The 2025 Major League Baseball season started in earnest Thursday, with 28 of 30 teams in action on the sport’s proper Opening Day.
It began with New York Yankees’ Austin Wells making history and culminating with the the Los Angeles Dodgers raising the 2024 World Series banner.
In the Bronx, Wells became the first catcher to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day in MLB history as the Yankees prevailed over the Milwaukee Brewers.
In Los Angeles, the Dodgers’ pregame ceremony was made for the big screen. It began with the players strolling out through the center-field gate and rapper Ice Cube driving the World Series trophy onto the field before presenting it to Magic Johnson.
Then, in an emotional moment, Freddie Freeman, the hero of the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series championship, and Kirk Gibson, the hero of their 1988 crown, met and hugged on the field, before Gibson threw the ceremonial first pitch to Freeman.
And now the Dodgers are 3-0 after beating the Detroit Tigers.
It’s only the beginning. There are 2,400 regular season games remaining.
A look back at the highlights from Thursday’s games:
MLB scores today
New York Yankees 4, Milwaukee Brewers 2
Baltimore Orioles 12, Toronto Blue Jays 2
Boston Red Sox 5, Texas Rangers 2
Philadelphia Phillies 7, Washington Nationals 3 (10 innings)
Cleveland Guardians 7, Kansas City Royals 4 (10 innings)
Houston Astros 3, New York Mets 1
San Francisco Giants 6, Cincinnati Reds 4
San Diego Padres 7, Atlanta Braves 4
Chicago White Sox 8, Los Angeles Angels 1
Miami Marlins 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
St. Louis Cardinals 5,Minnesota Twins 3
Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Detroit Tigers 4
Chicago Cubs 10, Arizona Diamondbacks 5
Seattle Mariners 5, Athletics 4
Watch select MLB games this season with Fubo
It wasn’t a normal Dodgers game, it was a Hollywood premiere in LA
LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t a domestic season-opener Thursday at Dodger Stadium, it was a Hollywood premiere.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ home opener against the Detroit Tigers, culminating with a 5-4 victory, belonged on the big screen, not on a grass field in front of a frenzied sellout crowd of 53,595.
There was Shohei Ohtani homering for the second time this season, with Hollywood stars Tom Hanks, Mary Hart and Rob Lowe celebrating as if they just won an Oscar.
There was Teoscar Hernandez with the biggest hit of the game, a go-ahead 3-run homer, making manager Dave Roberts look like a genius for putting him third in the batting order.
There were the Dodgers winning once again, baseball’s only 3-0 team, with visions of winning more regular-season games than any team in history.
And once again, there was Randy Newman’s ‘I Love L.A,’ blaring into the night as fans headed for the exits.
When the night was over, all the Dodgers could talk about was their spectacular pregame ceremony, making the game almost anti-climatic.
− Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports
Ichiro Suzuki, 51, throws out first pitch at 84 mph
Hall of Famer and Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki delivered a laser of a ceremonial first pitch, caught by Dan Wilson. The 51-year-old dialed up an 84 mph first pitch to kick off Opening Day against the Athletics. Ichiro, who now serves as the Special Assistant to the Chairman with the Mariners, was dressed in full uniform and cleats to deliver the pitch.
Shohei Ohtani homers in Dodgers home opener
It’s Opening Day and Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has homered in two countries this season – Japan and the United States. Ohtani’s home run off Tigers reliever Brenan Hanifee gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was the second home run of the season for Ohtani.
He homered in the second game of the Tokyo Series against the Cubs on March 19.
Tigers legend Kirk Gibson throws Opening Day first pitch wearing Dodgers jersey
Gibby, meet Freddie.
Detroit Tigers legend Kirk Gibson – wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey – threw a surprise ceremonial first pitch to Dodgers superstar Freddie Freeman ahead of Thursday’s Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Gibson and Freeman hugged after the first pitch.
Both players hit legendary walk-off home runs over the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the World Series for the Dodgers, separated by 36 years – Gibson in 1988 and Freeman in 2024. Both homers led to the Dodgers winning the World Series.
In 1988, Gibson — suffering from a leg injury — hit a walk-off two-run home run against Oakland Athletics pitcher Dennis Eckersley for a 5-4 win in the ninth inning. In 2024, Freeman — suffering from an ankle injury — hit a walk-off grand slam off New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes for a 6-3 win in the 10th inning.
Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Davis referenced Gibson during his play-by-play call of Freeman’s home run.
‘She is gone!’ Davis said. ‘Gibby, meet Freddie!’
− Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press
Reds’ Hunter Greene defends Ian Gibaut after blown save
Cincinnati Reds Opening Day starting pitcher Hunter Greene told reporters after Thursday’s tough loss to the San Francisco Giants that he talked to relief pitcher Ian Gibaut about his blown save and told Gibaut he supports him and believes in him.
‘It impacts us a lot. … It’s a big sting. It hurts. But Ian’s a dog,’ Greene said after the game. ‘And that’s what I told him. I know people might not want to hear that, but people need to believe that. Because he is. The last couple years he’s been with us he’s been in very tight situations. And he’s made it look easy getting out of them. This game’s difficult. He wasn’t able to do that today. But he’s one of our best pitchers. … Fans might not want to hear it. But they need to believe it because it is true. … I want him to know that I support him and I look past what happened today. And I know the rest of the team feels that way about Ian as well.’
– Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer
Astros beat Mets in Juan Soto’s NY debut
HOUSTON — The Mets did not completely get their money’s worth on Opening Day.
The team’s record signing, Juan Soto, stepped to the plate as the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning. He watched three balls before Astros closer Josh Hader worked a full count.
With runners on the corners, Soto waved at a slider, and the Mets dropped their Opening Day tilt with the Astros, 3-1, in front of a sold-out crowd of 42,305 at Daikin Park.
– Andrew Tredinnick, NorthJersey.com
Devin Williams nails down save for Yankees vs. Brewers
NEW YORK – Waiting in the wings, new Yankees’ closer Devin Williams was ready to unleash his famous “Airbender’ changeup against his old team.
Arriving to protect a three-run lead on a cool, clear Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, Williams wobbled Thursday afternoon before saving a 4-2 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. A somewhat subdued crowd of 46,208 fans became agitated as Williams loaded the bases with none out, gave up a run on a sacrifice fly and faced runners at second and third.
But for the fifth time Thursday, Brewers’ leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio struck out and Williams struck out the dangerous Christian Yelich on a full-count Airbender to end it.
Making his second career Opening Day start, Carlos Rodon pitched into the sixth and yielded just a solo home run, and three relievers bridged it to Williams.
– Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com
Tyler O’Neill homers for sixth straight Opening Day
Making his Orioles debut after signing a three-year, $49.5 million contract, O’Neill hit a three-run homer in the third inning off Toronto Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios.
– Jesse Yomtov
Vinny Capra home run: First of career for Brewers spring training star
Holy smokes, the star of spring just tanked one to left field at Yankee Stadium.
Vinny Capra just hit his first career home run, pulling the Brewers back to within 2-1, and this one wasn’t hit softly over the right-field wall. Capra only had 30 minor-league home runs in his career but hit six bombs in spring training, with 14 RBIs and an OPS over 1.000. It’s how Capra earned a spot on the roster and made him the surprise starter at third base on Opening Day.
Great line on the radio broadcast: ‘One of the few guys who could hit a home run today that has fewer home runs than Ueck.’
– JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Austin Wells home run leads off for Yankees
Leading off the bottom of the first, New York catcher Austin Wells homered to right field against Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, giving the Yankees an early 1-0 lead at Yankee Stadium.
Wells is the first catcher to bat leadoff in franchise history.
Yankees vs Brewers gets Opening Day underway
Yankees lefty Carlos Rodón struck out Brewers leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio in the Bronx, to officially begin MLB’s 2025 domestic Opening Day.
Rodón set Milwaukee down in order, needing just nine pitches to get through the first inning.
Reds’ Terry Francona went to dentist on Opening Day
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said on Wednesday that he’s made greater efforts later in his career to try to savor and enjoy Opening Day. That probably wasn’t as easy to achieve this year given his trip to the dentist on Thursday morning.
Francona started his first Opening Day in Cincinnati with a previously unplanned trip to a cosmetic dentist, he revealed during his pregame news conference Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
Asked at the outset of his 11:30 p.m. news conference with reporters what kind of morning he’d had so far, Francona said: ‘Not the best.’
‘Woke up about 2 a.m. One of my veneers, I think I chewed out,’ Francona said. ‘Woke up about 6 (a.m.) because I thought the trainer could probably get me in. So, then he called me about 8 a.m. and said, ‘you’re all set.’ I went out to wherever it was and got it fixed. Now I’m ready to go.’
– Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer
Tanner Bibee scratched for Guardians
Tanner Bibee turned himself into the Guardians’ No. 1 starter last year and recently signed a five-year, $48 million contract extension that could keep him in Cleveland through the 2030 season with a club option. There was a wave of positive momentum surrounding Bibee entering the 2025 season.
He was then tasked with taking the ball for the Guardians’ Opening Day game against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, but an illness has changed those plans, and he has been scratched from the start.
Instead, Ben Lively, coming off of a career year in 2024, will take the mound for the Guardians.
– Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal
How to watch MLB Opening Day
ESPN will broadcast Brewers vs. Yankees at 3:05 p.m. ET. That will be followed by the defending World Series champion Dodgers welcoming the Tigers at 7:10 p.m. ET. MLB Network promises to have regional coverage of the Cubs-Diamondbacks and A’s-Mariners night games.
For those looking to stream the action, games available on ESPN and MLB Network are also available through MLB.tv or FuboTV.
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