The 2016 baseball season is here. Stay with Sporting News all afternoon for updates, scores, highlights, funny moments and more. Ryan Fagan, Justin McGuire and Tom Gatto are contributing.
OPENING DAY 2016: Live scoreboard | Must-see photos
9:19 p.m.: O's skipper Buck Showalter with the verdict:
Buck: "it was a cake. I've lost control of the team again." #Orioles
— Jon Meoli (@JonMeoli) April 5, 2016
8:51 p.m.: Need a ruling: Was it pie or cake? Bottom line, Adam Jones defies the ban on sugary postgame celebrations after the Orioles' rain-delayed opening day victory:
No pie for celebration. Jones hits Wieters with a cake. Orange frosting. Oh those wacky Orioles
— Dan Connolly (@danconnolly2016) April 5, 2016
Pies are back. Jones gets Wieters. #orioles
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) April 5, 2016
7:38 p.m.: Daniel Murphy becomes an instant hero in Washington. His RBI double in the 10th proves to be the game-winner as the Nats top the Braves 4-3. He homered earlier in the day. Mets fans know all about Murph home runs . . .
Still wonder if mets cut bait on Daniel Murphy too soon. Was their No. 3 hitter, and a clutch one at that. #nats
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 4, 2016
7:19 p.m.: Our first FREE BASEBALL of the season: The Nats and Braves go to the 10th tied 3-3.
Extra innings on opening day? Why not.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) April 4, 2016
7:12 p.m.: The Nats battle back in the ninth to tie it. Michael Taylor's bases-loaded sac fly scores Jayson Werth, who appeared to hurt his leg as he slid into A.J. Pierzynski and knocked the ball away.
7:08 p.m.: It's a final in Cincy: Reds 6, Phils 2.
7 p.m.: It's a five-run eighth for the Reds against the Phils' pen. Cincy leads 6-2 going to the ninth.
6:53 p.m.: IT'S ALL HAPPENING! Or, updates on the mid-afternoon games: The Rangers hold on for a 3-2 win over the Mariners. Shawn Tolleson saves it for Cole Hamels; the Reds rally in the bottom of the eighth and now lead the Phillies; the Braves go ahead on a two-out bases-loaded walk to Adonis Garcia.
6:35 p.m.: Nice moment in Atlanta: The fans give Jeff Francoeur a standing ovation in his first game back with the Braves. Francoeur pinch-hit in the eighth inning of a tie game against the Nats' Felipe Rivero.
Serenaded by "Let's Go Frenchy" chants, Francoeur draws a one-out walk in the the eighth. He's still a fan favorite.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 4, 2016
5:16 p.m.: Orioles rookie Joey Rickard gets a hit in his first major league at-bat:
Joey Rickard singles in his first MLB at bat. Standing O. Pretty cool.
— Steve Melewski (@masnSteve) April 4, 2016
4:51 p.m.: Here's the Bryce Harper homer. Dude is pretty good, eh?
Well, that MVP Award isn't gonna defend itself. #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/HHG75b8dku
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2016
And a tongue-in-cheek counterpoint ...
If Bryce Harper is so good, though, how come Scooter Gennett homered before him?
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) April 4, 2016
4:38 p.m.: Meanwhile, we finally have multiple baseball games beind played despite all the rain and snow and other weather annoyances. In Texas, Cole Hamels has given up solo homers to Seattle's Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager and his Rangers trail, 2-0, to Felix Hernandez (good luck with all that).
Middle of the order providing some early pop.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 4, 2016
Canó HR: https://t.co/eJMgtpFls4
Seager HR: https://t.co/Jtn4nPeeH2 pic.twitter.com/j9ZGg4afhm
In Atlanta, Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman have traded solo shots and the Braves and Nationals are tied, 1-1.
In Cincinnati, the Reds moved ahead in the battle of the soon-to-be-basement dwellers, 1-0, when Zack Cosart scored on an error by Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Also, this is awesome.
Honey, fix your mustache. #Reds #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/Qq7qJY3uCV
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 4, 2016
4:32 p.m.: This just gets you right in the feels, doesn't it?
The last scorebook. #Vin pic.twitter.com/Lie39WypEv
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 4, 2016
4:23 p.m.: Well, MadBum wasn't his Cy Young-type self, but Wily Peralta was, well, Wily Peralta (he of the 4.72 ERA last year), so the Giants are in complete control in Milwaukee. Matt Duffy has a two-run homer and a two-run single and San Francisco leads, 7-3, in the sixth inning.
He Hits it HIGH
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) April 4, 2016
He Hits it DEEP@mm_duffy hits 1st #SFGiants HR of the season#SFGiants lead 7-3 | Bottom 6 pic.twitter.com/g833lcPlis
3:23 p.m.: Well, the Twins-Orioles game in Baltimore has been delayed. Sheesh. Domes and California/Florida/Texas for opening day. How about it.
2:53 p.m.: How unlikely was that homer by Gennett off Bumgarner? There's this ...
Scooter Gennett's bomb clocked at 108.5 MPH off the bat... He didn't hit a ball that hard all last year. His hardest last year 103.64 MPH
— Daren Willman (@darenw) April 4, 2016
and this ...
To recap: Bumgarner issued his second career bases-loaded walk. And Scooter Gennett hit his first career HR off a lefty.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) April 4, 2016
So, yeah. Pretty unlikely.
2:46 p.m.: Well, the National League finally has its first home run of the season. Scooter Gennett hit a big fly off Madison Bumgarner. No, really. That's the first home hit by an NL player this year. Because of course.
So ... Francisco Liriano had the first RBI of the 2016 season and Scooter Gennett has the first NL homer of the year? Gotcha, #baseball.
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) April 4, 2016
2:30 p.m.: At some point, the Giants will probably need Madison Bumgarner to start throwing more strikes. He walked three Brewers and gave up a hit in the first inning and Milwaukee leads, 1-0. The damage could have been worse, but Aaron Hill grounded into a bases-loaded double play to end the inning.
2:19 p.m.: So, that crummy weather in Cleveland? Game's been cancelled. That's two down so far today. Ugh. Meanwhile, the weather for the other game in Ohio today? That one has no problems. It's 55 and "mostly cloudy" in Cincinnati.
2:13 p.m.: Everyone loves PNC Stadium in Pittsburgh. It's a true gem. But this stadium? This would have been awesome.
Pittsburgh — you could've had a baseball stadium ***built on a bridge*** https://t.co/Ztk3cLuap9 pic.twitter.com/C3tgMOpH2V
— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) April 4, 2016
2:02 p.m.: Opening day is great in every ballpark, of course, but in Cincinnati? It's just the best in Cincinnati. First pitch is in a couple hours, but the fans are clearly ready to get this started.
Scene outside GABP #OpeningDay #reds pic.twitter.com/9WLrvomcvP
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) April 4, 2016
1:10 p.m.: The Astros-Yankees game has been postponed due to rain in New York. Jesse Spector has details here .
12 noon: Let's get ready for baseball!
#OpeningDay ! pic.twitter.com/mbcQf6QKFJ
— Sporting News MLB (@SN_Baseball) April 4, 2016