Major leagues:
NEW YORK – Josh Donaldson capped his Yankees debut with an RBI single in the 11th inning, lifting New York over the Boston Red Sox 6-5 Friday for its first walk-off win on opening day since Yogi Berra scored in 1957.
Trailing 3-0 before ace Gerrit Cole got a single out, the Yankees rallied against their longtime rival.
Xander Bogaerts put the Red Sox ahead 5-4 in the 10th with an RBI single against winner Michael King – Bogaerts’ his third hit of the game. Pinch-hitter Gleyber Torres tied it in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly off Ryan Brasier.
Donaldson, acquired from Minnesota last month, grounded a single up the middle against rookie Kutter Crawford leading off the 11th. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who started the inning as the automatic runner at second base, scored in his Yankees debut.
It was the Yankees’ sixth overall walk-off win on opening day. The last time came when the defending World Series champions began the 1957 season by beating the Washington Senators 2-1 as Berra scored on a single by Andy Carey.
Before the Yankees and Red Sox met, New York star Aaron Judge let his deadline for a long-term contract pass.
Tampa Bay 2, Baltimore 1: Budding star Wander Franco had three hits, Francisco Mejía snapped an eighth-inning tie with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly and the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 in their season opener.
Franco started the winning rally with a single to right off reliever Dillon Tate. It was the 21-year-old’s first game since signing a $182 million, 11-year contract in the offseason. He batted .288 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 70 games as a rookie.
Pinch hitter Ji-Man Choi drew a walk and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena beat out an infield single to load the bases against right-hander Jorge Perez (0-1). After Brandon Lowe hit into a force play at the plate that took Franco off the bases, Mejía lifted his sacrifice fly to left field.
Seattle 2, Minnesota 1:Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray tossed seven impressive innings in his Seattle debut, Mitch Haniger homered and the Mariners opened with a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.
Ray (1-0) surrendered just three hits, walked four and struck out five. He made the opening day start after leaving Toronto and signing a five-year, $115 million contract with Seattle.
The 30-year-old left-hander was just a part of the Mariners’ big offseason overhaul that saw the team also add former All-Stars Adam Frazier, Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suárez and Sergio Romo.
Detroit 5, Chicago White Sox 4: Javier Báez wound up with a winning RBI single on a game-ending replay reversal in his Detroit debut, and the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-4.
With two out and a runner on third in the ninth inning, Báez hit a drive to right off Liam Hendriks that sent AJ Pollock back to the wall. Pollock appeared to make a juggling catch, but the ball struck the wall before going off the outfielder’s glove.
The new-look Tigers started celebrating as they realized what happened, and the opening-day crowd joined in after umpire Marvin Hudson announced the reversal of the call.
Eric Haase hit a solo homer off Hendriks.
National League
San Francisco 6, Miami 5:
Austin Slater doubled with two outs in the 10th inning for his first career walkoff RBI, sending the San Francisco Giants past the Miami Marlins 6-5 in an opening-day nail-biter.
Thairo Estrada hit a tying home run to start the bottom of the ninth off Anthony Bender. Then Slater came through against Anthony Bass (0-1), scoring Darin Ruf. It marked San Francisco’s first walkoff win on opening day since beating the Padres on April 6, 1987, at Candlestick Park.
L.A. Dodgers 5, Colorado 3: Freddie Freeman reached base three times and scored a run in his Dodgers debut, helping Walker Buehler and Los Angeles beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 in a season opener.
Freeman struck out in his first at-bat. He was then hit by a pitch, walked and lined a sharp single before taking a called third strike in the eighth.
The first baseman and 2020 NL MVP signed a six-year, $162 million deal with Los Angeles after leading the Atlanta Braves to a World Series championship last season.
Interleague
Philadelphia 9, Oakland 5: Kyle Schwarber homered in his first at-bat with the Phillies, reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper knocked in a run and Aaron Nola struck out seven to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-5 win over the Oakland Athletics.
Schwarber’s first opening day in Philadelphia was one to remember for the 29-year-old slugger. Fresh off the $79 million, four-year contract he signed last month, Schwarber crushed a 427-foot homer to right off A’s starter Frankie Montas (0-1) on just his seventh pitch of the game. Schwarber took an energetic run around the bases for his 14th career leadoff homer. The sellout crowd of 44,232 went wild and Schwarber thrust his helmet in the air for a rousing curtain call.