By TIM BOOTH AP Sports activities Author
SEATTLE – Tyler O’Neill set some unlikely baseball historical past on opening day within the stadium he visited nearly yearly as a child rising up in British Columbia. And it got here towards the staff that drafted him greater than a decade in the past.
“Baseball is a humorous sport,” O’Neill stated. “It brings every part residence like that.”
O’Neill homered in his fifth straight opening day sport to set a serious league report and helped the Boston Crimson Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Thursday evening.
Rafael Devers homered and doubled off Seattle ace Luis Castillo, nevertheless it was O’Neill’s homer on the primary pitch from Cody Bolton within the eighth inning that gave the Crimson Sox a 6-4 lead and made historical past.
O’Neill homered the earlier 4 opening days with St. Louis, tying him with Todd Hundley (1994-97), Gary Carter (1977-80) and Yogi Berra (1955-58). He was a high prospect within the Mariners group earlier than being traded to St. Louis in 2017.
And it got here in entrance of a big contingent of household and pals from British Columbia who made the journey right down to see O’Neill’s first sport in a Crimson Sox uniform.
“You all the time wish to kick the season off with a bang,” O’Neill stated. “Thankfully, I have been capable of do it a pair instances in row now. Simply having a whole lot of enjoyable on the market.”
The homers and a few strong pitching helped Boston supervisor Alex Cora get pleasure from his first opening day win as a supervisor.
Devers hit an opposite-field two-run homer on an elevated fastball from Castillo within the third inning and his one-out double within the fifth helped result in one other run for Boston. Connor Wong added a two-out RBI single within the sixth on a pitch nicely off the plate.
“He was capable of drive the ball to left-center, one thing that he wasn’t capable of do final yr,” Cora stated of Devers. “That homer was spectacular.”
Boston starter Brayan Bello (1-0) pitched 5 innings and restricted the injury to Mitch Haniger’s two-run homer after he spent final season with San Francisco. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for the save after recording 29 final season for Boston.
Dylan Moore’s pinch-hit, two run homer within the seventh inning pulled Seattle inside 5-4, however that is as shut as Seattle would get. Two of Seattle’s large offseason additions, Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver, each skilled among the frustration that comes with taking part in at residence early within the season. Every hit deep fly balls that seemingly would have been homers of their former parks, however as a substitute grew to become outs.
“They received some hits with two outs, RBI hits, and people are enormous. They’re distinction makers,” Seattle supervisor Scott Servais stated. “Not the way in which we wished to begin. We now have a whole lot of video games to go. We now have staff.”
Castillo (0-1) labored by way of 5 innings as his management received away from him at instances, lacking with plenty of borderline pitches. Castillo, who wanted 91 pitches to get by way of the fifth, gave up 4 runs and 6 hits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Crimson Sox: RHP Liam Hendriks was positioned on the 60-day IL as he continues restoration from Tommy John surgical procedure. … LHP Chris Murphy was additionally performed on the 60-day IL with a UCL sprain. … RHP Bryan Mata (hamstring) was positioned on the 15-day IL. … IF Vaughn Grissom (hamstring) and OF Rob Refsnyder (toe) have been positioned on the 10-day IL.
Mariners: IF/OF Sam Haggerty (undisclosed medical process) was positioned on the 10-day injured checklist to start the season. … RHPs Matt Brash (elbow pressure), Bryan Woo (elbow irritation), Gregory Santos (lat pressure) and Eduardo Bazardo (rotator cuff pressure) have been positioned on the 15-day IL. … Veteran IF Brian Anderson was launched, however agreed to a minor-league contract and was assigned to Triple-A Tacoma.
UP NEXT
A pair of right-handers will face off as Nick Pivetta begins for Boston whereas George Kirby takes the hill for Seattle.