The first MLB regular-season game played in Tampa, Florida definitely had its fireworks, and then some.
In the traditional pomp and circumstance of Opening Day, saxophonist BK Jackson performed the national anthem, accompanied by the MacDill Air Force Base color guard and flyover, the first in team history.
Colorado would strike first, as Ezequiel Tovar doubled in the first run of the season off of Ryan Pepiot in the top of the third.
In the top of the fourth, Kyle Farmer delivered a sacrifice fly to extend the Rockies lead to 2.
In the bottom of the 5th, Josh Lowe singled and exited the game with left oblique discomfort.
Pepiot had a stellar outing on the day, going six innings and giving up one earned run and striking out eight.
On the flip side of things, left handed Kyle Freeland allowed only two hits over six frames while striking out seven.
From there, the Rockies’ bullpen gave glimpses of what they did last year in having the league’s highest ERA, as the the Rays immediately tied the ballgame.
Jonathan Aranda hit a sacrifice fly, and Jose Caballero singled to knot the game at two.
The Rays bullpen would go on to shut the door, with Hunter Bigge, Mason Montgomery, and Pete Fairbanks deliver shutout innings in the seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
In the top half of the eighth, Kameron Misner replaced Jose Caballero as a defensive replacement.
And in the bottom of the ninth, Misner became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off home run on Opening Day for his first home run, according to OptaStats.
The 351-foot blast was deposited into the right field stands, and sent the sold-out crowd of 10,046 into a frenzy at Steinbrenner Field.
