Baltimore’s top pitching prospect made his home debut – and then this became a historic night for a completely different reason.
Ryan Mountcastle homered twice and tied a team record with nine RBIs, helping the Orioles rally from a four-run deficit to a 12-8 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.
Mountcastle hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and added a grand slam in the seventh as Baltimore overcame a difficult Camden Yards debut for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.
Austin Hays homered and had four hits for Baltimore, which handed the A’s their sixth straight loss. Mountcastle tied the franchise’s single-game mark for RBIs set by Jim Gentile in 1961 and matched by Eddie Murray in 1985.
‘Two greats,’ Mountcastle said. ‘To tie them in, I guess, any category is super special. Pretty cool night.’
Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (6) raises a water funnel in dugout after a home run
Mountcastle became the first player anywhere in the majors to drive in nine runs since Adam Duvall in 2020.
Rodriguez allowed six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings, although he also struck out six. The Baltimore right-hander – one of baseball’s top-ranked pitching prospects – allowed single runs in the first and third, and after he departed with the bases loaded in the fifth, all of those runners came in to score.
Still, it was a memorable experience for the rookie, who made his big league debut at Texas last week.
‘Man, that was probably the most awesome thing I’ve ever been a part of,’ Rodriguez said. ‘To see Oriole Park at Camden Yards from the pitcher’s mound.’
Shea Langeliers capped Oakland´s five-run fifth with a three-run homer off Austin Voth that gave the A´s a 7-3 lead, but Mountcastle answered with a three-run shot in the bottom of the inning and Hays tied it with a solo homer in the sixth.
Sam Moll (0-1) allowed a walk and a hit batter in the seventh, and Hays put the Orioles up 8-7 with a two-out RBI single off Dany Jiménez. Adley Rutschman – who reached base four times himself – was intentionally walked to load the bases, and then Mountcastle followed with a drive over the big wall in left field at Camden Yards.
‘You pick your poison with Adley,’ A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. ‘With a base open, Adley’s been swinging the bat really good, and you got the right-on-right matchup I think that we wanted, with Dany, and Dany’s come in some big spots and got that out. Just wasn’t successful tonight.’
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws during the first inning
Oakland had scored just one run over its previous three games, and its big offensive night Tuesday couldn’t overcome a pitching staff that allowed at least three home runs for a fifth straight game. That tied a team record set in 2021.
Bryan Baker (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win.
Mountcastle hit a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI single in the third.
YANKEES 11, GUARDIANS 2
Gerrit Cole pitched seven effective innings and Franchy Cordero hit a three-run homer, powering the Yankees to the victory.
Cole (3-0) gave up two runs and three hits in the first before locking in and improving to 5-0 against Cleveland over the past two seasons. The right-hander beat the Guardians twice in last year’s AL Division Series.
Cordero’s homer in New York’s five-run third off Hunter Gaddis (0-1) gave Cole a big cushion and helped the Yankees even the series after dropping the opener.
Anthony Rizzo had two RBIs for the Yankees, and superstar Aaron Judge extended his on-base streak to 44 games.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers against the Cleveland Guardians
RAYS 7, RED SOX 2
The Tampa Bay Rays ran their season-opening win streak to 11 games, using another homer for Brandon Lowe and a strong performance by Shane McClanahan to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night.
Yandy Diaz and Lowe hit back-to-back solo shots with two out in the fifth inning. Lowe extended his homer streak to four straight games.
Isaac Paredes and Josh Lowe also connected for the Rays, and McClanahan (3-0) struck out nine while pitching five-plus innings of one-run ball.
Tampa Bay’s win streak is one game short of the franchise record set in 2004.
Garrett Whitlock (0-1) permitted five runs and eight hits in five innings in his season debut for Boston. The right-hander had hip surgery in September.
Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Calvin Faucher celebrates after the Rays defeated the Red Sox
MARLINS 8, PHILLIES 4
Luis Arraez became the first player to hit for the cycle for Miami, finishing with four hits and two RBIs.
Before Tuesday, the Marlins were the only active major league team without a cycle in its history. Miami entered the National League as the Florida Marlins back in 1992.
Arraez was acquired in a January trade with Minnesota. He is 22 for 41 (.537) in 12 games to start the 2023 season.
Miami left-hander Jesus Luzardo (2-0) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings.
Kyle Schwarber homered for Philadelphia, and Aaron Nola (0-2) was charged with four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Miami Marlins’ Luis Arraez scores past Philadelphia Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto after hitting a home
BLUE JAYS 9, TIGERS 3
Kevin Kiermaier hit a solo home run and made a sensational leaping catch at the wall, leading Toronto to the win.
The Blue Jays belted five homers in their home opener in front of a sellout crowd of 42,053. Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run shot, and George Springer, Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette each hit a solo homer.
Nick Maton hit a three-run homer for Detroit in its fifth straight loss. Matt Manning (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.
Zach Pop (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings for the win.
Blue Jays’ Kevin Kiermaier runs the bases after hitting a solo homer against the Detroit Tigers
BRAVES 7, REDS 6
Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies homered, as Atlanta overcame a rocky season debut by Kyle Wright.
Michael Tonkin (1-1) earned his first win since 2016 by pitching three scoreless innings in relief of Wright.
The Braves led 7-4 before Jose Barrero’s two-run homer off Joe Jimenez in the eighth. Barrero had three RBIs.
Nick Anderson pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since 2021.
Reds right-hander Luis Cessa (0-1) allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Albies’ homer was the 100th of his career.
Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson (28) runs past Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jason Vosler (32)
PADRES 4, METS 2
Ryan Weathers got his first big league win in two years, and Manny Machado hit a key two-run double for San Diego.
Weathers (1-0), the son of former major league pitcher David Weathers, allowed one run and three hits in five innings. With his father watching from a second-row seat, the young left-hander struck out three and walked two.
Xander Bogaerts boosted San Diego’s lead to 4-1 with a two-run homer in the ninth. Josh Hader got three outs for his fourth save.
New York’s David Peterson (0-2) was charged with two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Padres’ Ryan Weathers pitches during the first inning of game against the New York Mets
PIRATES 7, ASTROS 4
Rookie Ji-Hwan Bae hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, lifting Pittsburgh to the victory.
Pittsburgh led 4-2 entering the ninth, but Houston’s Chas McCormick hit a tying two-run double off closer David Bednar (1-0), who blew his first save opportunity in five chances.
Rodolfo Castro led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against Ryan Pressly (0-2). Pinch-hitter Andrew McCutchen singled with one out before Bae drove a 2-2 changeup deep to right-center for his second career homer.
Ji-Man Choi and Jack Suwinski also homered for the Pirates, who have won six of eight.
Alex Bregman homered in the first inning for the Astros, and Kyle Tucker went deep in the second.
Pirates’ Ji Hwan Bae celebrates at home plate after hitting a game-winning, three-run homer
TWINS 4, WHITE SOX 3, 10 INNINGS
Hanser Alberto’s throwing error allowed the automatic runner to score from second base, sending the Twins to the extra-inning victory.
With pinch-runner Willi Castro on second in the 10th, Michael Taylor put down a sacrifice bunt. Alberto’s throw to first sailed wide and Castro scored to give Minnesota the win.
Twins reliever Griffin Jax (1-1) worked a perfect top of the 10th, standing Chicago’s automatic runner at third.
Jesse Scholtens (0-1) was on the mound in the 10th for the White Sox, who got the game into extras after Luis Robert Jr. homered on the first pitch he saw from Jhoan Duran in the ninth.
Taylor and Byron Buxton went deep for Minnesota. It was Buxton’s 100th career homer.
Twins’ Byron Buxton celebrates after hitting a two-run homer, the 100th home run of his career
ANGELS 2, NATIONALS 0
Shohei Ohtani turned in another great pitching performance Tuesday night, allowing only one hit in seven innings as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Washington Nationals 2-0.
Rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season as the Angels snapped a two-game skid.
Ohtani (2-0) set an Angels record with his 10th straight start allowing two or fewer runs. Nolan Ryan had a nine-game streak across the 1972-73 seasons.
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws against the Washington Nationals
RANGERS 8, ROYALS 5
Jonah Heim was behind the plate as Jacob deGrom had nine strikeouts to break another Texas record that had been held by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.
The catcher then hit the no-doubt homer to end the game after the Rangers had blown the lead following the exit of their new ace.
Heim hit a three-run shot in the 10th inning for the Rangers in their 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
The 403-foot, three-run shot to right off Scott Barlow (0-1) came after Josh Jung’s two-out walk that followed a tying RBI single by Adolis Garcia.
Rangers’ Jonah Heim (28) celebrates with the team at home plate after his three-run home run
CUBS 14, MARINERS 9
Nelson Velazquez hit his first career grand slam in Chicago’s eight-run third inning, as the Cubs rallied for a 14-9 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Dansby Swanson went 4 for 4 and Trey Mancini homered as the Cubs won for the fifth time in six games. Mancini had three RBIs, and Nico Hoerner had two hits and drove in two runs.
Velazquez had three hits and scored three times in his first start since he was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Monday.
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Julian Merryweather (right) celebrates with catcher Yan Gomes
BREWERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 1
Willy Adames broke up Merrill Kelly’s no-hit bid in the seventh inning by smashing a solo homer to center field, Corbin Burnes threw eight scoreless innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Tuesday night.
Kelly and Burnes were locked in a scoreless pitcher’s duel for the first six innings. Adames broke through when he led off the seventh by belting a 91 mph sinker high off the center field batter’s eye above the 407-foot sign.
The Diamondbacks had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly throws to a Milwaukee Brewers batter
CARDINALS 9, ROCKIES 6
Nolan Gorman sparked St. Louis’ three-run ninth inning with a tiebreaking solo homer off Pierce Johnson, as the Cardinals topped the Colorado Rockies 9-6 on Tuesday night.
Gorman’s third homer of the season gave St. Louis a 7-6 lead. Paul Goldschmidt then singled in Brendan Donovan and scored on Tyler O’Neill’s single.
Tommy Edman and Juan Yepez also went deep for the Cardinals, who trailed 6-2 after six innings. Nolan Arenado hit a three-run double in the seventh, and rookie Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
Cardinals shortstop Tommy Edman watches his hit as he reaches base on a fielding error
GIANTS 5, DODGERS 0
Alex Wood and five relievers combined on a three-hitter and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 on Tuesday night, ending a six-game losing streak to their NL West rivals.
Joc Pederson hit a two-run double in the first inning while David Villar and Brandon Crawford hit back-to-back homers in the eighth to complement a solid effort from the Giants’ bullpen, which tossed 4 1/3 innings of two-hit ball.
A day after clubbing three home runs for the fourth time this season in a 9-1 win over the Giants, the Dodgers stranded 10 baserunners.
San Francisco Giants celebrate the team’s 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers
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