THURSDAY’S NOTEBOOK
Cubs 5, Brewers 4
Chicago’s Nico Hoerner drove a 1-1 pitch from 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes into the bleachers in left for a tiebreaking two-run home run in the fifth inning.
It was Hoerner’s first big league homer since Sept. 21, 2019, against St. Louis. Making Hoerner the unlikely player to hit the first homer in the majors in 2022.
Royals 3, Guardians 1
Zack Greinke made his first start in a Kansas City uniform since 2010.
He didn’t have the same dominant fastball that he had then, but he made up for it with the wisdom of 18 years in the big leagues – and a beguiling 69 mph curveball. Greinke made it through 52⁄3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out one, then got a standing ovation from the crowd.
Cardinals 9, Pirates 0
Adam Wainwright (1-0) allowed five hits in his sixth opening day start and first since 2016. The 40-year-old struck out six and did not walk a batter. He and the 39-year-old Yadier Molina made their 305th start as a battery, fourth most in major league history. Molina made his franchise-record 18th successive opening day start.
Wainwright has not allowed a run against Pittsburgh in his last 32 innings.
Mets 5, Nationals 1
Juan Soto produced Washington’s run with his 99th career homer, a second-deck shot off Trevor May in the sixth.
Soto is one of the lone remnants from Washington’s title team of three years ago. General manager Mike Rizzo tore down the roster at the trade deadline last July in the midst of a second straight last-place NL East finish.
Reds 6, Braves 3
Reds first baseman Joey Votto, 38, entered the fifth inning with 6,724 career at-bats – and had never popped out to the pitcher. Votto experienced that career first when he ended the fifth with his popout to Fried.
Votto did an interview with the ESPN broadcast team while playing first base in the fourth inning, providing insight on his positioning and strategy, and reflecting on his 15-year career between pitches. He also joked about combatting his mid-life crisis with a gold or diamond tooth.
Braves great and Hall of Famer Chipper Jones threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The championship celebration continues on Sunday, when Atlanta players will be presented their World Series rings.
Astros 3, Angels 1
Shohei Ohtani (0-1) struck out nine while pitching one-run ball into the fifth inning for the Angels. He went 0 for 4 at the plate while taking advantage of baseball’s offseason rule change allowing him to remain the designated hitter after he finishes pitching.
Ohtani didn’t win, but he made more baseball history: He became the first player in baseball history to throw his team’s first pitch of the season – a 99 mph fastball in the dirt to José Altuve – and to face his team’s first pitch of the season at the plate.
Diamondbacks 4, Padres 2
Jurickson Profar started in left field, giving the Padres a little continuity at the position.
Profar’s second opening day in a row in left snapped a streak of 17 straight years in which San Diego started a different left fielder. Ryan Klesko started in left in 2004 and 2005.
That’s the second-longest streak in MLB history behind the Browns/ Orioles, who started different left fielders 19 years in a row from 1937-55.