At 12:43, Jose Urena delivered the first pitch of the MLB season to Ian Happ, and he blasted it to right for a home run. The Cubs added two more runs in the first and another in the second, but the Marlins fought back with one in the first and three in the third. Willson Contreras’ two-out double in the fourth put Chicago ahead, and they would add three runs in the seventh to pull away to an 8-4 win. Cubs relievers allowed just one hit over 5 2/3 shutout innings.
The Rays did all of their Opening Day scoring against Masahiro Tanaka, battering him for seven runs in 2 2/3, while Chris Archer went seven allowing two runs. Note Aaron Judge starting his official rookie season batting eighth in the Yankee lineup.
This was the first MLB game of the season, which means that the first RBI in the majors in 2016 belonged to Francisco Liriano, who would drive in more runs than he allowed this day. Liriano worked six shutout innings, fanning ten and walking five. The Pirates scored three in six innings against Adam Wainwright and each bullpen allowed a single run.
Note that I marked Colton Wong’s popout in the top of the 6th as “IF4” (subscript 9S indicating shallow right field). The IF designation means it was an infield fly, which I only indicate when the catch is not actually completed.
Each team scored their first run of the season in the third inning, then a pair of big innings decided it. San Francisco struck first with Brandon Crawford’s two-out, two-run double capping a four-run fifth. Madison Bumgarner held Arizona down for seven innings, but they jumped on his bullpen, getting three of four runners who faced Javier Lopez and Jean Machi aboard before Chris Owings greeted Sergio Romo with a bases-clearing double. But Romo and Jeremy Affeldt got strikeouts to retire the side and Santiago Casilla had a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.
I got up early to watch this season opener, played in Sydney with first pitch at 5:00 AM Eastern. Scott Van Slyke’s two-run homer in the fifth was all Clayton Kershaw and bullpen would need. Kershaw went 6 2/3, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while fanning seven.
This game ran for 5:14 and sixteen innings on a chilly Opening Day in Cleveland. It started out promisingly for the home team as Jack Hannahan’s three-run homer off Ricky Romero in the second gave the Tribe a 4-1 lead that they carried into the ninth. Justin Masterson was excellent, allowing just two hits (one a homer by Jose Bautista), one walk, and fanning ten. He might have had a shot at a complete game, but in the eighth he made nineteen pitches, including five necessitated after JP Arencibia reached on a strikeout/wild pitch. Chris Perez came on for the ninth and in five batters Toronto had tied it on Edwin Encarnacion’s two-run double.
Both teams’ best extra innings chance came in the twelfth. Toronto loaded the bases with two outs, but Rajai Davis flied out to the warning track in left. Cleveland loaded the bases with one out, but Asdrubal Cabrera grounded the first pitch he saw into a double play. In the sixteenth, Jairo Ascenio was in his third inning of work and walked Brett Lawrie, made a throwing error trying to get the lead runner on Omar Vizquel’s grounder (Vizquel, age 45, was in the game at first base as a utility man), and then was taken deep by Arencibia. It was the first disappointment of what would be a very long season for the Indians.
The Reds got two runs off Shaun Marcum in each of the first and second and used an efficient Travis Wood start (7 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 W, 7 K, just 83 pitches) to ease to a 4-2 win.
For this spring training game I used a sheet with diamonds and boxes for balls and strikes. You can discern the pitch sequence as balls are marked with numbers while strikes use symbols to distinguish called (.), foul (-), and swinging (+). Felix Hernandez breezed through 5 shutout innings while Dan Haren gave up homers to Franklin Gutierrez and Ryan Langerhans as Seattle won 4-0.
Solo homers from Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley contributed to the Phillies’ 5-4 lead entering the ninth, but Brad Lidge gave up a leadoff double to Jody Gerut who scored on a pair of groundouts, then issued two out walks to Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley. Kevin Kouzmanoff followed with a three run homer and Heath Bell set the Phils down in order for the save.
The Indians got their two runs early as Grady Sizemore homered in his first two at bats. The Tigers tied it with single tallies in the seventh and the eighth and scored two in the tenth to win.
Getting hollow revenge for Game 7 of the previous season’s NLCS, the Mets got two-out, two-run hits from Carlos Delgado in the third and Paul LoDuca in the fourth to stake Tom Glavine to a 5-0 lead. Glavine allowed a run in the sixth and ducked out of a bases loaded jam to close his night.
A number of oddities stand out at the jump for this major league season opener. The defending world champion Red Sox. Randy Johnson pitching for the Yankees. David Wells pitching for the Red Sox. Rueben Sierra batting cleanup for the Yankees.
New York got four runs in 4 2/3 innings off Wells while Johnson started his Yankee career looking like he might still be in Cy Young form, going six innings and allowing one run on five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Hideki Matsui was the game’s standout hitter, going 3-5 with a homer and three runs scored and driven in (one of those runs scored coming on a Wells balk in the third).
This is a Grapefruit League Indians/Reds matchup, something much less common than their frequent Cactus League tilts as co-tenants. The Tribe did not take many regulars to Sarasota and were knocked around 10-2, the worst element being an Ernie Young throwing error that turned Wily Mo Pena’s pinch-hit triple into a little league homer.
The Royals got four runs off Jason Davis in the third and another tally in the fourth, which was all they would need. The Indians bullpen (Billy Traber, three innings in his MLB debut and Chad Paranto, two innings) shut out the Royals, whose offense consisted of eight singles and five walks. The Indians were stymied by Chris George for 6 2/3 innings, and didn’t do much against their bullpen either, although Matt Lawton did double for the game’s only extra-base hit.
CC Sabathia took a no-hit bid into the eighth, but Randall Simon lined the first pitch of the inning into center and later scored on an Andre Torres single, Detroit’s only run of the game. They did load the bases with one out in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but Bob Wickman was summoned and got Simon to ground into a double play.
There were four total triples into the spacious Comerica gaps, with the Indians getting them from Matt Lawton, Milton Bradley, and the unlikely Jim Thome.
Bartolo Colon (8 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 3 W, 5 K, 101 pitches) and Pat Hentgen (8 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 0 W, 3 K, 107 pitches) were both in fine early season form, and this game went to extras knotted at two. Both teams had chances in the tenth, as Baltimore loaded the bases with two outs before David Segui hit into a fielder’s choice. Cleveland used two walks and a Jerry Hairston error to load them with one out, but Ellis Burks was gunned out at the plate trying to make Jolbert Cabrera’s fly a game-winning sacrifice. In the tenth, Greg Myers doubled home two with a grounder down the right field line off Steve Reed. Obscure Baltimore reliever Ryan Kohlmeier issued two walks to bring Ellis Burks to the plate as the winning run. Burks to this point was 3-3 with a walk (his two run homer had provided the only Tribe tallies), but he struck out to end it.
But they did score 1,000 runs on the season. Mark Petkovsek was greeted with five straight hits, making it 12-6 and leaving bases loaded, nobody out for Shigetoshi Hasegawa. He induced two quick popouts but Omar Vizquel singled to make it 12-7. Bases still loaded, two outs, closer Troy Percival in. Robbie Alomar singled in two more to make it 12-9 and stole second on the first pitch to Harold Baines, pinch-hitting for pinch-hitter Alex Ramirez. He singled home two. Jim Thome was walked, likely pitched around. Percival got ahead of Richie Sexson 0-2, then threw a wild pitch to put go ahead run in scoring position. Sexson blasted the next pitch over the wall in left. 14-12 Tribe.
Percival drilled David Justice in the ribs on an 0-1 pitch, leading to Justice charging the mound and throwing his helmet at Percival. They were ejected along with Anaheim skipper Terry Collins. In the ninth, the Angels got two singles with two outs to get the tying runs on base, but Paul Shuey induced Todd Greene (pinch-hitting for Trent Durrington, of whom I have no recollection) to bounce into a fielder’s choice at third.
The Angels top three hitters (Darin Erstad, Frank Bolick who I disrespected at the time by misspelling and now by having to look up, and Tim Salmon) combined to go 6-13 with a walk and four homers, but that was essentially all their offense as the other six spots went 2-17 with four walks. The Indians had more balanced contributions up and down their lineup to win 8-5, highlighted by two-run homers from Jim Thome and Brian Giles (the former was announced as a 453 foot shot).
In addition to having to look up Frank Bolick (who appeared in 21 games, with this his only homer of the season and his only other major league action having come in 1993 with Montreal), I don’t remember Phil Nevin as a catcher, but he did start 64 games behind the plate this season and 20 with the Padres in 1999, but just four other times in his twelve year career. Although I suppose this does shed light on why he is now (as I write this in January 2023) the manager of his former team.
Jim Thome’s two-out fourth inning grand slam off Woody Williams was the key blow as the Indians routed the Blue Jays 8-1 north of the border. The Tribe drew seven walks, which helped as the teams were even with nine hits but Toronto’s were scattered. Albie Lopez started for Cleveland and delivered five shutout innings, with Steve Kline soaking up three innings and allowing one run in middle relief (one of those subtle differences in how the game is played that old scoresheets bring to light), and Jose Mesa finished it off.
There wasn’t a lot of offense in this very early spring tilt as Colorado managed just six hits, the biggest being Sean Bouchard’s game-tying homer off Kolby Allard to lead off the sixth. In the eighth, Justin Lawrence struggled with command, walking two and hitting one to open the inning, but he got Petey Halpin to hit a comebacker which turned into a force at the plate and struck out Korey Huff. But Milan Tolentino drilled a single up the middle to plate two and provide the winning runs for Cleveland.
Iowa took advantage of a Buckeye error to plate a run in the first, but it was all Scarlet & Gray from there as they launched four homers, including three in the fifth to roll to an 11-1 walkoff victory. On this Sunday getaway day, a run rule was in place, and so three walks and a double play that couldn’t be turned plated the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as the margin swelled to ten
Relatively chilly temperatures were a recurring theme in the Cactus League in 2023 and it was only 52 degrees when the Giants visited Goodyear to face the Guardians (incidentally, a matchup of the only two teams with “G” nicknames in modern MLB). San Francisco took a 1-0 lead off Cal Quantrill in the first, but Cleveland scored three in the third (capped by Josh Naylor’s two-run double) off Tristan Beck. From there the parade of relievers held each side to just one more run.
I liberally mix spring training exhibitions and regular season games, but usually it’s safe to assume a July game is the latter. Not in 2020, though, as the Indians traveled to Pittsburgh for an exhibition and came away with a 5-3 win on the strength on a four-run eighth highlighted by Christian Arroyo’s three-run double.
Jessie Winker and Jose Iglesias each hit two homers off Trevor Bauer for the “visiting” Reds (who of course shared the Goodyear complex with the Indians), but the Indians got a big day from Kevin Plawecki (double, triple, homer, 4 RBI) and won 8-5.
A run-of-the-mill spring training game made noteworthy to me by the appearance of Tre’ Gantt as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth. He did not come to the plate nor get any action in the field, but nice to see nonetheless.
The White Sox took advantage of the last spring Arizona environment to launch five home runs, accounting for six runs, through eight innings, but it wasn’t enough as they trailed 7-6. Indians reliever Joe Colon had two outs in the ninth and the bases were loaded for White Sox batter Hayes (?), who launched a game-winning grand slam.
This AA All-Star Game was a rout, with the Eastern Division rolling over the Western Division (which included the host Akron RubberDucks). There wasn’t a ton of future MLB star power on display, but certainly some household names including Raimel Tapia, Jorge Alfaro, Rhys Hoskins (three-run homer in the first), Rowdy Tellez, Clint Frazier, Nick Pivetta.
Iowa took advantage of a Buckeye error to plate a run in the first, but it was all Scarlet & Gray from there as they launched four homers, including three in the fifth to roll to an 11-1 walkoff victory. On this Sunday getaway day, a run rule was in place, and so three walks and a double play that couldn’t be turned plated the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as the margin swelled to ten.
I usually don't pay too much attention to the dates scoresheet post here - I don't do anything cute like post spring training scoresheets during spring training or playoff scoresheets in October. But this game was played exactly one year ago today.
I kept score of this game off the radio using my modified LL Bean-style scoring. It was a good but not particularly notable game as all runs were single tallies, Seattle in the first, fourth, and seventh, Cleveland in the third and ninth.
Daisuke Matuszaka was pitching for the Clippers in 2013, never making it to Cleveland, but he pitched very well this rainy night (I didn’t note the time on the sheet, but I believe there was a delay of at least an hour before first pitch) against the Bats, allowing one run, two hits, two walks, and fanning five over seven innings. Another former big league name that never made it to Cleveland contributed as Jeremy Hermida hit a two-run homer. Vinnie Pestano, also trying to find himself, recorded a 1-2-3 ninth to finish the game.
The Clippers trailed the Tides 5-1 after five, but got solo homers in the sixth and seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth to tie it up. Not much happened in extra innings; Columbus had runners at first and second with one out in the twelfth and Norfolk runners at first and second with two out in the thirteenth. In the bottom of the thirteenth, Shelley Duncan led off with a walk, then stole second on the first pitch to Nick Johnson and took third on the catcher’s throwing error. Johnson and the next Clipper batter were intentionally passed and pinch hitter Beau Mills hit one to the track in left for a long walkoff single.
For me, the most notable aspect of the game was Matt Angle returning to Columbus as Norfolk’s leadoff hitter. He had a good game, going 3-5 with a walk, although his good v. evil confrontation with Zack Putnam never really came to fruition as he dropped down a sac bunt.
I suppose the three most notable future big leaguers in this game were Reuben Tejada (3-4, 3 RBI, D, SB), Ike Davis (2-5, 2 RBI, HR), and Carlos Santana (3-4, 2 RBI, D, W), and they all had big games. Aeros leadoff hitter Jose Costanza reached base all five times, scoring four runs, and Akron won an entertaining slugfest 10-7.
This was the MLB season opener and the first game at Nationals Park. Washington got off to a good start, with two-out RBI hits from Nick Johnson and Austin Kearns giving them a 2-0 lead off Tim Hudson. That was literally all they would get off Hudson as he retired the last nineteen batters he faced, leaving the game after just 78 pitches through seven.
Chipper Jones’ homer cut it to 2-1 in the fourth, but the Braves managed little offense with just two baserunners in the fifth through the eighth. Facing Jon Rauch with one out in the ninth, Mark Teixeira doubled, advanced to third on Jeff Francoeur’s groundout, and scored the tying run on a Paul LoDuca passed ball on the first pitch to Brian McCann. Meanwhile, Will Ohman had a 1-2-3 eighth and Peter Moylan set down the first two Nats in the ninth, running Atlanta’s streak to twenty-four retired. But Ryan Zimmerman ended that and the game with a homer to centerfield.
All eyes immediately jump to the bottom of the fourth, where Jarret Wright induced six consecutive flyballs. The first two were secured by Bobby Abreu and Melky Cabrera; the next four, hit by Manny Ramirez, JD Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek, were over the fence. My note says that at the time this was the fifth occurrence of four straight homers, with JD Drew having hit the second homer in one of the other skeins.
Despite that, the Yankees held a 5-4 lead entering the seventh until Mike Lowell hit a three-run dinger off Scott Proctor. Boston held on for a 7-6 win. One oddity was Andy Pettitte’s sixth-inning relief appearance – not sure what the story was there as he was a rotation stalwart in 2007, leading the league with 34 starts.
I believe this is the only time the Indians were ever given the privilege of participating in the first MLB game of the season, a Sunday Night affair at the defending world champion White Sox and the opening salvo in what was expected to be a season-long divisional race. The game and the season both turned out to be disappointing (both for the Tribe, the latter for the ChiSox).
Chicago started getting to CC Sabathia in the bottom of the third; they had scored two runs and had a runner at first with one out when Sabathia had to leave due to an injury after delivering a strike to Jim Thome. Danny Graves, a former top prospect for Cleveland making his return as a veteran bullpen piece, would allow another run and wriggle out of a bases loaded jam. The Tribe answered back in the fourth with a three-run shot from Eduardo Perez, but the game was delayed by rain in the middle of the fourth for nearly three hours. When it finally resumed, Jim Thome answered with a three-run shot off Fernando Cabrera and Chicago put up third straight three-spot in the fifth, cruising to a 10-4 win. The game finally ended at 2:13 Eastern time.
For this game I used a scoresheet that incorporates some of the concepts of Reisner Scorekeeping, but maintaining a 9x9 grid and eschewing the use of diamonds. Each line in the scorebox labeled 1, 2, 3 is to note the lineup slot of the runner on the respective base and what happens to them during the course of the plate appearance. For example, looking at Jerry Hairston’s box in the top of the fourth, the #8 hitter was on second base and the #7 hitter was on third. Hairston singled, advancing the runner from second to third (-->3) and the runner from third to score (-->H). The boxed X indicates a run scored.
As for the game, the visitors got seven in the fifth to roll to a 11-5 win credited to Greg Maddux. Maddux had yielded just an unearned run through five, but Brian Giles singled and Phil Nevin homered to leadoff the sixth. Maddux completed that frame and then was pulled having allowed three runs on eight hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.
An interesting side note is that I posted this scoresheet to my old Baseball Scoresheets site circa about 2005 and didn’t really think about it again for fifteen years. Then one day I happened to see it being used by a poster on the BaseballScorecards subreddit. Sometimes people actually stumble across your obscure vanity sites. Someone may some day even stumble across this post.
