The Major League Baseball season was originally scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 26th. But with the nation on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, the season’s start date remains up in the air.
Fortunately for baseball fans, thirty classic games will be broadcast on the 26th as part of “Opening Day at Home.”
Throughout the day, all games will be streamed on MLB.com as well as MLB’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. A win from each team will be shown, so fans of all thirty clubs can celebrate a victory.
With so much baseball available to consume, I decided to narrow down the list of games to the bare essentials. If you plan on partaking in “Opening Day at Home,” here are the top games to watch.
The Blackout Game in Pittsburgh (8:30 AM ET, also on Las Mayores Twitter)
The Pirates endured 20 straight losing seasons from 1993 to 2012, so fans came out in full force when the club returned to the postseason in 2013. In the 2013 NL Wild Card Game at PNC Park, Bucs fans clad in all-black attire made enough noise to rattle Reds starter Johnny Cueto.
Loud taunts of “CUE-TO, CUE-TO” arose from the crowd in the second inning, which distracted Cueto so much that he dropped the ball on the mound. Sensing Cueto’s nervousness, Pirates catcher Russell Martin homered on the next pitch. Pittsburgh would go on to win by a score of 6-2.
I love this game because it demonstrates the impact a home crowd can have on a game’s outcome.
As much as I love watching Johnny Cueto pitch, and as good as he was in his 2015 World Series start, there’s a part of me that will always associate him with this performance.
Rays Walk it off in Game 162 (11 AM ET, also on Cut4 Twitter)
The final day of the 2011 regular season may be the single most exciting day in baseball history.
That day, the Red Sox completed a late-season collapse by blowing a ninth-inning lead against the Orioles, the Braves missed out on the Wild Card thanks to a blown save by Craig Kimbrel, and the Rays secured a last-minute postseason spot by coming back from seven runs against the Yankees.
That improbable Rays win will be shown in its entirety, and it’s worth watching from at least the eighth inning on.
This game remains a classic because it features an epic implosion from the Yankee bullpen as well as a pair of dramatic home runs: Dan Johnson’s pinch-hit shot with the Rays down to their final out in the ninth and Evan Longoria’s game-ender in the 12th that barely cleared the left-field wall.
The David Freese Game (11 AM ET, also on MLB Facebook)
If you prefer your postseason games to have multiple late-inning lead changes, this is a must-watch. In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, St. Louis native David Freese saved the Cardinals’ season by delivering a game-tying triple in the ninth and a walk-off solo shot in the eleventh.
This game was also notable for the homage that Joe Buck paid to his father in the broadcast booth. Buck narrated Freese’s homer with the line “We will see you tomorrow night,” echoing a call that his father Jack made in the 1991 World Series.
A’s Win 20th Straight in 2002 (6 PM ET, also on Cut4 Twitter)
This game is famously depicted in the film adaptation of Moneyball, with Chris Pratt’s Scott Hatteberg sending the A’s to their 20th straight victory with a home run against the Royals. Of course, the real game is even more compelling than the Hollywood recreation.
This roller coaster affair started with the A’s leading 11-0 after three innings, only to blow that enormous lead later on.
Hatteberg’s homer gave Oakland its third straight walk-off victory, further highlighting the unlikely nature of the 20-game win streak.
Red Sox Begin Epic ALCS Comeback (6 PM ET, also on MLB Facebook)
The 2004 Red Sox remain the only team in MLB history to win a best-of-seven postseason series after trailing by three games. That miraculous comeback began in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, when a stolen base by pinch-runner Dave Roberts allowed Boston to score against legendary closer Mariano Rivera.
This game is worth revisiting because it’s one of the few times that Mariano Rivera fell short in the postseason. It also gave the Red Sox the confidence they needed to break their 86-year curse.
Mets Get Past the Dodgers, 2015 NLDS Game 5 (6 PM ET, also on MLB Twitter)
This win-or-go-home matchup was decided by the slimmest of margins. Game 5 of the 2015 NLDS was a pitcher’s duel between Jacob deGrom and Zack Greinke that included a highly unusual play: Daniel Murphy’s steal of third base on a walk to Lucas Duda. Murphy also hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth that turned out to be the decisive blow.
I highly recommend that Mets fans tune into this postseason classic, as they were likely too nervous to fully enjoy it the first time around (I know I was). It’s a pleasure to watch deGrom and Greinke battle without their best stuff, the Murphy steal is admirable for its audacity, and Noah Syndergaard’s dominant relief appearance firmly cemented his “Thor” persona.
Searle’s Final Say
While I miss the thrills of live baseball, I’m glad that MLB is allowing fans to celebrate Opening Day from the comfort of home. As you’ll note, some of the games I listed will be broadcast at similar times, so you may have to flip between streams to catch certain highlights. Even if you don’t watch all these games in their entirety, you won’t regret reliving some of the best moments from baseball’s recent past.
