Red Sox' Tyler O'Neill sets MLB record with fifth straight Opening Day home run

BOSTON -- Tyler O'Neill is better than Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds.

At least in one area, anyway.

The new Red Sox outfielder made MLB history on Thursday by hitting a home run on Opening Day for the fifth consecutive season.

O'Neill had been tied with Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Todd Hundley with home runs on four consecutive Opening Days before belting a leadoff homer in the top of the eighth against Mariners reliever Cody Bolton. The solo shot bought the Red Sox some breathing room, extending their lead to 6-4, which held as the final in Boston's victory.

"Man, I don't know, something about the routine coming into Opening Day, you just want to kick-start the season, man," O'Neill told NESN after the game. "I just wanted to get something over the plate that I could handle, and the rest took care of itself."

O'Neill's previous Opening Day homers came against Alek Manoah in 2023, JT Brubaker in 2022, Cam Bedrosian in 2021, and Joe Musgrove in 2020 (when the season started on July 24 due to COVID). All of those came when O'Neill was playing for the Cardinals. O'Neill has some work to do if he wants to hit the most career home runs on Opening Day. That honor belongs to Frank Robinson, who hit eight Opening Day home runs in his career. Willie Mays and Eddie Matthew had seven Opening Day homers apiece.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora had joked that because he had lost four straight Opening Days with the Red Sox, O'Neill was part of the starting lineup, despite the right-right matchup against Seattle starter Luis Castillo. After the win, Cora said that O'Neill had earned the start with his work in spring training (.286/.419/.514 with two doubles, two home runs, eight walks and two stolen bases).

"He's been putting in good at-bats the last, I mean, the whole spring," Cora said. "You know, taking his walks, stealing bases, and we know he can hit the ball out of the ballpark. It's amazing, when you think about it. Five straight Opening Days hitting a home run. It's impressive."

Indeed, O'Neill walked in his first plate appearance on Thursday and promptly stole second base. He scored a run in the fourth inning after reaching via fielder's choice, taking a throw off his helmet while running home.

O'Neill also generated some buzz with a throw to the infield in the bottom of the first inning, one that sent him head over heels in the outfield.

It was, overall, a solid debut for the 28-year-old who joined the team via trade in December. And O'Neill now is likely to stand alone in the record books for a long time.

"As soon as he hit it, we were like, 'Get that baseball,'" Cora said. "Because he crushed that one."