News

O’Neill Sets MLB Record With Home Run On Fifth Straight Opening Day

In the wake of MLB opening day on Thursday, Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill became the first MLB player in history to hit a home run on his fifth consecutive opening day game.

The Red Sox opened their season on Thursday at home against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park and had a firm grip on the game heading into the seventh inning up 5-2. When the Mariners scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score to 5-4, the Red Sox needed a response.

O’Neill was the first at-bat in the top of the eighth and hit a solo home run to right center to give the Red Sox a two-run cushion. The ball left his bat at 104.3 mph and traveled some 394 feet. In the bottom of the ninth closing pitcher Kenley Jansen closed a 6-4 win. The Mariners responded with a much more dull 1-0 win on Friday to split the series 1-1. The series ended up 2-2.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

O’Neill, 28, joined the Red Sox in an offseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. That was where he hit his four previous home runs from 2020-23. They came against Joe Musgrove and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cam Bedrosian and the Cincinnati Reds, JT Brubaker and the Pirates, Alex Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays, and now Cody Bolton and the Mariners.

The Canada native won two Gold Glove awards and finished eighth in the NL MVP voting in 2021 with 34 home runs and .912 OPS. Since then he struggled with injuries, but nothing has stopped him from hitting dingers on opening day.

O’Neill had been tied with three other players for the record for consecutive home runs on opening day games. Yogi Berra (1955-58), Gary Carter (1977-80) and Todd Hundley (1994-97) had each homered on four consecutive opening days in their careers. O’Neill has now homered in five straight opening days from 2020-24 and will look to continue his streak in 2025.

Nathan Weick

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

12 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

12 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

2 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago