Baseball fans, rejoice. The 2021 Major League Baseball season officially begins Thursday in ballparks that will actually hold (some) fans during the regular season, a departure from the 60-game campaign MLB played last year.
This year, the plan is to play all 162. And on Day 1, all fans – no matter the expectations or predictions – hold that sense of promise that comes with every new season.
Two games have already been postponed: one due to weather, the other due to COVID-19 concerns, a reminder the pandemic will still factor into the 2021 season. Follow along here for the latest updates and highlights from the first “real” Opening Day since 2019.
Dodgers’ oddity costs Bellinger a HR
Blue Jays beat Yankees in extra innings
Leading off the 10th inning with a man on second (it’s still weird), Randal Grichuk hit an RBI double to break the tie game and Toronto held on to win 3-2 in the Bronx. Julian Merryweather struck out the side to get the save for the Blue Jays.
Cardinals open with a bang (4:35 p.m.)
St. Louis scored six runs in the first inning against Reds ace Luis Castillo, capped off by rookie Dylan Carlson’s three-run homer. Prized offseason acquisition Nolan Arenado singled in his first at-bat with the Cardinals, coming around to score earlier in the frame.
Rangers jump out on Royals (4:30 p.m.)
Texas scored five runs before Kansas City starter Brad Keller even recorded an out, getting an RBI single from Nick Solak, a three-run double from new addition Nate Lowe and an RBI single from designated hitter Eli White. The Rangers sent 10 batters to the plate and had seven hits in the inning.
Pirates phenom goes long (2:35 p.m.)
Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, among the favorites to win the NL Rookie of the Year award, hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks. The 24-year-old, son of MLB veteran Charlie Hayes, hit .376 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 24 games last season.
Cabrera gets campaign started (1:40 p.m.)
Playing in a snowstorm in Detroit, Miguel Cabrera hit the first home run of the 2021 MLB season, a two-run shot in the second inning off reigning AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber. It was Cabrera’s 488th career home run and 2,867th hit, a great start for the 37-year-old looking to reach the 500 and 3,000 milestones this season.
Play ball! (1:10 p.m.)
With the first pitch of the Yankees-Blue Jays game in the Bronx, the 2021 MLB season is officially underway. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole set Toronto down in order in the top of the first.
Nationals-Mets postponed due to COVID issues (11:15 a.m.)
Washington was set to be without five players for Thursday’s game after one player tested positive for COVID-19 and four others were in quarantine due to contact tracing. Now, the game won’t be played and despite a scheduled day off Friday, the earliest the teams will play is on Saturday.
Red Sox-Orioles postponed (9 a.m.)
Thursday’s game at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and Orioles was called off due to rain and will be played on Friday, which is the exact reason for the built-in off-day following opening day.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB opening day 2021 live: Scores, updates, highlights around baseball