#205---NYN @ NYA, 7/19/2020

This was one of the “summer camp” exhibitions, which I kept using my modified version of LL Bean’s scoring system. The most interesting thing (other than taking a look at Bean’s pictorial symbols for outs being mangled by my handwriting) is that all of the six Yankee runs scored on five homers (including two from Aaron Judge).

#204---NYN @ WAS, 3/28/2019

The last two NL Cy Young winners squared off on opening day in 2019. The Mets big offseason splash was a trade with Seattle that netted Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. Cano stepped up with two outs in the first and homered off Scherzer. Scherzer struck out 12 through 7 2/3, leaving with a runner at first. After Pete Alonso (making his ML debut) got his first hit, Matt Grace was summoned to face Cano. He drove in the Mets second run with a bloop single to left.

deGrom struck out ten through six, and Seth Lugo and Jeurys Familia both shut out the Nats for single innings. That left it up to Diaz, who retired the Nats 1-2-3.

So to recap: the Mets won, with their two big offseason acquisitions driving in both of the runs and recording a 1-2-3 save. There was no need to watch the rest of the season. Everything would go just as smoothly for Cano, Diaz, and the Mets, and every game would be just as frustrating for the Nationals.

#203---BAL @ CLE, 8/17/2018

Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the first, and Carlos Carrasco and the Indians bullpen made it hold up for a 2-1 win.

#202---CLE @ TEX, 4/3/2017

This was a very entertaining opening day game between two division winners from the prior season, that I remember primarily for watching a major league manager act like a complete idiot in the top of the third. The Indians had runners at second and third with one out. Francisco Lindor flied to center; Abraham Almonte tagged and scored while Carlos Santana got caught up between second and third and was eventually tagged out. Rangers manager Jeff Banister came out and argued about this. If I were to give him the benefit of the doubt, I would say he was arguing that Santana was retired before Almonte touched home, but it seemed more that he thought the run just shouldn’t count.

Rougned Odor hit a homer off Corey Kluber for the second straight inning to give Texas a 5-1 lead after three. Jose Ramirez hit a two run homer in the fourth to cut the lead in half (2 is half of 4, which announcers don’t seem to know when they use this expression). In the seventh, Yandy Diaz (who was making his big league debut), doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a second wild pitch that came on Abraham Almonte’s strikeout and allowed the latter to reach first, driving Yu Darvish from the hill.

Edwin Encarnacion, playing his first game with the Tribe, tied it with an eighth inning longball, and the Indians plated three off Rangers closer Sam Dyson in the ninth to win it. Sam Dyson would not have a long tenure as Rangers closer.