It wasn’t exactly what we expected on the opening night of the MLB season. Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer struggled in a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees.
In southern California, an under-radar infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers had the biggest impact in a victory over the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, the new Giants manager made a big mistake in an 8-1 loss.
These are some of the biggest winners and losers of the two opening night games in the entire major league world.
Winner: Giancarlo Stanton stars for the Yankees
After a 2019 season in which he played only 18 games due to a multitude of injuries, Stanton knows very well that there is a lot of pressure on him. New York is seen as a top-tier World Series contender. AL’s most valuable former player needs to stay healthy through the 60-game roster and play alongside. If what we saw Thursday night is an indication, you’ll be more than ready for the task.
Stanton started the game by throwing a strong 459-foot home run and two Max Scherzer runs in the top of the first. He would later give Gio Urshela a loaded base single in the fifth. By reaching fourth in the lineup, Stanton will have plenty of opportunities in scoring situations. It was released twice in such situations on Thursday night. That could be a harbinger of what is to come.
Loser: Max Scherzer doesn’t have it for the Nationals
Scherzer, a World Series hero last fall, remains among the game’s best pitchers. Washington will need it earlier this season. At least, until stud outfielder Juan Soto returns. During a 60-game race to the finish, each start becomes more important.
While Scherzer struck out 11 in 5.1 innings, he just didn’t have his best things. All that said, New York scored the three-time Cy Young winner for four runs (all earned) and six hits. He also walked an unusual four batters. That’s not what Washington imagined when entering a game that had all the characteristics of being a pitcher’s duel.
Winner: Gerrit Cole dazzles in Yankees debut
We saw Cy Young reign in second place with New York during spring training. He seemed to have decent stuff, striking out 13 hitters in nine innings. But given the delay between March and now, it was unknown what Cole would look like. After homing in on Adam Eaton in the first inning, Cole was his dominant self.
The 29-year-old right-hander gave up that hit alone in five innings before the game ended in the sixth. He struck out five top players and threw 46 of his 75 strikeouts. Closing a powerful lineup of Nationals, although without Juan Soto, is no small matter. After initial difficulties, Cole certainly looked like the ace New York signed to be.
Loser: the bottom of the Nationals lineup fights
Without Soto in the lineup, it was obvious that Washington’s depth took a hit. Enter the equation at the end of your lineup on Thursday night. Andrew Stevenson and Victor Robles were combined 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the rain-shortened loss.
This simply may not be the case in the future. That’s especially true now that the National League has adopted the designated hitter. Regardless of who is hitting the bottom of the Washington lineup, they must get to the base to establish opportunities driven by Trea Turner and Adam Eaton at the top of the lineup.
Winner: Johnny Cueto de los Gigantes with a tremendous return to the hill
This former All-Star won the start of Giants’ Opening Day after appearing in just four games a season ago and 13 games since the end of the 2017 campaign. Cueto underwent Tommy John Surgery during the summer of 2018. He is now 34 years old. It is unknown how he would respond after another long recess once the season was suspended in March.
For at least one night, Cueto looked like his old self. The two-time All-Star and World Series champion allowed just five hits and one earned run while striking out three out of four innings of work. At the very least, it was a step in the right direction for someone who had pitched in 13 regular-season games since Oct. 1, 2017.
Loser: Gabe Kapler has his managerial debut
Some questioned the Giants’ decision to hire Kapler to replace Bruce Bochy after some fights with Philadelphia last season. For at least one night, those skeptics were right.
How else would you explain the pinch hit for a three-time Gold Glove winner in the sixth inning of a draw game? That’s exactly what Kapler did when pulling shortstop Brandon Crawford. Like clockwork, he returned to bite the Giants in the bottom of the sixth with Los Angeles scoring five runs. That included multiple wrong plays from the center of a midfield of inexperienced Giants.
A well played game turned into an uneven loss for one of the worst MLB teams. Kapler deserves a lot of blame.
Winner: Enrique Hernández hurts the Dodgers
The Los Angeles lineup is so deep. It is one of the reasons why Dave Roberts’ team is among the favorites to win the World Series. After a 2019 season that saw him hit .237, Hernandez isn’t necessarily a player other teams care about too much. That could change after what we saw Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
Hernandez led the Dodgers’ first run of the game with a single against Cueto in the fourth inning. With Los Angeles up 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, second baseman plated two with another shot from Tyler Rogers. This gave the Dodgers the insurance they needed to win the season opener. For good measure, he added two more RBIs in the bottom of the eighth. If Hernández hits somewhere near this level during the season, the rest of the National League will have trouble.
Loser: MLB fans wait months for this
It seems to be normal for the course in 2020. What can go wrong, went wrong. Launch the season in the midst of a pandemic. The possibility of the season coming to a halt. Thursday began with the news that the star of the Nationals, Juan Soto, tested positive for COVID-19. It was not in the lineup. Later in the day, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was scratched from the start and placed on the disabled list with a back problem.
In no way was this the scope of it. Just as the Nationals raised their World Series flag in DC, doom and sadness seemed to be in the background. Less than two hours later, the players were forced to leave the field due to a storm. Those around MLB weren’t having it. And typically, the game was called after less than six complete innings. Hopefully the rest of the season runs smoothly. We need this.
Bonus Winner: Major League Baseball Does It Right
We knew that the backdrop for the start of the season would include support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Major League Baseball has made this clear. Players also have it. We just had no idea what it would look like.
Starting with the game in DC and concluding in Southern California, each player and coach knelt before the national anthem. Black Lives Matter was very prominent on the field. And although some players knelt during the hymn itself, this seemed to represent a happy medium. At a time of division in the United States, the unit seemed to consolidate overnight. It remains to be seen if that will continue to advance this season.
