinction within the Bronx Bombers’ 4-1 win over the Red Sox.