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5 Quick Takeaways from MLB’s Opening Day

Sonny Gray

The Major League Baseball season is now in full swing. After a pretty amazing opening day of baseball, the jitters are gone and teams are prepared to move forward with what promises to be a long season.

From Sonny Gray’s dazzling performance in Oakland to the return of Alex Rodriguez in New York, here are five quick takeaways from opening day.

1. Sonny Gray is Good at Throwing a Baseball

Gray was one ill-fated eight-inning pitch away from throwing the first no-hitter on opening day since Bob Feller accomplished the feat back in 1940. The 25-year-old ace stifled the division-rival Texas Rangers to the tune of one hit and three base runners in a tremendous eight-inning outing. In the process, Gray threw just 98 pitches, including 66 for strikes.

It’s this type of performance that has to give fans in Oakland some hope that the team will be able to contend with a vastly different roster than it threw out there last year. If the A’s 8-0 destruction of Texas on opening night is any indication, they might very well surprise.

2. It’s Going to be a Long Season for the Philadelphia Phillies

From the very first inning when Dustin Pedroia knocked a Cole Hamels pitch over the fence for a homer, it was quite obvious that Philadelphia didn’t belong on the same baseball diamond with the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon. In the end, Hamels yielded four runs (all solo homers) in a less-than-inspiring performance.

Philadelphia’s offense was able to manage just three hits while striking out nine times in the 8-0 shutout loss. If this team can’t even compete with its staff ace on the mound in a home opener, how is it going to look when Hamels isn’t on the mound? It was expected that Philadelphia’s rebuilding process would take years. If Monday’s game is any indication, the team has a long way to go before being as much as competitive on a daily basis.

3. Alex Rodriguez Received Well, Looked Good 

Courtesy of USA Today Images

Courtesy of USA Today Images: A-Rod looked darn good in first regular season game since 2013.

The New York Yankees may have stunk it up at home against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 6-1 loss Monday afternoon. The team collected just three hits and left six men on base. However, the return of Rodriguez from suspension is the bigger story here.

The disgraced former MVP was 1-for-2 with a walk in four plate appearances. And the lone out A-Rod did record was a line drive in the right field gap. His bat looked quick, he showed tremendous plate discipline, and he just seemed primed to show up and play. Almost as important, it appears Yankees fans were in a forgiving mood. These are both big stories for a Yankees team that partaking in a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Still Work to do in San Diego 

The top-five batters in San Diego’s lineup on opening day were all new acquisitions. They also went a combined 5-for-19 with three RBI’s. All in all, not a terribly bad effort for a lineup that had been stuck in neutral over the years.

The issue with San Diego’s opening day loss was that not only did it fail to expand on a 3-2 lead entering the sixth, the back end of the team’s bullpen struggled. Shawn Kelley, who will be a late-inning option, even with Craig Kimbrel taking over the closer role, yielded a go-ahead three-run homer to Jimmy Rollins in the bottom of the eighth. That hit did the Padres in for good.

There is a lot to like about this Padres squad. Its lineup is vastly improved from previous seasons, and the team’s rotation is rather deep. In addition to this, Kimbrel will bring it during the late innings. However, it’s still a work in progress.

5. The Los Angeles Angels Could be in Trouble

Courtesy of USA Today Images: The Angels need to get production from the entire lineup.

Courtesy of USA Today Images: The Angels need to get production from the entire lineup.

While it’s important not to jump to conclusions based off an opening day loss on the road against Felix Hernandez, there has to be some questions regarding the Angels lineup. After all, the team sent Matt Joyce, David Freese and Erick Aybar out there as the 4-6 hitters on Monday. Those three went a combined 1-for-10 with five strikeouts. It doesn’t matter if Mike Trout and Albert Pujols rake throughout the season, they are going to need protection in the lineup.

Is the Angels rotation good enough to make up for what might be a down season for the team’s offense? That’s going to be the million-dollar question in what might be a surprising AL West this season.

Photo: USA Today Sports

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