Konnor Griffin shines in his debut as the Pirates hold off the Orioles 5-4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin debuted in style. The 19-year-old Pirates shortstop delivered an RBI double in his first big league at-bat as Pittsburgh held off the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Friday.

Griffin, called up on Thursday and the consensus top prospect in baseball, looked every bit the part during an electric afternoon at PNC Park.

He laced a double to center field off Kyle Bradish (0-2) in the bottom of the second, then showcased his speed while racing home on a single to shallow right field by Jared Triolo.

The teenager, the youngest player to make his major league debut at shortstop since Alex Rodriguez did it at 18 for Seattle in 1994, also drew a walk and handled all of his defensive chances without an issue as the Pirates won their third straight. Griffin became the first Pirate under 20 to reach base twice in his debut since Bobby Del Greco in 1952.

The sellout crowd at PNC Park, which opened 25 years ago, or a full half-decade before Griffin was born on April 24, 2006, roared when Griffin was introduced during the pregame ceremony. The roars drew even louder when he took an 85 mph curveball from Bradish and sent it rocketing to the fence in center field.

Triolo, who moved from short to third after Griffin’s promotion, had a pair of hits and his first RBI of the season. Ryan O’Hearn, Henry Davis and Oneil Cruz also drove in runs for the Pirates.

Mitch Keller (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Gregory Soto gave up a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson with two outs in the ninth, but rebounded by striking out former New York Mets teammate Pete Alonso to pick up his first save with Pittsburgh.

YANKEES 8, MARLINS 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first inning, and New York beat Miami in its home opener for its second 6-1 start in three seasons.

Trent Grisham reached leading off with the first of 11 walks by Marlins pitchers and Judge drove a slider into the left-field seats against Eury Pérez (0-1).

Judge, who had three RBIs, hit a record 20 first-inning home runs last year, when he finished with 53. Three of Judge’s five hits this season have been home runs.

Ben Rice homered and hit a two-run double for the Yankees.

Will Warren (1-0) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings, including solo homers by Xavier Edwards in the first and Owen Caissie in the fifth.

Miami entered the game at 5-1, matching its franchise-best start, and had spent six days atop the NL East — double its total for 2021-25 combined. Miami pitchers had their most walks since April 2023; they had walked just nine in the team’s first six games.

Pérez (0-1) allowed four runs, two hits and a career-high six walks in four innings. He forced in runs on consecutive pitches in the second when he walked Grisham and hit Judge. Tyler Phillips threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the sixth.

TIGERS 4, CARDINALS 0

DETROIT (AP) — Dillon Dingler homered, Framber Valdez pitched six shutout innings and Detroit ended a four-game losing streak with a win over St. Louis in its home opener.

Detroit has a .667 regular-season winning percentage (34-17) against the Cardinals — their highest mark against any team — but the Cardinals have a 2-1 advantage in World Series matchups. St. Louis beat the Tigers in 1934 and 2006, with Detroit winning in 1968.

Valdez (1-0) allowed three hits and two walks in his home debut for Detroit. Three relievers finished the game.

Michael McGreevy (0-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Riley Greene hit a one-out double in the fourth and Dingler broke the scoreless tie with a 433-foot homer over the Cardinals bullpen in left-center.

Greene then hit an RBI single with two out in the fifth to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead, and Javier Báez drove in Parker Meadows to add a fourth run in the sixth.

DODGERS 13, NATIONALS 6

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the third inning, and Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman went deep as well the Los Angeles pummeled Washington.

Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, but it was the top of their order — which had been struggling — that really broke out. Ohtani hadn’t driven in a run all season before hitting a drive to right that tied the game at 3. Betts’ two-run shot later that inning put Los Angeles ahead to stay.

It was 9-4 after Freeman’s two-run homer in the fifth. Tucker’s first home run as a member of the Dodgers was a solo shot that made it 12-4 in the seventh.

Miles Mikolas (0-2) allowed a career-high 11 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Emmet Sheehan (1-0) gave up a three-run homer to CJ Abrams in the first, but the Nationals only scored once more in his 5 2/3 innings.

Washington lost its home opener for the fifth straight year. This was the most runs the Nationals have allowed in a home opener since moving to Washington in 2005.

Sheehan allowed four runs and seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

RED SOX 5, PADRES 2

BOSTON (AP) — Marcelo Mayer and Willson Contreras both hit home runs as part of a three-run sixth inning and Boston snapped a five-game losing streak with a win in its home opener over San Diego.

Caleb Durbin added an RBI single in the fourth inning to end an 0-for-19 start to the season as Boston stopped its first 1-5 start since 2019. Durbin’s line drive to center field ended an overall hitless streak of 34 plate appearances, that dated back to Sept. 22, 2025, when he was still with Milwaukee.

Boston’s Sonny Gray (1-0) picked up the victory, pitching six innings and allowing two runs off four hits. Aroldis Chapman walked one in the ninth, but got his second save.

Contreras’ 423-foot blast off Padres’ starter Michael King (0-1) — his first since being traded by St. Louis in the offseason — went over the Green Monster to break a 2-2 tie. Later, with two outs, Mayer dropped his first homer of the season off reliever Wandy Peralta that went just over the wall in right field and into the bullpen.

King lasted 5 2/3 inning, yielding four runs off seven hits and struck out five.

WHITE SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 4, 10 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) — Tristan Peters capped a two-run 10th inning with an RBI single and Chicago beat Toronto in a wild home opener on Friday.

Toronto’s Andrés Giménez tied at 3 in the eighth with a two-run homer against Jordan Leasure. The Blue Jays went ahead with two outs in the 10th when Miguel Vargas’ throw to first on George Springer’s grounder pulled Munetaka Murakami off the bag, allowing Davis Schneider to score from third.

The call was upheld after a review, but the White Sox answered in the bottom half against Jeff Hoffman (1-1).

They had Vargas on third with two outs when catcher Tyler Heineman threw wildly to first on Derek Hill’s bunt single, allowing the tying run to come in. Heineman had just come in after the previous batter, Austin Hays, fouled a pitch off Alejandro Kirk’s left thumb. Kirk, a two-time All-Star, was going for X-rays after the game.

REDS 5, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Stephenson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning and Cincinnati won in its first road game this season, a victory to spoil the home opener for Texas.

Spencer Steer and Elly Del La Cruz also homered for the Reds.

Steer opened the ninth with a double off reliever Chris Martin (1-1) before Stephenson lined a full-count pitch into the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center for his first homer.

Tony Santillian (1-0), the fourth of five Reds pitchers, pitched a perfect eighth inning. Emilio Pagán worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

The Rangers played their first home game for new manager Skip Schumaker after taking two of three games in series at Philadelphia and Baltimore. The last time they played six games before their home opener was 2008.

Steer’s two-run homer in the second and De La Cruz going deep to lead off the sixth both came off MacKenzie Gore, the All-Star left-hander that came to Texas from Washington in January in a trade for five prospects. It was the third homer, all solo shots, for De La Cruz this season.

Gore struck out nine without a walk while allowing those three runs over six innings in his first home start.

PHILLIES 10, ROCKIES 1

DENVER (AP) — Brandon Marsh hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run first inning, Aaron Nola pitched efficiently into the seventh and Philadelphia spoiled Colorado’s home opener.

The Phillies set the tone early by sending 11 batters to the plate against Michael Lorenzen (0-1) to begin the game. They finished with 13 hits, including three homers — all by lefties — with the wind blowing from left field. Marsh hit a sinker that went a projected 454 feet to the second deck in right-center. In the second, Bryce Harper launched a solo shot. Kyle Schwarber added a 460-foot drive to right field in the fifth.

Nola (1-0) scattered five hits and gave up one run over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out nine — the bullpen had six more — as Philadelphia won its eighth straight over Colorado. The latest one marked the Rockies’ most lopsided loss in a home opener.

It was win No. 350 for Phillies manager Rob Thomson, making him the fastest to reach the mark in club history (604 games).

There were 48,366 fans who showed up on a sunny but cool afternoon. The Rockies, a team coming off three straight 100-loss seasons, dropped to 18-16 in home openers, including 17-15 at Coors Field.

GUARDIANS 4, CUBS 1

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Chase DeLauter had three hits, including a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and drove in three runs as Cleveland won its home opener against Chicago.

Gabriel Arias also went deep in the seventh inning as the Guardians won their home opener for the third straight season.

Connor Brogdon (2-0) got the win and Cade Smith picked up his second save. It was 70 degrees at first pitch, which was Cleveland’s warmest March or April opener since 1992.

Miguel Amaya had an RBI hit in the third inning for the Cubs. Starting pitcher Cade Horton exited early in the second inning due to right forearm discomfort.

TWINS 10, RAYS 4

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tristan Gray hit his first career grand slam to cap a seven-run seventh inning for Minnesota in a cold and rainy home-opener victory over Tampa Bay.

Gray’s one-out line drive off a 1-1 cutter from Yeondrys Gómez was just high enough to clear the 23-foot wall in right field, after Kevin Kelly (0-1) finished a rough relief appearance with consecutive bases-loaded walks.

Josh Bell had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins, including the tiebreaking single in the seventh. Kelly started that inning by hitting Byron Buxton in the right forearm with a pitch, forcing the All-Star center fielder out of the game. The Twins announced X-rays showed no fracture.

Gray, who also had a sacrifice fly, grabbed the last available roster spot on opening day as a backup infielder. He homered three times in 30 games for the Rays last season.

ATHLETICS 11, ASTROS 4

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Lawrence Butler hit a three-run homer and an RBI single, Max Muncy followed Butler’s fourth-inning drive with a solo shot after his earlier two-run double, and the Athletics pounded Houston for a victorious home opener.

The A’s added a run in their decisive six-run fourth on Tyler Soderstrom’s shallow popup that catcher Yainer Diaz couldn’t corral some 10 feet up the first-base line as three other players converged. Jacob Wilson singled home a run two batters later before Butler and Muncy connected back-to-back. Soderstrom also doubled in a run for the A’s, who went 36-45 at home last season.

They scored 17 runs in their initial six games before breaking out Friday — all with two outs.

Houston (5-3) was coming off a sweep of the Red Sox and had won five straight since dropping its initial two games but fell behind early to the inspired A’s in their first game at Sutter Health Park, where they started playing last year and plan to stay through next season before a move to Las Vegas in 2028.

Astros starter Cristian Javier (0-1) reached 600 career strikeouts when he fanned Butler in the second. The right-hander then surrendered three straight singles — with Denzel Clarke driving in the first run — and was done after 3 2/3 innings.

BRAVES 2, DIAMONDBACKS 0

PHOENIX (AP) — Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson opened the ninth inning with back-to-back home runs, sending Atlanta Braves to a victory over Arizona.

Grant Holmes held the Diamondbacks to one hit through six innings, matching zeros with Arizona starter Eduardo Rodríguez.

Albies and Olson connected off reliever Paul Sewald (0-1), helping the Braves improve to 6-2 while the Diamondbacks dropped to 3-5.

Robert Suarez (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning and Raisel Iglesias worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save this season.

Albies, who had three of Atlanta’s six hits, drove an 0-1 pitch from Sewald over the right-field fence for his second homer of the year.

Olson sent Sewald’s next delivery to left for his second home run as well.

MARINERS 3, ANGELS 0, 10 INNINGS

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cole Young broke a scoreless tie with an RBI triple leading off the 10th inning, and Bryan Woo combined with Seattle's bullpen to pitch 10 innings of one-hit ball in a victory over Los Angeles.

Josh Naylor added a two-run single for the Mariners, who managed only four hits in the first nine innings before getting three in the 10th off new Angels reliever Brent Suter (0-1).

After nine innings featuring five combined hits — all singles — in the Angels’ home opener, Young drilled a sinker from Suter off the wall in the right-field corner on the second pitch of the 10th, scoring automatic runner Luke Raley.

Andrés Muñoz (1-1) pitched the ninth in the Seattle closer’s first appearance in six days. Gabe Speier earned his second career save despite allowing Mike Trout to score on Jorge Soler’s sacrifice fly.

The Mariners retired the Angels’ final 21 batters.

METS 10, GIANTS 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Francisco Alvarez homered twice and rookie Nolan McLean retired his first 15 batters as New York snapped a three-game skid with a rout of San Francisco.

Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien each had three of New York’s season-high 15 hits after the Mets totaled only three runs in their previous three games. Mark Vientos reached base safely four times, but slugger Juan Soto exited early with right calf tightness.

Soto will have imaging done Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Semien launched his first homer for the Mets and drove in three runs. Bichette opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first.