Opening Day 2021 Highlights

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... that’s right, baseball is officially back in full swing! Although this year’s regular season did start off with some disappointment - both the Red Sox / Orioles, and Mets / Nationals matchups were cancelled due to weather and covid precautions respectively - there was still plenty of great baseball to go around. 

 

For diehard fans, settling into opening day is the equivalent of waking up on Christmas morning and boy what a jam packed, exciting Christmas morning this was! Without further ado, here are our favourite highlights from Opening Day 2021. 

 

Ke’Bryan Hayes Rookie of the Year Campaign gets off to an Explosive Start 

 

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman started his first opening day with a bang at Wrigley Field. The afternoon was windy and cold in Chicago as Hayes stepped up to the plate in the game’s first inning to face Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks. On a 2 – 1 count he ripped the ball across the park off Hendricks’ changeup, scoring a two-run homer. The blast set the momentum for the rest of the game and the Bucs came out victorious, winning 5 – 3. It was an explosive start to the power hitter’s first full season, and a testament to why he’s a front runner for the National League Rookie of the Year. The future of Baseball is bright with young players like Ke’Bryan, and we can’t wait to see more from him. 

 

Shane Bieber Strikes out a Dozen  

 

Despite a loss for the Cleveland Indians who fell 2 – 3 to the Tigers, there was still room for some celebration as starting pitcher, and reigning Cy Young winner Shane Bieber gave an incredible performance. In six innings the 25-year-old noticeably struck out 12 batters – just shy of the 14 he stranded on last years opening day.

 

What exactly makes this so exciting? Well, it turns out he’s only the fourth pitcher in MLB history to have over 12+ strikeouts in two consecutive opening day starts. Not a bad start at all for Cleveland’s ace, who’s in hot contention to claim the Cy Young prize yet again this season.

 

 

Brewers Get the Walk-off After Making a Late Game Comeback

 

It wasn’t the only walk-off of the day, but it was the first, and it was a moment that truly screamed ‘Baseball is back.’ Not much was going the Brewers way for most of their matchup against the Twins – by the top of the 7^th Minnesota were up 5 – 2 and it wasn’t looking so hot for the Brew Crew. That is until they made a late game comeback at the bottom of the ninth. Christian Yelich started things off by driving in a run with a big shot to right-centre. Travis Shaw followed suit - hitting a massive double to bring in the tying run before the game headed into extra innings. After reliefer, Josh Hader, stranded Twins batters at the top of the 10^th, short-stop Orlando Arcia stepped up to the plate and brought Lorenzo Cain home – giving the Brewers a sweet walk-off win. As comebacks go, it was damn magnificent.

 

Cardinals Come Out Swinging 

 

The Cardinals have been given the best odds to come out of top of the National League Central this year – especially with the offseason addition of power-hitting third baseman, Nolan Arenado – and they proved exactly why they’re front-runners for the division title in their opening day outing against the Reds.

 

In just the first inning, they stacked up 6 runs in 4 hits – one of which was Arenado’s first hit as a Card. Paul Goldschmidt launched a double into deep right-field, Paul DeJong made a nice single, and Dylan Carlson cracked a homer. Albeit 2 of the 6 runs did come down to a fielding error from Red’s infielder - Eugenio Suarez - that doesn’t demonise how the Cardinals offense came out firing on all cylinders, and they stayed hot throughout, ultimately besting the Reds 11 – 6.  

 

Miggy Hits the First Homer of the Season 

 

‘Who will hit the first home run of the season?’ it’s a question on everybody’s lips come opening day – some place bets on it and others wait in quiet anticipation. It’s a moment as exciting as that first pitch of the first game and the recipient of the honour is never guaranteed, one thing that is, however, is when the moment comes it’ll be epic and widely celebrated.

 

This year it was Detroit Tigers first baseman, Miguel Cabrera, who made the first homer of 2021. Stepping up to the plate in the first inning, amidst a 31-degree snowstorm, Miggy crushed the ball out of the park – although thanks to the weather he didn’t realise it had left the stadium, initially only sliding into second, before being told to round the bases – officially nabbing his 350^th homerun as a Tiger and the very first of the 2021 season.

 

It was certainly an epic, beautiful Baseball moment.

 

Buster is Back 

 

After opting out of the 2020 season to look after his newly adopted twins, Giants fans have been long awaiting the return of beloved catcher, Buster Posey, and in last nights game against the Mariners he made he presence loud and clear. In his first at bat since the 2019 regular season, the 34-year-old stepped up to the plate in the second inning and on a 2 – 0 count went yard with a line-drive to left field. Fans went wild. 

 

Although San Francisco ultimately fell to Seattle 7 – 8 in extra innings, seeing the face of the franchise back on the field and making his mark was incredibly satisfying. Welcome back, Buster! We’ve missed you.