The world is an unpredictable place. One day the owner of a Major League Baseball team dies and that team is sold to a new majority owner, a few days later a bridge collapses, and then a couple of days after that, baseball season begins.
For the Baltimore Orioles, all three things happened, but baseball works in magical ways and Adley Rutschman decided to give the hometown fans something to cheer about by making Opening Day history. He became the first player to reach base safely in each of his first eight or more plate appearances on Opening Day since Joe Lahoud did it from 1968-72.
Rutschman finished the day 2-for-4 with three runs scored, two runs batted in, and one walk.
After winning 101 games and winning the American League East division last season, the Orioles picked up where they left off, beating the Los Angeles Angels 11-3 in front of a sold-out Camden Yards crowd of 45,029.
Corbin Burnes got the nod for his first start as a member of the Orioles after being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in February. Burnes carved up the Angels by striking out 11 while allowing just one run on one hit in six innings. He retired 18 of the 19 Los Angeles batters he faced. The only blemish was a two-out solo homer by Mike Trout in the first inning.
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