O’s Open With A Homerun Derby
The Baltimore Orioles opened the 2025 season north of the border in Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The team announced their presence with authority, hitting six home runs off of four different Toronto Blue Jays pitchers, resulting in a 12-2 victory. Hopefully the Birds get mileage points as the six pack of long balls went a cumulative distance of 2,404 feet (732.7 meters).
Catcher Adley Rutschman (3 for 5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI) opened the scoring with a first inning homerun and did the same in the eighth.
“Mr. Opening Day” Tyler O’Neill (3 for 3, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB) continued his historic home run streak with his sixth consecutive Opening Day homerun in the third inning.
Cedric Mullins (3 for 5, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI) entertained fans with a pair of homeruns as well.
Jordan Westburg (2 for 4, HR, R, RBI, BB) finished off the six-pack with an eighth inning homerun to center field, going back to back with Rutschman in the frame.
Every Oriole in the starting lineup reached base in the game and Ryan Mountcastle (1 for 5, 2B, R) continued his mastery of Toronto pitching in Canada by hitting a 115.7 mph double in the second inning. The blast was the hardest hit ball by either team all game.
Starter Zach Eflin (1-0) earned the win with a 2 hit, 2 run, one walk 2 strike out performance over 6.0 innings. An Andres Gimenez two-run homerun in the fourth accounted for Eflin’s only real blemish.
Seranthony Dominguez (1.0 IP, H, 2 BB, WP), Keegan Akin (1.0 IP, 2 BB) and Bryan Baker (1.0 IP, H, K) finished off the Eflin start.
Question: was it the Tim Horton’s doughnuts or the Phiten necklaces? Time will tell.
For those who were wondering, former Oriole Anthony Santander went 0 for 4.
2025 Record: 1-0
Next Game: Fri. 3/28 @ 7:07 pm in Toronto (Apple TV+)