Orioles teammates make franchise history in Opening Day romp

Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and center fielder Cedric Mullins made franchise history in an Opening Day blowout win.

Baltimore (1-0) defeated the division rival Toronto Blue Jays (0-1), 12-2, and Rutschman and Mullins each hit two home runs.

They're the first Orioles duo with multi-home run games on Opening Day and the 10th pair of teammates all-time, per Stathead.

The most recent before Thursday was in 2019, when Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez each hit two home runs in a 12-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

According to Stathead, Rutschman and Mullins are just the third and fourth Orioles with two home runs on Opening Day and the first since former designated hitter Sam Horn (1990). Hall of Famer and 1965 AL MVP Brooks Robinson is the only other Oriole to accomplish the feat in franchise history, doing so in 1973.

It's the third consecutive season at least one player has hit two home runs on Opening Day. Last year, Colorado Rockies outfielder Nick Martini (then with the Cincinnati Reds) knocked two balls out of the park in an 8-2 win over the Nationals. Free-agent first baseman C.J. Cron hit two long balls for the Rockies on March 30, 2023, against the San Diego Padres. 

Rutschman entered Thursday with two career two-home run games. Both came last season, with the most recent on June 6. It's Mullins' sixth. His last came on Sept. 9, 2024.

The two players each went 3-for-5 at the plate against the Blue Jays. Rutschman scored three runs and drove in three, while Mullins scored twice and had five RBI.

The duo's offensive explosion was part of a broader effort by the Orioles. Baltimore ended the game with six home runs, tied for the second-most by a team on Opening Day in MLB history. Only the 2019 Dodgers had more (eight).

The Orioles ranked No. 2 overall in the majors in homers last season (235), trailing the New York Yankees (237). Their romp over the Blue Jays suggests they'll be just as potent in 2025.