MLB Opening Day 2024 results: Yankees win close one in Houston; Diamondbacks score 14 runs in one inning

A leadoff homer did not portend disaster for the Twins' No. 1 starter. Pablo López lasted seven innings, giving up just four hits while striking out seven Royals in Kansas City.

The Orioles are about to win big in Baltimore, the Reds are demolishing the Nationals in Cincinnati, the Blue Jays are pulling away from the Rays in St. Petersburg, and the Dodgers are beating the Cardinals by five in Los Angeles. Those are the early lopsided games.

But the Yankees have come back from an early deficit to tie things in Houston, the Tigers and White Sox have been locked in a one-run game in Chicago, and the Padres have scored a couple of runs in the fifth to pull ahead 2-1 against the Giants.

The Orioles are absolutely demolishing the Angels on this chilly Opening Day at Camden Yards. Mike Trout looked vintage in hitting a home run in the top of the first inning. But Corbin Burnes and the O's haven't allowed a hit since. It has been a tough week for the City of Baltimore after a tragic bridge collapse early on Tuesday morning. But this team has given the community a reason to rally. The day started with the introduction of new owner David Rubenstein. On the field, the O's offense has delivered 11 runs in six-plus innings. Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins both hit long homers. The Angels, meanwhile, should be thankful that this is only one game.

Nick Martini is making his first-ever Opening Day one to remember, homering in each of his first two plate appearances this season, a two-run homer in the second and a three-run shot in the third as the Reds have taken a 7-0 lead over the Nationals at Great American Ball Park.

Martini, 33, first made his big-league debut with the A's in 2018 as a 27-year-old. The left-handed hitting outfielder played 55 games as a rookie for Oakland and six more the next season before the Padres picked him up off of waivers and he played 26 games there. He spent 2021 with the Cubs organization, appearing in 25 games for his hometown team before spending 2022 in Korea.

Last season the Reds signed him to a minor-league deal and he spent most of the year in Triple A before he was called up in August.

With the Reds, Martini found a spot as a pinch-hitter, going 5 for 11 in that role. After hitting three home runs in his previous 112 career big-league games, he had six for the Reds in just 29 games.

This spring Martini made his first Opening Day roster and Thursday he was in the lineup.

While Reds manager David Bell reveled in telling Martini he'd made the roster in Arizona, Wednesday he nonchalantly told Martini that he'd be in the lineup Wednesday, starting as the team's DH and batting eighth.

"I didn't wait around for the reaction, I just told him and walked away," Bell said.

Bell noted that "there was an argument" for Martini to hit higher than eighth in the order.

Martini had never played a big-league game before May before Thursday, so when he came up with one out and one on in the second inning, it was his first-ever March or April plate appearance.

Martini hit Josiah Gray's 2-1 slider into the stands in right-center field to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.

He came up in the next inning with two on and after getting behind 2-0 to Martini, Gray tried a curveball that Martini smacked into center, giving the Reds a 7-0 lead.

Spencer Steer, batting one spot ahead of Martini in the seven hole, had an RBI single in the second and an RBI double in the third before scoring on both Martini homers.

The Yankees are on pace for over 1,000 double plays this season. They have three inning-ending double plays through four innings against the Astros.

Off to an outstanding start in his first Opening Day, budding Minnesota Twins star Royce Lewis exited Thursday’s game with an apparent lower-leg injury.

Lewis, who missed parts of two seasons with consecutive torn right anterior cruciate ligaments, pulled up injured just as he raced around second base on a two-out RBI double by Carlos Correa in the third inning of a contest against the Kansas City Royals.

Prior to the injury, Lewis homered in his first plate appearance of the season and singled in his second trip.

Lewis returned to action in late May 2023 after missing most of the previous two seasons with torn ACLs. He quickly became a star, batting .309/.372/.548 with 15 homers in 239 plate appearances. Lewis followed it up with four postseason home runs, including two in his first-ever playoff game.

Injuries limited Lewis to 58 games in 2023. He missed 36 games with an oblique strain in July and August and sat out the final 10 contests of the regular season with a hamstring injury.

Colt Keith is 22 years old and this winter signed a six-year, $28.6-million deal before he'd played a single major league game. He was the Tigers' Opening Day second baseman and just got an infield single for his first big league hit.

Meanwhile, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has been dominant through four scoreless innings.

Raise your hand if you had Nick Ahmed driving in the Giants' first run of the season. In his first big league at-bat in anything other than an Arizona Diamondbacks uniform, Ahmed faced the Padres' Yu Darvish and threaded a double down the third base line that scored Michael Conforto and gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the third inning at Petco Park.

In the spring, Ahmed wore Madison Bumgarner's No.40, which hadn't been reissued since the World Series hero moved on after the 2019 season. That was out of necessity because the Giants had nearly 70 players in camp and no more numbers to issue. Ahmed vowed to switch to a different number when the season began. Because Austin Slater already has No.13, which Ahmed wore in Arizona, the two-time Gold Glove shortstop ended going with 16, which he liked because it is a reference to one of his favorite Bible verses: John 3:16.

Oh no! After a homer and a single in his first two at-bats, Twins third baseman Royce Lewis just pulled up with an apparent leg injury in the third inning. Lewis has been through a series of injuries throughout his career, which might be the only reason he's not a household name and a multi-time All-Star already. Brutal.

Nick Martini just homered in Cincinnati. What's so cool about that, you ask? Martini is 33 years old, and just made his first ever Opening Day lineup. He's DHing in the No. 8 spot in the order. He was drafted way back in 2011.

Today marks the 53rd Opening Day in the history of the Texas Rangers — and the first one that will feature the raising of a World Series championship banner. According to the club, the banner to be unveiled before tonight's season 7:35 p.m. ET opener against the Chicago Cubs measures 20 feet in height and 30 feet in width. It will hang near the right field video board at Globe Life Field. The pregame unveiling ceremony will also feature the formal on-field presentation of the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Giants manager Bob Melvin acknowledged the coincidence (it's not irony, Alanis) that he'll make his San Francisco debut in San Diego, the city he exited in October with a year remaining on his contract. The fans at Petco Park made their feelings heard right away, booing Melvin in pregame introductions.

"It's a little unique that we open up here," Melvin said while meeting with reporters in the visiting dugout. "Even last year when we didn't perform well, those guys get your attention. It'll be an interesting four days. It's a really good team and A.J. (Preller) did a great job in turning this thing over. Having to reduce payroll, bringing in the arms he did, bringing up younger players in the system, I think he did a fantastic job at building this roster at a lesser cost. It's a really good team."

The Padres pared payroll under Preller while trading Juan Soto, but traded for strikeout artist Dylan Cease and retain a talented hitting core that continues to earn Melvin's healthy respect.

The Giants, meanwhile, went in the opposite fiduciary direction. They were outspent only by the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers while committing nearly $400 million in guaranteed money to a flurry of free agents along with a trade for rehabbing former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray. Jung Hoo Lee will make his major league debut when he sees the first pitch of the season; he's in center field and batting leadoff. Newly signed designated hitter Jorge Soler, who has a chance at becoming the first Giant since Barry Bonds (in 2004) to hit 30 home runs in a season, is in the No.2 spot. And the free agent Melvin coveted most of all, Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman, is the cleanup hitter against Padres right-hander Yu Darvish.

Even with shortstop prospect Marco Luciano beginning in the minor leagues, the Giants have four rookies on their season-opening roster. Along with Lee, right-hander Landen Roupp and left-hander Erik Miller will be seeking their major league debuts. It's also the first Opening Day for touted rookie left-hander Kyle Harrison, who is scheduled to pitch on Saturday. Catcher Patrick Bailey, who finished third in last year's Gold Glove balloting as a rookie, is also on the Opening Day roster for the first time.

The Giants went with 12 pitchers and might be able to wait until Monday at Dodger Stadium, when they need a fifth starter, before ramping up to 13. In the meantime, carrying an extra position player allows them to carry Joey Bart, who had a good spring but is out of options and likely to be lost on a waiver claim whenever a third catcher becomes a roster luxury that they cannot afford.

In addition to Melvin, the Giants have another 2023 Padre on their active roster. But Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, won't pitch in the season-opening four-game series. Snell was at Petco Park for the opener but will return to Arizona on Friday to pitch in a minor league game. He's not injured, so apart from volunteering to go on the restricted list (and forfeit a prorated portion of his salary), there was no other way for the Giants to navigate this. They'll play a man short for as long as Snell requires, which could be the entirety of their seven-game road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles.

We have our first lead in this second wave of games.

Young Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis — a former first-overall draft pick whose big league career has been delayed by injuries — homered in the top of the first inning in Kansas City. Lewis has been plenty productive in limited big league action up to this point. If he can stay healthy, he could join a long list of third base standouts in today's game.

By the way, the Orioles have pulled ahead 5-1.

Oh, and if you have a chance, tune into the Dodgers-Cardinals game. The top the Dodgers order is coming to the plate.

Wearing a Dodgers cap, a blue button-up shirt, an impressive mustache, Emmy Award-winning actor Bryan Cranston added some Hollywood muscle to baseball’s most star-filled roster. Cranston announced the Dodgers' starting lineup from behind home plate, beginning with three straight MVPs: shortstop Mookie Betts, designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, and first baseman Freddie Freeman.

The players walked in from the outfield, with their families lining the way, stepping into a season loaded with anticipation. Betts at a new position, Ohtani in a new uniform, and the Dodgers loaded with hype after a billion-dollar offseason. It was a fittingly over-the-top introduction for baseball's most high-profile team.