All articles tagged with #opening day
A viral Pirates fan celebration called 'hoist the cone' has spurred traffic cone thefts, with ABM Parking saying 25 cones were stolen on opening day; authorities warn that stealing cones is illegal and fines start at $50, while the origin of the trend remains unclear.
MLB kicks off 2026 with the ABS robot-strike system in full swing, a managerial ejection, and a flood of bizarre opening-week stats—from pitchers’ futuristic strikeout calls to teams racking up 14-run innings and the Mariners going two games without a single, showing that baseball is back in a radically different, wildly entertaining new era.
The Atlanta Braves opened the 2026 season with a 6-0 win over the Kansas City Royals, as Albies, Baldwin, and Harris II homered and the offense tallied 11 hits behind six strong innings from Chris Sale and a stingy bullpen. Atlanta will try for a series win tonight. Off the field, BravesVision is expanding with new carriage on Fubo and DIRECTV. Other notes include the Gwinnett Stripers’ Opening Day roster (excluding Jhancarlos Lara), Jason Heyward’s retirement after a 16-year career, the Orioles’ five-year, $68 million extension for Shane Baz, and Clayton Kershaw joining the Dodgers as a special assistant to the front office.
Royals were shut out 6-0 by Atlanta on Opening Day as Cole Ragans walked and allowed four runs in four innings; Bailey Falter allowed two runs over three relief innings, while Alex Lange pitched a clean eighth. Kansas City had five hits and limited offense, though the top of the order reached twice. They’ll try to rebound against Michael Wacha and Reynaldo López in the next game, which will be televised on FOX.
During MLB’s opening day, the Automated Ball-Strike System overturned a ninth-inning call in the Reds–Red Sox game, and in its first games logged a 61.3% success rate in overturning calls, signaling promising but still early reliability for robo-umps.
Bleacher Nation breaks down the Cubs’ Opening Day loss to the Nationals, notes Matthew Boyd’s rough outing and an offense that generated traffic but left nine runners on base, and highlights two major extensions—Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner—plus the infield being locked in through 2029 and what that means for the Cubs going forward.
NBC kicks off its return to baseball with Bob Costas delivering a signature monologue that frames Opening Day as a clean slate and renewed drama, reviving the network’s tradition of storytelling around the game.
Garrett Crochet pitched six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to lift the Red Sox to a 3-0 Opening Day win over the Reds. Marcelo Mayer delivered a clutch pinch-hit double to spark Boston's first run, Rafaela added an RBI single, and a ninth-inning rally capped by Trevor Story and Jarren Duran provided insurance as Boston’s bullpen closed out the shutout.
Baseball America catalogs the 20 youngest and 20 oldest players on 2026 MLB Opening Day rosters in both leagues, highlighting rookies like Kevin McGonigle and Samuel Basallo for the AL and Junior Caminero among the NL’s young standouts; the St. Louis Cardinals have the youngest Opening Day roster, while the Atlanta Braves are the oldest, with the Red Sox representing the most average age, and pitchers generally aging slower than hitters across MLB.
The Washington Nationals opened the season in Chicago with an offensive outburst, including a six-run fourth inning and Jacob Young’s two-run homer, fueling Blake Butera’s first win as Nationals manager.
Two SB Nation writers share their early 2026 MLB picks, naming division winners, wild cards, and a World Series champion: AL East—Yankees; AL Central—Tigers; AL West—Mariners; NL East—Mets; NL Central—Cubs; NL West—Dodgers; AL wild cards—Mark: Orioles, Red Sox, Royals; James: Blue Jays, Red Sox, Guardians; NL wild cards—Mark: Phillies, Brewers, Padres; James: Mets, Cubs, Padres; World Series winners—Mark: Yankees; James: Dodgers. It’s presented as a living forecast heading into Opening Day.
Opening Day access for Washington Nationals games was disrupted for many Verizon Fios customers when Nationals.TV appeared on a different, pricier tier under MLB’s new broadcast arrangement. Some fans were told to upgrade, others to wait for recalibration, and MLB declined to comment while the Nationals urged viewers to adjust subscriptions. The issue coincided with a 10-4 win over the Cubs and highlights broader tensions in local sports broadcasting amid cord-cutting and shifting rights deals.
Garrett Crochet spun six scoreless innings and Roman Anthony went 3-for-4 with a walk, aided by MLB’s new automated ball-strike system overturning a ninth-inning pitch, as the Red Sox beat the Reds 3-0 on Opening Day.
Seattle’s Opening Day offense was stifled, with 14 strikeouts and all runs coming on solo homers (Donovan and Canzone) as Cleveland answered with timely hits and its bullpen, ultimately holding Seattle to six runs allowed. Logan Gilbert labored and the Guardians’ bats produced key knocks, including a Rocchio two-run double and a Ramirez double, while Dominic Canzone added a second homer to briefly spark a Mariners rally before a 6-4 Guardians win. Bibee left early with right shoulder inflammation, underscoring a rough night for Seattle all around.
Opening Day across Major League Baseball brought coast-to-coast action, record-setting strikeouts and standout performances from rookies and stars alike, while the new automated ball-strike system began to influence calls and set the tone for a hopeful, dynastic season.