2019 – The surprising Mariners continue to be the hottest team in the majors, improving to 12-2 with a 6 – 5 win over the Royals. Mitch Haniger hits a tie-breaking homer with two outs in the 9th, and Seattle has now homered in its first 14 games matching the 2002 Indians as the only two teams ever to do so. For Kansas City, which suffers its 9th straight loss, Whit Merrifield sets a new team record by extending his hitting streak to 31 games, dating back to last season, with a bunt single in the 7th. The record had previously been held by Royals legend George Brett.

2019 – The surprising Mariners continue to be the hottest team in the majors, improving to 12-2 with a 6 – 5 win over the Royals. Mitch Haniger hits a tie-breaking homer with two outs in the 9th, and Seattle has now homered in its first 14 games matching the 2002 Indians as the only two teams ever to do so. For Kansas City, which suffers its 9th straight loss, Whit Merrifield sets a new team record by extending his hitting streak to 31 games, dating back to last season, with a bunt single in the 7th. The record had previously been held by Royals legend George Brett.

2018 – The Red Sox win their first confrontation of the season with their arch rivals the Yankees by knockout. The 14 – 1 victory is Boston’s 9th straight win after a loss on Opening Day, and is highlighted by a nine-run 6th inning, the most runs allowed by New York in an inning in two decades. Mookie Betts goes 4 for 4, scores 5 runs and hits a grand slam in the big inning to lead the Sox.

2018 – The Red Sox win their first confrontation of the season with their arch rivals the Yankees by knockout. The 14 – 1 victory is Boston’s 9th straight win after a loss on Opening Day, and is highlighted by a nine-run 6th inning, the most runs allowed by New York in an inning in two decades. Mookie Betts goes 4 for 4, scores 5 runs and hits a grand slam in the big inning to lead the Sox.

After a wait of 108 years, a two-hour rain delay pushes back the ceremony to raise the Cubs’ 2016 World Championship banner at Wrigley Field a little bit more, but a boisterous sellout crowd is on hand to see 1B Anthony Rizzo being the first player to raise the flag and to take the World Series Trophy on the field. Rizzo is then the hero of the home opener, as his 9th-inning single off Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers drives in the winning run in a 3 – 2 win.

After a wait of 108 years, a two-hour rain delay pushes back the ceremony to raise the Cubs’ 2016 World Championship banner at Wrigley Field a little bit more, but a boisterous sellout crowd is on hand to see 1B Anthony Rizzo being the first player to raise the flag and to take the World Series Trophy on the field. Rizzo is then the hero of the home opener, as his 9th-inning single off Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers drives in the winning run in a 3 – 2 win.

Wil Myers becomes the first player to hit for the cycle this year, doing so in the Padres’ 5 – 3 win over the Rockies. He is only the second player in team history to pull off the feat following Matt Kemp in 2015.

Wil Myers becomes the first player to hit for the cycle this year, doing so in the Padres’ 5 – 3 win over the Rockies. He is only the second player in team history to pull off the feat following Matt Kemp in 2015.

Mound opponents Cubs Travis Wood and Tyler Matzek of the Rockies each hit eighth in their team’s lineup, marking just the 12th time in major league history that both pitchers have not batted ninth in the same game. The last time this occurred was in 2008 when the Cardinals, led by Tony La Russa, who frequently employed his hurler in that slot, played the Pirates.

Mound opponents Cubs Travis Wood and Tyler Matzek of the Rockies each hit eighth in their team’s lineup, marking just the 12th time in major league history that both pitchers have not batted ninth in the same game. The last time this occurred was in 2008 when the Cardinals, led by Tony La Russa, who frequently employed his hurler in that slot, played the Pirates.

At Great American Ball Park, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman throws a 101 mph fastball by Matt Holliday to get the last out in the team’s 5-4 victory over St. Louis, making the fireballer the leader in saves by a Cuban-born player with 115. The 27 year-old Holguin native surpasses Pinar del Rio’s Danys Baez, who, beginning in 2001, closed for six teams during his ten-year tenure in the major leagues.

At Great American Ball Park, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman throws a 101 mph fastball by Matt Holliday to get the last out in the team’s 5-4 victory over St. Louis, making the fireballer the leader in saves by a Cuban-born player with 115. The 27 year-old Holguin native surpasses Pinar del Rio’s Danys Baez, who, beginning in 2001, closed for six teams during his ten-year tenure in the major leagues.

Mark Buehrle wins the 200th game of his career as the Blue Jays spoil the Orioles’ home opener

Mark Buehrle wins the 200th game of his career as the Blue Jays spoil the Orioles’ home opener, 12 – 4. Buehrle allows 2 runs in 6 innings, while the Jays bang out 16 hits, including 8 doubles, and collect 4 sacrifice flies in roughing up Bud Norris and three relievers.

The Yankees and Red Sox lock horns in a 19-inning marathon, the game ending with the Red Sox coming out on top, 6 – 5, at 2:13 AM. The game is further lengthened by a 16-minute delay caused by a power outage in the 12th inning at New Yankee Stadium. Chase Headley forces extra innings with a homer off Edward Mujica with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, then David Ortiz and Mark Teixeira exchange solo homers in the 16th, and both teams score once in the 18th as well, further extending the game. Xander Bogaerts scores the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts, and this time Steven Wright, in his fifth inning of relief work, keeps the Yankees from replying.

The Yankees and Red Sox lock horns in a 19-inning marathon, the game ending with the Red Sox coming out on top, 6 – 5, at 2:13 AM. The game is further lengthened by a 16-minute delay caused by a power outage in the 12th inning at New Yankee Stadium. Chase Headley forces extra innings with a homer off Edward Mujica with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, then David Ortiz and Mark Teixeira exchange solo homers in the 16th, and both teams score once in the 18th as well, further extending the game. Xander Bogaerts scores the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts, and this time Steven Wright, in his fifth inning of relief work, keeps the Yankees from replying.

2014 – As usual, sparks fly in the first meeting of the season between the Yankees and Red Sox. New York defeats Boston, 4 – 1, behind the pitching of Michael Pineda, but Boston’s broadcasters claim they have detected pine tar on Pineda’s pitching hand. The Yankees’ hurler dismisses the claim, saying it is just sweat mixed with dirt, while umpire Brian O’Nora states that nothing of concern was brought to his attention.

2014 – As usual, sparks fly in the first meeting of the season between the Yankees and Red Sox. New York defeats Boston, 4 – 1, behind the pitching of Michael Pineda, but Boston’s broadcasters claim they have detected pine tar on Pineda’s pitching hand. The Yankees’ hurler dismisses the claim, saying it is just sweat mixed with dirt, while umpire Brian O’Nora states that nothing of concern was brought to his attention.

Twenty-four year-old sophomore hurler Danny Salazar strikes out ten White Sox batters in 3.2 innings during the Indians’ loss at U.S. Cellular Field, marking the first time since 1914 that a starting pitcher whiffed ten batters without finishing the fourth frame. The right-hander gives up five earned runs and six hits and gets all his outs via the strikeout, except for Adam Eaton, who is thrown out at second base, trying to stretch a single into a double for the first out in the third inning.

Twenty-four year-old sophomore hurler Danny Salazar strikes out ten White Sox batters in 3.2 innings during the Indians’ loss at U.S. Cellular Field, marking the first time since 1914 that a starting pitcher whiffed ten batters without finishing the fourth frame. The right-hander gives up five earned runs and six hits and gets all his outs via the strikeout, except for Adam Eaton, who is thrown out at second base, trying to stretch a single into a double for the first out in the third inning.