MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 3/28/2025

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Opening Day 2025 had everything from great pitching duels to clutch homers and walk-off knocks. There were shaky bullpen outings that led to classic battles between some of the best players in the league. If there’s been a more exciting Opening Day in recent memory, some of us will need reminding. Let’s get to the action.

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Today’s Headlines

Ohtani Homers and the Dodgers Improve to 3-0

Despite the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal taking the mound for the Tigers against the defending champions, it wasn’t enough as Shohei Ohtani hit his second home run of the year in the seventh inning, helping Los Angeles to a 5-4 home victory and a 3-0 start to the campaign.

Skubal gave up four runs over five frames and took the loss. Starting pitcher Blake Snell tossed five innings and gave up two runs to earn his first win in a Dodgers uniform.

Williams Earns a Save Versus Former Team

Yankees catcher Austin Wells led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo homer to put his team ahead 1-0 over the visiting Brewers. New York scored a few more runs and narrowly held on for a 4-2 win after their new closer, Devin Williams, was handed the ball with a three-run lead against his former team. Williams struggled but managed to strike out Christian Yelich to end the game with the tying runs on second and third.

Starting pitcher Carlos Rodón earned the win for the Yankees after striking out seven over 5.1 frames.

O’Neill Continues Amazing Opening Day Home Run Streak

Orioles right fielder Tyler O’Neill homered in the third inning off Blue Jays starting pitcher José Berríos to extend his record Opening Day home run streak to six consecutive seasons. O’Neill accounted for one of Baltimore’s six long balls as the O’s crushed Toronto at Rogers Centre 12-2. Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins each homered twice for the visiting team, and second baseman Jordan Westburg went yard in the eighth.

Check out all of Baltimore’s round-trippers below:

Ninth Inning Homers Help Boston and San Francisco

The Red Sox earned a road win at Texas thanks to a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth by Wilyer Abreu to give Boston an eventual 5-2 victory.

Abreu finished the day 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Starting pitcher Garrett Crochet earned a no-decision in his Red Sox debut. Crochet had four punchouts over five innings of two-run ball.

In a similar ending as Boston’s win at Texas, San Francisco earned a road victory at Cincinnati after Wilmer Flores cranked a three-run homer to left to break a 3-3 tie in the ninth.

WILMER FLORES GOT YOU! https://t.co/gDfCyCd0BV pic.twitter.com/1PZMii4aY1

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) March 27, 2025

The Reds scored one in the bottom half, but that was all they could muster against Giants closer, Ryan Walker. San Francisco held on for a 6-4 win.

Gore Ties Legend Gibson For a Record

The Phillies and Nationals squared off in the nation’s capital as Washington’s MacKenzie Gore battled Philadelphia’s ace Zack Wheeler. Neither pitcher factored in the decision, but Gore struck out 13 batters over six innings without allowing a walk or a run to tie Bob Gibson’s 1967 AL/NL Opening Day record with the St. Louis Cardinals of recording 13 strikeouts with no walks or runs allowed.

Check out Gore’s 13th strikeout!

Gore left with a 1-0 lead before Philadelphia’s first baseman Bryce Harper tied it up on a solo homer in the seventh. The teams would go back and forth over the next few innings until Philadelphia pulled away with four runs in the top of the 10th, leading to a 7-3 road win.

Clase Blows First Save, but Cleveland Wins in Extras

Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase has led the American League in saves for three consecutive years and had a chance to claim his first of 2025 at Kansas City with his team ahead 4-3 in the ninth. Instead, the Royals tied it up on a Michael Massey sac fly to hand Clase a blown save. Fortunately for Cleveland’s star closer, his team scored three runs in the 10th, highlighted by DH Kyle Manzardo‘s fourth RBI of the game on a two-run double to put the Guardians ahead 7-4. Reliever Paul Sewald threw a perfect bottom half to earn the save and give Clase a win.

Hader Gets the Best of Soto

Astros left-hander Framber Valdez had, arguably, the best outing of anyone in the majors on this day. Valdez left the game with a three-run lead over the Mets after tossing seven scoreless innings on four hits allowed. New York tried to rally in the ninth off closer Josh Hader, and after scoring a run to cut the deficit to 3-1, Juan Soto stepped to the plate representing the go-ahead run in his Mets debut. Here’s what happened…

Josh Hader strikes out Juan Soto to end the game pic.twitter.com/B86sSkzf6D

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 27, 2025

Despite striking out to end the game, Soto reached base three times and will carry a .600 OBP into tomorrow’s second contest with the reigning AL West champs. Of note, former Yankees reliever Clay Holmes made his first MLB start since 2018 and took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) over 4.2 frames.

Skenes and Alcantara Battle in Miami

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara made his first appearance since 2023 after Tommy John surgery caused him to miss all of last season. The former Cy Young winner threw 91 pitches and allowed two Pirates runs over 4.2 innings while striking out seven. Meanwhile, his opponent, Paul Skenes, wasn’t his usual stellar self despite fanning seven batters and surrendering only two runs over 5.1 frames against the lowly Marlins offense. Neither ace factored in the decision, and in the end, Miami earned a dramatic win after left fielder Kyle Stowers hit a walk-off single in the ninth to give his team a 5-4 victory.

Polanco Gives Seattle a Needed Clutch Knock

The Athletics battled the Mariners at T-Mobile Park as the A’s new ace, Luis Severino, took on last year’s AL Innings Pitched and WHIP leader, Logan Gilbert. The two pitchers allowed one run over 13 innings combined, and neither factored in the decision. With the contest tied at two in the bottom of the eighth, Mariners veteran second baseman Jorge Polanco stepped up to the plate and did this…

The go-ahead two-run homer by Polanco was enough for Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz to shut the door in the ninth for his first save of ’25. Final score: 4-2 M’s. Polanco’s clutch long ball gave him three hits on the day and Seattle an early lead in the AL West.

Best Moments From Yesterday

Dodgers Pregame Celebrations

Dodgers legend Kirk Gibson throws out the first pitch to Freddie Freeman, and Ice Cube arrives with the 2024 World Series trophy!

Gibby, meet Freddie!

Kirk Gibson throws out the first pitch to Freddie Freeman prior to the @Dodgers game. #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/q4WjZFTXx2

— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025

Ice Cube delivered the World Series trophy to the Dodgers’ home opener 🤩 pic.twitter.com/EHV2gG1Oht

— ESPN (@espn) March 27, 2025

Yankees Give Moment of Silence for Miller Gardner

The New York Yankees kicked off its 2025 season with a moment of silence and touching tribute for the late Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of retired Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, who died on March 21https://t.co/LpW8W5QhQc

— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) March 28, 2025

Dan Marino’s Arm is Still Strong

Dan Marino, considered to be the greatest QB in Dolphins history, threw out the first pitch ahead of the Marlins home opener versus the Pirates.