MLB Roundup: Shohei Ohtani reaches three times for Dodgers win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut, and Los Angeles beat St. Louis in the Dodger Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations.

Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. One week after Los Angeles began the season with two games in South Korea, the club showed off the talent throughout an expensive, star-studded roster headlined by three former MVPs at the top of the batting order.

No addition was bigger than Ohtani, who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

ORIOLES 11, ANGELS 3

BALTIMORE (AP) — Corbin Burnes allowed one baserunner in a dominant debut for Baltimore, and Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins both homered as the Orioles began their AL East title defence with an 11-3 rout of the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.

Mike Trout hit a first-inning home run off Burnes, but the Angels managed nary a peep against the new Baltimore ace after that. Burnes (1-0) struck out 11 in six innings in his first start after the Orioles acquired the right-hander from Milwaukee in an offseason trade.

Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, who had five hits and a walk on opening day last year in Boston, started this season off with hits and the first and second innings, then later drew a walk. He scored three runs and Santander drove in four.

Santander hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Mullins added a three-run shot in the seventh for the Orioles, who brought back a young core that won 101 games last year They figure to add another top prospect soon whenever infielder Jackson Holliday comes up from the minors.

YANKEES 5, ASTROS 4

HOUSTON (AP) — Juan Soto threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth inning of his Yankees debut after starting New York’s comeback from a four-run deficit in a season-opening win over Houston.

Oswaldo Cabrera homered and Aaron Judge doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Yankees went ahead.

Mauricio Dubón and Yordan Alvarez singled off Clay Holmes to give the Astros two on with one out in the ninth. Kyle Tucker lined a single to right and Soto, an All-Star acquired from San Diego in a December trade, made a one-hop throw slightly up the third-base line. Catcher Jose Trevino made a sweep tag and caught Dubón’s left arm just before the runner’s finger touched the plate. Umpire James Hoye’s call was upheld in a video review.

Alex Bregman grounded into a force-out as Holmes got the save.

BLUE JAYS 8, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — George Springer, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered to lead Toronto to a season-opening victory over Tampa Bay.

Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who scored five times in the sixth inning after being limited to one hit — Springer’s solo homer in the fourth — off Rays starter Zach Eflin (0-1) through five innings.

José Berríos (1-0), making his second opening-day start for the Blue Jays and fourth overall, gave up a leadoff homer to Yandy Díaz on his fifth pitch of the day and also yielded a RBI double to the defending AL batting champion in the sixth.

The Toronto right-hander allowed two runs and six hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out six in the matchup of AL East rivals who both made the playoffs last season.

PADRES 6, GIANTS 4

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jake Cronenworth’s two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning for San Diego, who beat San Francisco to spoil Bob Melvin’s return to San Diego.

While it was opening day for the Giants, the Padres began the season by splitting a two-game series last week against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea.

Melvin managed the Padres for the last two seasons before leaving for the Giants with a year left on his contract. He skippered the Padres into the 2022 NL Championship Series and then presided over a disappointing season that included reports of an irreparable relationship with general manager A.J. Preller. He was replaced by Mike Shildt.

Jung Hoo Lee hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning of his first big league game to put the Giants ahead 3-2 in the seventh.

But the Padres responded in the bottom of the inning. Luis Campusano hit a leadoff single and took third on Tyler Wade’s single to right. Campusano scored on catcher Patrick Bailey’s errant throw when Wade stole second. Xander Bogaerts hit a go-ahead RBI single two batters ahead of Cronenworth’s double.

REDS 8, NATIONALS 2

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Martini homered twice and drove in five runs in his first opening-day start, Frankie Montas pitched six shutout innings in his Cincinnati debut as they cruised to a win over Washington.

Martini, a 33-year-old designated hitter with his fourth major league team since 2018, hit a two-run homer in the second inning and a three-run shot in the third for a 7-0 lead off Josiah Gray (0-1). Martino became the first Cincinnati player to hit two homers on opening day since Adam Dunn in 2007.

Montas (1-0) joined with Reds with a $16 million, one-year deal as a free agent and the 31-year-old right-hander allowed four hits in six innings, striking out four and walking none. He had labrum surgery last Feb. 21 while with the New York Yankees and made his only big league appearance of the year on Sept. 30.

Gray matched his career high by allowing seven runs, giving up eight hits in four innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Eddie Rosario, making his Nationals debut after being added to the major league roster, hit a two-run homer in the seventh against Emilio Pagán.

TWINS 4, ROYALS 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez allowed one run over seven innings, Royce Lewis homered before leaving with an injury, and Minnesota beat Kansas City to begin defense of their AL Central crown.

Carlos Correa added three hits and two RBIs to back a near-peerless performance by Lopez, who picked up where he left off last postseason. The right-hander allowed four hits and struck out seven without a walk in his first opening-day start.

The lone run Lopez (1-0) allowed was a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he faced.

Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.

Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.

PIRATES 6, MARLINS 5 (12)

MIAMI (AP) — Jared Triolo hit a RBI single in the top of the 12th inning to finish Pittsburgh’s rally and beat Miami.

Triolo’s line drive single against Marlins reliever Declan Cronin (0-1) scored automatic runner Ke’Bryan Hayes. Pirates reliever Jose Hernandez got the save, retiring 2023 NL batting champion Luis Arraez, Josh Bell and Bryan De La Cruz in his only inning of relief.

Luis Ortiz recorded the win for the Pirates.

After Pirates starter Mitch Keller gave up seven hits, five runs (four earned), walked two and struck out three over 5.2 innings, Pittsburgh’s bullpen held the Marlins to just one hit.

Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo allowed two hits and two runs over five innings. He walked two and struck out eight — one shy of matching the club record of nine opening-day strikeouts set by Josh Beckett in 2004 and Jose Fernandez in 2014.

Left fielder Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run homer off Luzardo that briefly tied it in the third, but Pittsburgh’s hitters largely struggled against the left-hander, tallying 18 whiffs as Miami went up 5-2.

TIGERS, 1 WHITE SOX 0

CHICAGO (AP) — Tarik Skubal pitched six innings of three-hit ball and Detroit opened a promising season on a winning note, beating the Chicago White Sox.

Skubal and three relievers combined to retire the final 17 batters. The White Sox did not advance past first base and wasted a terrific start by Garrett Crochet.

Javier Báez singled and scored on Andy Ibáñez’s sacrifice fly in the third. The Tigers finished with six hits.

Skubal (1-0) picked up right where he left off last year. The 27-year-old left-hander struck out six without a walk in his first opening-day start, after going 4-0 with a 0-90 ERA in his final five outings a year ago.

Shelby Miller pitched a perfect seventh. Andrew Chafin worked 1 1/3 innings before Jason Foley earned the save by striking out Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.

RANGERS 4, CUBS 3 (10)

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jonah Heim hit a game-ending RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning as World Series champion Texas opened the season with a win over the Chicago Cubs.

Adolis García and Travis Jankowski homered for the Rangers, who unfurled the franchise’s first World Series championship banner from the rafters high above right field before the dramatic victory.

Drew Smyly, the Cubs’ seventh pitcher, walked two to load the bases before Heim lined a sharp hit into right-center field and was mobbed by his teammates.

Jankowski led off the ninth with a tying pinch-hit homer after Chicago went ahead on a disputed play with two outs in the top half of the inning involving All-Star catcher Heim.

Michael Busch scored from second base on what Heim thought was a foul tip — and appeared to be on slow-motion replays, though that kind of play isn’t subject to video review. José Leclerc, who had walked Busch, was charged with a wild pitch.

David Robertson, the veteran reliever Texas signed in free agency, worked the 10th for the win.

DIAMONDBACKS 16, ROCKIES 1

PHOENIX — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had five RBIs and three hits, including a two-run homer, and Arizona used a franchise-record 14-run third inning to rout Colorado.

The 14 runs were the most in an inning on opening day for any team since 1900.

Arizona — the defending National League champions — led 2-1 going into the bottom of the third, but then sent 18 batters to the plate and had 13 hits, two walks and a sacrifice fly.

Maybe most improbably, Arizona didn’t hit a homer during the inning. Ketel Marte, Gurriel, Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo all had two hits. Corbin Carroll walked twice. Blaze Alexander had his first big-league hit with a single up the middle that scored the 14th run.

The outburst broke franchise records for most hits, runs and batters in a single inning. It took 34 minutes for the Rockies to get three outs. The D-backs led 16-1 after three innings.

Arizona ace Zac Gallen (1-0) gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He was helped on a pair of stellar defensive plays by third baseman Eugenio Suarez and center fielder Alek Thomas, which both squashed potential scoring opportunities for the Rockies.

RED SOX 6, MARINERS 4

SEATTLE — Tyler O’Neill homered in his fifth straight opening day game to set a major league record, this time against the organization that drafted him, and Boston beat Seattle.

Rafael Devers homered and doubled off Seattle ace Luis Castillo, but it was O’Neill’s homer on the first pitch from Cody Bolton in the eighth inning that gave the Red Sox a 6-4 lead and made history.

O’Neill homered the previous four opening days with St. Louis, tying him with Todd Hundley (1994-97), Gary Carter (1977-80) and Yogi Berra (1955-58). He was a top prospect in the Mariners organization before being traded to St. Louis in 2017.

The homers and some solid pitching helped Boston manager Alex Cora enjoy his first opening-day win as a manager.

Devers hit an opposite-field two-run homer on an elevated fastball from Castillo in the third inning and his one-out double in the fifth helped lead to another run for Boston. Connor Wong added a two-out RBI single in the sixth on a pitch well off the plate.

Boston starter Brayan Bello (1-0) pitched five innings and limited the damage to Mitch Haniger’s two-run homer after he spent last season with San Francisco. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for the save after recording 29 last season for Boston.

GUARDIANS 8, ATHLETICS 0

OAKLAND, Calif. — Shane Bieber struck out 11 in six shutout innings, David Fry had three hits and Stephen Vogt won his managerial debut as Cleveland beat Oakland.

Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young Award winner, made his fifth consecutive opening-day start and allowed four hits in six innings.

Vogt spent six seasons as a player with the A’s in two stints before retiring in 2022. He was hired by Cleveland to replace Terry Francona after a year as a bullpen coach for the Seattle Mariners.

The Guardians scored five times in the fourth inning to knock A’s starter Alex Wood out of the game and take a 6-0 lead.

With the bases loaded and one out, Andrés Giménez started the scoring with an RBI single, Austin Hedges hit an infield single that drove in two runs and Brayan Rocchio followed with a two-run double.

Wood, in his 12th season, allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings in his first opening-day start.

BRAVES-PHILLIES PPD

The Philadelphia Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival Atlanta Braves was moved from 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the same time due to rain.

BREWERS-METS PPD

Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the Milwaukee Brewers, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was pushed back to Friday at 1:40 p.m.