2022 MLB Opening Day Recap

Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers

Score: Cubs 5, Brewers 4

This game featured the Cubs' new $85M man (Seiya Suzuki) and reigning Cy Young Winner Corbin Burns. Suzuki would end up reaching base three times; twice by a walk and one single. The Cubs starter went 5.1 innings of one run ball as he looked like his former self with the number of swings and misses as well as weak contact of the balls that were hit. Ian Happ also had himself a 3-hit day. This game had the first homerun of the 2022 season thanks to Nico Hoerner’s two-run shot. Corbin Burns did not look like his Cy Young self he did last year, but still pitched a quality start as he kept his team in the game after leaving with a score of 3-1 Cubs. The Brewers 2 bullpen arms would also each let up one run.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Score: Cardinals 9, Pirates 0

This game here was all about the Cardinals as the Pirates could not do anything. Notably, to start this game off, it was both the return of Albert Pujols in a Cards uniform as well as Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina's 305th time teaming up as pitcher and catcher, and well they both did their things. Wainwright would go on to throw 6-shutout innings while Molina did what he always does in throwing base runners out. Tyler O’Neill would hit an absolute rope of a 3-run homer which is all that would be needed in this game. All that can be said about the Pirates in this game is that their pitching had more walks (7) then they had hits (6), which were all singles.

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians

Score: Royals 3, Guardians 1

This game also about another old timer returning to his former team in Zach Greinke (first time in a KC uniform since 2010), as well as MLB No. 1 prospect Bobby Witt Jr. making his big-league debut, but we can't forget about the 2020 AL Cy Young Winner in Shane Bieber, and Cleveland’s newly extended third baseman Jose Ramirez. Now Greinke is not what he used to be when he first came to the league, but he does still pose the accuracy he has always had throughout his entire career as he would dot the corners and the bottom half of the zone as he went 5.2 innings allowing one run on 5 hits with one walk and one strikeout. Witt Jr. would receive his first big league hit coming in the bottom of the 8th with a double that would end up helping the Royals take the lead. For the Guardians, some people may be questioning what Shane Bieber will look like this year coming off shoulder surgery due to his fastball staying in the low 90’s, whereas before he was mid to upper 90’. One thing that could have played a role in this is that the weather in Kansas City was not the best to pitch in which could have played a role in his lower velocity. The Guardians' only run came from a Ramirez double in the top of the fourth inning.

Cincinnati Red vs Atlanta Braves

Score: Reds 6, Braves 3

What a way for the Braves to start off the season as reigning champs by playing a team that just dismantled their roster in the offseason. Sounds like an easy win. WRONG! The Braves would end up getting blanked by the Reds starter Tyler Mahle who went 5 innings allowing one unearned run on three hits and 7 strikeouts. The Reds bullpen would allow 2 earned runs on one hit. For the Braves offense, they struck out 13 times and left 9 runners on base, which is not a good way to get a win. It also did not help that the Braves starter Max Fried would end up allowing a 3-run homer to Red’s Brandon Drury. One will question if the Braves missing Freddie Freeman will hurt them in the long run, but for now it is way too early to tell as this is game 1 of 162. On the bright side of all of this for the Braves, we got to see one of their top pitching prospects Spencer Strider SHOVE in his relief appearance striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced.

New York Mets vs Washington Nationals

Score: Mets 5, Nationals 1

This game started with the classic rain delay, but eventually was played fully. Everyone was looking forward to seeing the Mets new team after all these players signed with them in the offseason, but injuries and other things have played a role in that not happening sadly. The bright side of all of these is that the chosen starter for the Mets, Tylor Megill, would go to throw five shutout innings. After he was taken out Juan Soto would score the Nats only runs with a no-doubter into the second deck to lead off the sixth inning. The Mets were led by Mark Canha and Jeff McNeil as they combined for four hits and four of the Mets five runs.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres

Score: Diamondbacks 4, Padres 2

This game had a unique thing happen in it. Yu Darvish if the Padres looked like his old self after underperforming for the majority of last season. He dealt 6 no-hit innings until he was pulled and the leadoff hitter in the seventh for the D-Backs got their first base hit. Madison Bumgarner struggled with command in this game and only threw the first 3 innings for the D-Backs. Now for the unique thing that occurred. So, on the D-Backs there’s a guy named Seth Beer. This game took place on national beer day. Well Seth Beer hit a walk off 3-run homer on national beer day. Quite ironic if I do say so myself.

Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels

Score: Astros 3, Angles 1

This game had some history that was made as well as a very well-played game. The history that was made is Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to both throw his team’s first pitch of the season as well as face his team's first pitch of the season as a hitter. Ohtani would hit 100 mph on his first pitch as well as striking out 9 hitters through 4.2 innings. However, he was outdueled by Framber Valdez who threw 6.2 shutout innings and retired 15 in a row at one point of the game. The Astros would score from back-to-back homeruns by Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez.