The O’s rang in the 2025 campaign with a resounding, six-homer blowout in Toronto.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Boy. I’d say that went well, huh?
The Orioles opened the 2025 regular season about as well as any team could ever dream to. Their 12-2 thrashing of the Blue Jays in Toronto was the most lopsided win of any team in baseball, and the most dominant all-around performance.
The Birds’ six home runs were a franchise Opening Day record. Adley Rutschman resoundingly bounced back from last year’s atrocious second half by homering in his first at-bat of the year, then adding another one later. Cedric Mullins swatted a pair of dingers. Tyler O’Neill extended his MLB record with his sixth straight Opening Day homer, reaching base all five times in his Orioles debut. And don’t overlook Zach Eflin, who worked six strong innings in his new role as the Birds’ #1 starter. Check out Mark Brown’s recap of the delightful season-opening win, and it’s never too late to participate in the Opening Day GIF party.
It’s only one game, but that kind of decisive win was exactly what the Orioles needed after a spring training that felt a little off kilter with injuries to Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez. If the O’s missed their best player and their presumed front-of-the-rotation starter, it sure didn’t show. They were firing on all cylinders, as if motivated to stuff it in the face of some jackwagon who predicted them to finish .500.
That’s one win in the books, and a feel-good one at that. Here’s to many more to come.
Links
Orioles set Opening Day record with six home runs in 12-2 beating of Blue Jays (updated) – School of Roch
Tyler O’Neill brought the team two boxes of donuts from Tim Hortons, and then they went out and hit six home runs. Whatever is in those donuts, I want some.
What are my Orioles’ predictions for 2025? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Among Rich Dubroff’s season predictions (posted before Opening Day) was that “the offense will be excellent.” After Game 1, that’s looking awfully prescient.
Tyler O’Neill homers on Opening Day for sixth straight season – MLB.com
Here I thought I always got excited about Opening Day. I’ve got nothing on this guy.
Opening day starter Zach Eflin shows the Orioles they can rely on him – The Baltimore Banner
The offensive fireworks were one thing. But if Eflin’s outing was any example of the kind of pitching the Orioles will get this year, they’re in for one heck of a season.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles have birthdays today, including Christian Walker (34), the first base prospect who played just 13 games before the O’s cut him loose. He developed into a prolific slugger for the Diamondbacks and is now in the first year of a free-agent deal with Houston. Other ex-O’s born on March 28 include right-hander Shawn Boskie (58) and first baseman Glenn Davis (64). Out of respect for Glenn Davis’s birthday, I will refrain from saying anything further about him.
On this date last year, the Orioles kicked off the regular season with a blowout Opening Day win. I’m sensing a pattern here. In front of a sellout Camden Yards crowd of 45,029, home runs by Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander paced an 11-run offensive explosion against the Angels. Corbin Burnes, in his Orioles debut, retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced and struck out 11.