Phillies Cruise by Rangers on Memorable Opening Day
The Citizens Bank Park crowd roared from the moment Ricky Bottalico threw out the first pitch. The Philadelphia Phillies handled the Texas Rangers with a convincing 5-3 victory on MLB…
The Citizens Bank Park crowd roared from the moment Ricky Bottalico threw out the first pitch. The Philadelphia Phillies handled the Texas Rangers with a convincing 5-3 victory on MLB Opening Day.
Opening Day 2026
Kyle Schwarber put the Phillies on the board in the top of the first inning. He took a 1-2 pitch from Nathan Eovaldi to the opposite field for a two-run home run. Trea Turner also scored after leading off with an infield hit.
Cristopher Sanchez didn't need much help otherwise. The staff ace dominated a helpless Texas lineup only three years removed from a World Series. Sanchez struck out 10 and allowed only three hits. He didn't walk a batter all afternoon, and former Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen was the only hitter who took him for extra bases.
The 6-foot-6 left-hander used his sinker effectively to allow very little traffic on the basepaths. However, his feared changeup carried him to an Opening Day victory in six scoreless frames. Rangers hitters whiffed on seven of their 13 swings at the changeup.
“He’s a cool customer, and he lives up to that. He has a way of motivating himself – not that he’s not always motivated – but he tends to shine when the lights are the brightest.”
-Rob Thomson
Sanchez became the first Dominican-born pitcher in Phillies history to start on Opening Day. He humbly revealed – through team translator Diego D'Aniello – that just a few short years ago he never thought he'd grow into the type of top-tier starting pitcher who commands the ball in such important situations.
“If I tell you that I did, then I would be lying. I never could’ve imagined going through this on a day like today. I’m thankful to God and grateful to be in this spot, and thankful to the team and the organization.”
-Cristopher Sanchez
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesAlec Bohm did the remainder of the damage on offense in the bottom of the fifth inning. The embattled third baseman smacked an opposite field home run just over the right field wall to put the Phillies up 5-0.
Justin Crawford also sparkled in his major league debut. He singled in his first at-bat – on the first pitch he saw – with about 40 friends and family in attendance. The rookie admitted that he felt a weight lifted off his back after reaching first base safely.
“I was just looking for something to put a good swing on. I wasn’t trying to wait around. Thankfully, I was able to.”
-Justin Crawford
Crawford singled in his second at-bat and scored on Bohm's home run.
Kyle Backhus let the Rangers on the board in the ninth inning. Jake Burger homered to bring the score to 5-2. It was his third hit of the game. Backhus ran into more trouble and forced Rob Thomson to bring in Jhoan Duran. The fireballer allowed an inherited runner to score, but he secured his first save of the season to give the Phillies a 5-3 win.
America's 250th anniversary celebration will turn the eyes of the nation to Philadelphia. Citizens Bank Park will host the 2026 MLB All-Star Game as one of the prime-time events in a packed month of July.
The Phillies started the memorable season on the right note. Expect more tributes to 1996 MLB All-Star representative Ricky Bottalico and franchise legends like Mike Schmidt, Larry Bowa, and Greg Luzinski.
