You really couldn’t have asked for a nicer day at Camden Yards on Monday, March 31. The long, cold winter, in true Baltimore style, suddenly gave way to a daylong heat wave with temperatures hitting the low 80s. A sellout crowd was on hand, and as promised everyone could actually hear the public address announcements. Hooray for modern technology.
That sound system was immediately put to good use. Native Baltimorean and “American Idol” contestant Gabby Samone gave a stirring rendition of our national anthem with perhaps the Loudest “O” I have ever heard.
The Orioles kept the local flavor going and for a moment, the sting of last week’s calamitous ending to a wonderful season of Maryland men’s basketball was washed away. Two of the Crab Five, Julian Reese and Derik Queen, got to toss out two of four first pitches. The women’s team was represented by Allie Kubek and Shyanne Sellers, whose season ended with a valiant effort against No. 1 South Carolina.
After the festivities, the Orioles got down to business and found a new formula for victory. They scored four runs in the first before clinging to a 4-3 lead through the middle innings. The O’s plated four more runs in the bottom of the eighth, seemingly putting this one away.
But one-time sure thing Félix Bautista showed he has a lot of work to do to get back to his 2022-2023 level of excellence. The Red Sox trailed by five entering the top of the ninth. After an RBI single by Jarren Duran made the score 8-5 with two outs, Bautista walked the struggling Rafael Devers to bring up Alex Bregman as the tying run. Bautista induced a high popout that landed in Ramón Urías’ glove and sent home 45,022 fans home with a smile.
Starter Cade Povich, who the O’s now are counting on to take a big leap, was a bit spotty and battled his pitch count, which made it easier on Brandon Hyde, who smartly pulled his young lefty after 4.1 innings and 94 pitches. The line of three earned runs, five hits and two walks doesn’t compute as excellent, but Povich’s eight strikeouts against a solid Red Sox lineup were impressive. His poise bodes well for better days ahead.
The bullpen was terrific as Matt Bowman, Seranthony Domínguez, Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano combined to shut down the Sox for 3.2 innings until the O’s broke it open in the bottom of the eighth.
Of the offensive side of the ledger, the O’s scored those eight runs without a single long ball. The club had 15 hits with Jackson Holliday, Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle and Urías each chipping in two hits apiece. Heston Kjerstad, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman and each contributed one hit.
Of course, Tyler O’Neill plays every Opening Day like it’s the seventh game of the World Series. His second opener of 2025 resulted in a 4-for-4 day. O’Neill’s home run in Toronto on March 27 was his sixth consecutive Opening Day with a home run.
When O’Neill was asked if there was anything we could do to convince him it was Opening Day every day, the Orioles’ new outfielder laughed.
“Exactly, if only we could do that,” he said.