Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill of Maple Ridge, British Columbia made Major League Baseball history on Thursday. In a 6-4 Red Sox win over the Seattle Mariners, O’Neill became the first player ever to hit an Opening Day home run five straight seasons.
O’Neill accomplished the feat in the eighth inning with a solo home run which completed the scoring. This was O’Neill’s first career home run with the Red Sox, as the other 78 were with the St. Louis Cardinals.
O’Neill’s first Opening Day home run during the streak came on July 24, 2020 with a solo home run in the third inning in a 5-4 Cardinals win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. O’Neill then hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning on April 1, 2021 in an 11-6 Cardinals win over the Cincinnati Reds, a three-run home run in the second inning in a 9-0 Cardinals win over the Pirates on April 7, 2022, and a two-run third inning home run in a 10-9 Cardinals win over the Toronto Blue Jays on March 30, 2023.
The Red Sox have now split their first two games of the season against the Mariners. On Friday, Nick Pivetta of Victoria, British Columbia had a quality start, as he struck out 10 batters over six innings, but Boston still lost 1-0.
