Andy Pages hits go-ahead 3-run homer as Dodgers beat Diamondbacks 8-2 in opener

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andy Pages hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied past the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Thursday, opening the season with a victory in pursuit of their third consecutive World Series championship.

Three of the Dodgers’ first four hits in the fifth off Zac Gallen came with two strikes. Max Muncy singled, Teoscar Hernández reached on an infield single to Gallen, Pages’ homer traveled 400 feet and Miguel Rojas singled. Shohei Ohtani drew a walk to chase Gallen, who began the game with four shutout innings and a 2-0 lead.

Juan Morillo came on and got two quick outs. But he walked Freddie Freeman and gave up an infield single to Will Smith. First baseman Carlos Santana dived toward the foul line and stopped the ball before bobbling it, allowing Rojas to score from third and extend the Dodgers’ lead to 4-2.

Pages made a sparkling defensive play in center leading off the seventh. He chased a fly ball from Geraldo Perdomo, diving and landing on his belly to make the catch.

The Dodgers tacked on four more runs in the seventh off reliever Taylor Clarke. Kyle Tucker got his first hit and first RBI in his debut. The $240 million right fielder doubled in Ohtani, who was hit by Clarke, and then scored on Mookie Betts’ single. Smith had a two-run homer, making it 8-2.

Arizona led 2-0 on Perdomo’s two-run homer off World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0) in the fourth. Corbin Carroll singled leading off and Perdomo followed with a two-strike shot.

Yamamoto allowed two runs and five hits in six innings while striking out six.

NATIONALS 10, CUBS 4

CHICAGO (AP) — Brady House, Joey Wiemer and Jacob Young homered for Washington on opening day, and the Nationals beat Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs for manager Blake Butera’s first win with the team.

CJ Abrams hit a tiebreaking two-run single during Washington’s six-run fourth inning on a blustery, overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field. Andrés Chaparro had two hits and scored a run.

Butera is part of a new leadership group for the rebuilding Nationals after they went 66-96 last year in their sixth straight losing season. Paul Toboni took over as the team’s president of baseball operations on Oct. 1, and he hired the 33-year-old Butera out of Tampa Bay’s front office.

Michael Busch had three hits for Chicago, which begins the season with World Series aspirations after losing to Milwaukee in the playoffs last year. Pete Crow-Armstrong had two hits and two RBIs just days after agreeing to a $115 million, six-year contract with the Cubs.

Bregman and Crow-Armstrong each got a loud ovation from the crowd of 39,712 when they were announced with the starting lineup. Bregman went 1 for 4 with a single and a walk in his first regular-season game since signing a $175 million, five-year contract with the Cubs in free agency.

BREWERS 14, WHITE SOX 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski struck out 11 while allowing one run over five innings, and Milwaukee trounced the Chicago White Sox.

Jake Bauers hit a three-run homer, Sal Frelick produced a two-run blast and William Contreras delivered a three-run double as the Brewers began their pursuit of a fourth straight NL Central title.

Chase Meidroth and Munetaka Murakami hit solo shots for the White Sox.

Misiorowski, who turns 24 on April 3, got the opening day assignment following an eventful rookie season in which he made the NL All-Star team just five starts into his career and threw as hard as 104.3 mph in the playoffs. His 11 strikeouts were the most by a Brewers pitcher in a season opener.

He began Thursday’s game by allowing a homer to Meidroth before striking out the next three batters. Misiorowski (1-0) reached a top speed of 101.1 while combining with four relievers on a four-hitter.

METS 11, PIRATES 7

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Baty laced a bases-loaded triple and New York chased Paul Skenes in the first inning of his worst major league start, beating Pittsburgh in its season opener at Citi Field.

Carson Benge homered in his first career game, going back-to-back with Francisco Alvarez at the bottom of a new-look lineup, and Freddy Peralta (1-0) won his Mets debut as New York improved to 42-23 on opening day before a sellout crowd of 41,449.

That’s the best record of any big league team — even though the Mets lost their first eight openers from 1962-69.

Brandon Lowe homered twice and fellow Pirates newcomer Ryan O’Hearn also went deep, but Pittsburgh’s pitching and defense were dreadful in a disappointing start.

Center fielder Oneil Cruz botched consecutive plays in the first inning, helping the Mets score five runs off a surprisingly ineffective Skenes (0-1), matching his career high. Last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner was removed after getting only two outs on 37 pitches in the shortest of his 56 big league starts.

With five new hitters in the order, the Mets ran deep counts early and drew eight walks while batting around twice in the first five innings.

ORIOLES 2, TWINS 1

BALTIMORE (AP) — Trevor Rogers pitched seven shutout innings and Colton Cowser and Blaze Alexander had seventh-inning RBIs to give Baltimore a win over Minnesota.

Following a stellar 2025 season in which he went 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA, Rogers picked up where he left off in front of a sellout crowd at Camden Yards for the earliest opener in franchise history. The lefty allowed three hits, walked four and was especially effective when stuck in a jam.

Rogers (1-0) induced three double plays and limited Minnesota to 1-for-11 batting with runners in scoring position.

Twins righty Joe Ryan was every bit as good. In his second career opening day start, Ryan allowed one hit and two walks over 5 1/3 innings.

Baltimore broke up the scoreless duel in the seventh against the Minnesota bullpen. Kody Funderburk (0-1) gave up a leadoff single to Samuel Basallo and Tyler O’Neill followed with a single off Justin Topa before Cowser delivered a sacrifice fly and Alexander ripped a two-out RBI single up the middle.

The Twins closed to 2-1 in the eighth when Byron Buxton tripled and scored on a fly ball by Luke Keaschall.

Closer Ryan Helsley struck out the side in the ninth, getting pinch hitter Trevor Larnach with a runner on second to end it.

RED SOX 3, REDS 0

CINCINNATI (AP) — Garrett Crochet allowed only three hits in six innings, Ceddanne Rafaela hit an RBI single in the seventh inning and Boston got its first opening day shutout since 2015, defeating Cincinnati.

Roman Anthony had three hits for the Red Sox, who had their 11th opening day shutout — with all but one on the road.

It’s the ninth time the Reds have been blanked in an opener and the first since 2018. Rookie first baseman Sal Stewart had three of Cincinnati’s four hits, including a pair of doubles.

Crochet (1-0) became the first pitcher to start on opening day in each of his first three seasons as a starter, according to MLB. The right-hander struck out six and walked two en route to his first victory in an opener.

Crochet allowed only one hit the first five innings before running into some trouble in the sixth. Matt McLain drew a walk with one out and singles by Elly de la Cruz and Stewart loaded the bases.

The right-hander struck out Eugenio Suárez and Spencer Steer to get out of the inning.

Former Reds closer Aroldis Chapman retired the side in the ninth for the save.

TIGERS 8, PADRES 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kevin McGonigle got four hits and drove in two runs in his auspicious major league debut during Detroit's victory over San Diego.

The 21-year-old McGonigle hit a two-run double with the bases loaded on the first big league pitch he saw in the first inning. He had a second double and an infield single while scoring two runs in his next two at-bats, and added a single in the ninth.

McGonigle finished 4 for 5 while batting sixth and playing third base. After just 46 games last season in Double-A, the multi-position infielder made Detroit’s major league roster with an undeniably strong spring, skipping Triple-A entirely.

Two-time AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal (1-0) pitched six innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts in his third straight opening day start for Detroit, allowing only an unearned run.

Dillon Dingler homered and drove in three runs while Detroit jumped to an 8-0 lead in the fifth inning and cruised to its 12th win on opening day in the last 15 seasons.

Xander Bogaerts hit an RBI double off Skubal in the sixth inning of a rough opener for rookie manager Craig Stammen and the Padres, who are coming off only the second back-to-back playoff appearances in franchise history. Stammen, the former Padres reliever, replaced Mike Shildt.

Nick Pivetta (0-1) lasted just three innings in his first career opening day start, struggling through a 33-pitch first inning and getting the hook after yielding six runs on seven hits and three walks.

PHILLIES 5, RANGERS 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez struck out 10 and tossed three-hit ball over six shutout innings in his first start since he signed a $104 million contract extension, and Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm each homered to lead Philadelphia to a win over Texas.

Sánchez did not issue a walk over 87 pitches in his first career opening-day start and showed why the Phillies tore up his old deal before it expired and gave him a much more lucrative contract through the 2032 season. The 29-year-old left-hander won 13 games last season and finished runner-up behind Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes in NL Cy Young Award voting.

Skenes was chased in the first inning earlier in the day by the Mets — as 76ers star Joel Embiid mocked the Pirates ′ ace on social media — while Sánchez never pitched into a serious jam against Texas and spoiled manager Skip Schumaker’s Texas debut.

Sánchez pumped his fist into his mitt in excitement after he struck out Corey Seager to end the sixth inning. Sánchez walked off the mound to a standing ovation and waved to 44,610 fans.

Jake Burger hit a two-run homer for Texas in the ninth that forced the Phillies to use closer Jhoan Duran for the save.

ANGELS 3, ASTROS 0

HOUSTON (AP) — Mike Trout homered to launch what he hopes will be a bounce-back year, leading Los Angeles to a season-opening win over Houston.

Trout also walked three times and played center field for the first time since April 2024. The three-time MVP played 130 games last season, his most since 2019 because of various injuries.

Making his franchise-record 14th opening day start, the 34-year-old Trout broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning when he sent a 96 mph fastball from reliever AJ Blubaugh (0-1) 403 feet onto the train tracks in left-center. It was his fifth opening day homer, also a club record.

The Angels snapped an eight-game road losing streak in season openers, starting 1-0 on the road for the first time since 2013.

Oswald Peraza hit an RBI single in the eighth and Nolan Schanuel homered in the ninth.

José Soriano (1-0) allowed two hits and four walks in six innings while striking out seven. Four relievers completed the three-hitter, with Jordan Romano working the ninth to earn the save in his Angels debut.

Hunter Brown started for Houston and allowed four hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out nine.

The Astros went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine runners.

CARDINALS 9, RAYS 7

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alec Burleson hit a two-run homer to cap off an eight-run outburst in the sixth inning as St. Louis rallied for a win over Tampa Bay.

Rookie JJ Wetherholt also homered for St. Louis.

Jonathan Aranda homered for Tampa Bay, which took a 7-1 lead with six runs in the top of the sixth.

St. Louis answered back with eight runs in its half including run-scoring sacrifice flies by Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera, which tied the game 7-all.

Burleson followed with a blast to right field.

Both teams sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning.

Jonny DeLuca had a two-run single to highlight the sixth inning for Tampa Bay, which had won four of its previous five games on opening day.

Riley O’Brien picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Ryne Stanek earned the save. He struck out Richie Palacios with the bases loaded to end the game.

GUARDIANS 6, MARINERS 4

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie Chase DeLauter hit his first two career home runs as Cleveland beat Seattle.

DeLauter hit a home run in the first regular-season at-bat of his major league career in the top of the first. He became the fifth player in Cleveland’s 126-year franchise history to hit a home run in his first career regular-season at-bat. DeLauter is the first to do so since Jhonkensy Noel on June 26, 2024.

Seattle responded in the bottom half of the first when third baseman Brendan Donovan hit a solo shot in his first at-bat with the franchise. The Mariners acquired the former All-Star from the St. Louis Cardinals in February. Donovan’s home run marked the first time a Mariners player hit a leadoff home run on opening day.

The Mariners took a 2-1 lead in the second on the first of two solo home runs by Dominic Canzone. But Cleveland went back in front 3-2 on a two-run double by Brayan Rocchio, and retook the lead for good on a two-run double by Jose Ramírez. in the seventh.

The seven-time All-Star went well below the strike zone to hit a slider from Mariners left-hander Gabe Speier (0-1) into the left-center gap. Guardians reliever Connor Brogdon (1-0) replaced starter Tanner Bibee, who exited the game with right shoulder inflammation in the bottom of the sixth and set the stage for Cade Smith to lock down his first save of the season.