Major League Baseball’s highly anticipated Opening Day has finally arrived, leaving teams with one shared goal: WIN. As the umpire’s call ‘Play ball!,’ the stage is set for a season with endless possibilities, igniting the passions of players and fans.
This year’s Opening Day saw the season debut of 17 players of Cuban descent. Three Cuban players launched their first home runs of the season, with Yandy Diaz leading the charge with a blast against Jose Berrios of the Blue Jays.
In a showdown in Texas, Adolis Garcia showcased his power with a 407-foot home run during the sixth inning, complete with his signature bat flip, in the Texas Rangers’ 4-3 victory over the Cubs.
Meanwhile, Nestor Cortes took the mound as the Yankees’ Opening Day starter, becoming the first Cuban pitcher since Orlando Hernandez in 2000. Despite allowing four runs in five innings, the Yankees won 5-4 over the Houston Astros.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr and the reigning National League champions began the season strong with a big win over the Colorado Rockies. Gurriel Jr hit a 398-foot home run in the first inning, finishing the game 3-5 with 5 RBI and 3 runs scored.
Player Stats March 28th 2024:
Arizona Diamondbacks (ARI):
Lourdes Gurriel: 3-5, 5 RBI, 3 R
Boston Red Sox (BOS):
Triston Casas 1-4 1 RBI*
Chicago White Sox (CHW):
Yoan Moncada: 0-4
Luis Robert: 1-4
Detroit Tigers (DET):
Andy Ibanez: 1-2, 1 RBI
Houston Astros (HOU):
Yordan Alvarez: 2-5, 1 R
Jose Abreu: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 R
Kansas City Royals (KC):
Diaron Blanco (Pinch Runner)
Los Angeles Angels (LAA):
Zach Neto: 0-3, 1 RBI*
Miami Marlins (MIA):
Nick Fortes: 0-3*
New York Yankees (NYY):
Nestor Cortes: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 5 K
Pittsburgh Pirates (PIT):
Aroldis Chapman: 1 IP, 1 K
San Francisco Giants (SFG):
Jorge Soler: 0-3, 1 BB
St. Louis Cardinals (STL):
Nolan Arenado: 0-4*
Tampa Bay Rays (TB):
Yandy Diaz: 3-4, 3 RBI, 1 R
Randy Arozarena: 0-4
Texas Rangers (TEX):
Adolis Garcia: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
*Cuban American