The Blue Jays, Braves, Royals, and Athletics were among the teams to start their 2026 seasons on March 27. It was a very good day for Kevin Gausman and the Jays, while the same can be said for the Atlanta Braves.
Blue Jays raise AL pennant, win
The Blue Jays raised the American League pennant from 2025 on March 27. Afterwards, Toronto squeaked out a 3-2 victory, one that was tight until the end.
Kevin Gausman was spectacular for the Jays, as the right-hander struck out 11 over six innings. He got off to a fast start, as Gausman punched out leadoff Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom all in the first inning.
The righty finished the day with 17 total swings-and-misses, 10 of which came off his splitter.
Shea Langeliers provided all the offense for the A’s, as he picked up his first two home runs of the season. Meanwhile, Andres Gimenez drove in all three runs for the Jays.
Two came off a double in the fifth that scored both Ernie Clement and Kazuma Okamoto. Gimenez added a third RBI in the ninth inning, saving the day after Langeliers’ second home run tied the game in the ninth.
Yankees go to 2-0
The Yankees won 3-0 on March 27, thanks to great pitching and timely hitting.
Aaron Judge broke a tie in the sixth inning with a two-run home run. Giancarlo Stanton belted one off Jose Butto in the same inning. Both Judge and Stanton hit their first of the season.
Cam Schittler (49% Chase%, 32% Whiff%), meanwhile, beat Robbie Ray in what was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game. The right-hander touched 100 MPH early in the game and struck out eight over 5.1 IP.
Meanwhile, the Giants go to 0-2. San Francisco will head into the series finale against the Yankees with no runs scored this season.
Braves beat up on Royals
The Braves shut out the Royals 8-0 in both teams’ season opener.
Atlanta’s offense got going fast. Ozzie Albies hit a high changeup off Cole Ragans out of Truist Park in the first inning. Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II also hit home runs off the Royals’ left-hander.
Chris Sale threw strikes and kept it clean in his 2026 debut. Sale struck out six over six scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the year.
In positive news for the Royals, the top four hitters in Kansas City’s lineup all picked up hits. Newcomer Lane Thomas had one, while Bobby Witt Jr. netted himself two.
Other news
Owen Caissie and Javier Sanoja each picked up RBIs as the Marlins defeated the Rockies 2-1. Sandy Alcantara tossed seven scoreless innings.
Framber Valdez struck out five over six innings in his Tigers’ debut, and also had a Chase% well above 40% in the outing. Enmanuel De Jesus picked up the win for Detroit, while Kenley Jansen notched his first save as a Tiger.
Michael King walked four and struck out six over five innings.
Seattle won 5-1 over the Guardians for their first win of the year. Luke Raley and Cole Young hit home runs for the M’s. Gavin Williams (37% Whiff%) picked up seven strikeouts but also yielded six walks for Cleveland. Chase DeLauter hit his third home run of the season.
The newcomers came through for the Dodgers, who are now 2-0 on the season. Kyle Tucker drove in the game-winning run, while Edwin Diaz notched his first save as a Dodger.
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