In a 3 – 2 win over the Reds, the Dodgers homer in a 32nd consecutive home game at Dodger Stadium, courtesy of A.J. Pollock, dating back to August 21st last season. This ties the all-time record set by the 1999 Rockies.
Derek Dietrich leads the Reds to a 5 – 2 win over the Cardinals in the first of two games played at Estadio Monterrey in Mexico. He homers off Adam Wainwright to lead off the 7th inning and break a 1 – 1 tie, then adds a two-run triple in the 8th.
After starting the season with 11 consecutive road games – and losing 8 of them – the Red Sox finally hold their home opener. The raise their World Series banner and their players receive their rings, but they lose again, 7 – 5 to the Blue Jays. On the positive side, Dustin Pedroia starts at second base in his first game since last May, and it is the first time ever that both managers hail from Puerto Rico: Alex Cora for Boston and Charlie Montoyo for Toronto.
Chris Davis establishes a new futility record: by going 0-for-5 in a 12 – 4 Orioles win over the Athletics. He increases his streak of at-bats without a hit to 49, including 28 since the start of the current season, shattering the previous mark of 46 by Eugenio Velez in 2010-2011.
The Trump Administration cancels an agreement reached in the previous December between Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation that allows Cuban players to join organized baseball through a formal transfer process, as is the case with South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The current administration objects to the fact that transfer fees are being paid to the Federation; however, the agreement’s demise is likely to lead to a return of danger-fraught defections as the only path for Cuban players to reach the U.S.
2019 – Jorge Polanco hits the first cycle of the season, but the Twins still lose to the Phillies, 10 – 4. Rhys Hoskins drives in 4 runs as the red-hot Phils, who are averaging over 8 runs per game so far, take an early 5 – 0 lead against Jake Odorizzi and cruise from there in spite of Polanco’s heroics. Nick Pivetta is the winner.
2019 – Jacob deGrom, last year’s Cy Young Award winner is back at it. He strikes out 14 Marlins in 7 innings and also hits a homer to lead the Mets to a 6 – 4 win. It is deGrom’s 26th consecutive quality start, dating back to 2018, matching the major league record set by Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in 1967-1968.
2019 – Returning to Washington, DC for the first time since signing a record free agent contract with the Phillies this spring, Bryce Harper is welcomed with a very loud chorus of boos before each of his at-bats. He has the last laugh, however, as he collects 3 hits, including a massive 458-foot two-run homer off Jeremy Hellickson in the 8th, to lead the Phils to an 8 – 2 win over the Nationals.
Third baseman Adrian Beltre announces his retirement after 21 seasons in the majors. With over 3,000 hits and a reputation as one of the finest fielders ever at the position, resulting in five Gold Gloves, his next stop will likely be the Hall of Fame in five years’ time.
2018 – The Yankees make a big trade, acquiring ace SP James Paxton from the Mariners for three players, including top prospect Justus Sheffield. Paxton struck out 208 batters and pitched a no-hitter last season.
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