MLB Baseball 3 Hours

Last updated: March 29, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

AL CENTRAL & NL EAST OPENERS

Rookie pitcher Tatsuya Imai struggled in his Astros debut Sunday, allowing four earned runs and issuing four walks over just 2 2/3 innings, though Houston managed a 9-7 victory over the Angels. Contrarily, the Rangers pitching dominated as Mac Kenzie Gore carried a no-hitter into the sixth frame en route to his first Texas win, aided by a first home run for Andrew McCutchen and another from teammate Brandon Nimmo. Elsewhere in the East, Blue Jays pitchers set a major league record by accumulating 50 strikeouts across their opening three-game series against the Athletics, marking a high-strikeout start to their 50th anniversary season setting the mark.

AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING STRUGGLES

The early offensive woes for Toronto's opponents were mirrored in individual performances, as Bo Bichette faced boos from the New York faithful after extending his early-season slump to eight strikeouts in his first three games, admitting afterward that he "thought my at-bats were terrible, too" criticizing his approach. The high strikeout rate across the league is contrasted by the early success of the Blue Jays' staff, which established the new benchmark for K's in a three-game set surpassing previous records.