Baseball is a worldwide recreation, and solely rising all over the world. So whereas the 30 Major League groups are all based mostly within the continental United States and Canada, MLB has made an effort through the years to carry its video games to a broader viewers with video games performed internationally.
It started in 1996, when the Mets and Padres traveled to Mexico to play a three-game sequence in Monterrey, Mexico, and since has expanded to different nations like Japan, Australia and the UK (in addition to Puerto Rico — which, though it’s a U.S. territory, competes as its personal crew in worldwide baseball competitions just like the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics).
This season, each Mexico and the UK will host MLB video games, within the inaugural Mexico City Series and the return of the London Series.
The Mexico City Series is up first, with the Padres dealing with the Giants in two video games at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
Here’s a rundown of the regular-season MLB video games and sequence to happen outdoors the U.S. and Canada. (This does not depend exhibition contests, such because the one the Tigers and Twins performed within the Dominican Republic in March 2020.) Games are separated by nation and listed in chronological order.
June 29-30, 2019: Yankees vs. Red Sox — London Stadium
For MLB’s first foray into Europe, the league despatched two of its most iconic franchises, and baseball’s most well-known rivals. The outcome was two of essentially the most offense-happy video games you will ever see on any continent. The Yankees gained the primary recreation by a soccer rating (American soccer, that’s) of 17-13 and the second by an solely barely extra modest 12-8. The two groups handled spectators — greater than 118,000 complete — to a mixed 65 hits and 10 house runs at hitter-friendly London Stadium.
The Yankees held on to the primary recreation regardless of a six-run seventh inning from the Sox, then rallied from a 4-2 deficit to seize management of the second recreation with a nine-run explosion within the seventh. New York’s DJ LeMahieu was the most important hit throughout the pond, going a mixed 7-for-12 with three doubles, 4 runs scored and 7 RBIs throughout the 2 video games. J.D. Martinez put collectively a pair of three-hit video games for Boston, with two doubles and a homer.
March 29-30, 2000: Mets vs. Cubs — Tokyo Dome
MLB went abroad for the primary time on Opening Day 2000, when the Mets and Cubs performed within the Tokyo Dome for the primary of a two-game season-opening set in Japan.
In entrance of a crowd of 55,000 followers, the Cubs beat the Mets, 5-3, in Game 1. The huge hitters for each groups confirmed up, with Sammy Sosa going 2-for-3 with a double for Chicago and Mike Piazza going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer for New York.
Because the Mets had been a part of the inaugural Mexico sequence in 1996, this sequence made them the primary Major League crew to play video games in two totally different nations outdoors the U.S. and Canada. “We were saying that it felt like a regular-season game,” Piazza mentioned. “We were the home team, but we felt like an away team. Once you got between the lines, it was just a regular game.”
The Mets gained a dramatic second recreation, 5-1, in 11 innings to finish the Japan sequence with a bang. The go-ahead hit was a pinch-hit grand slam by Benny Agbayani within the prime of the eleventh.
March 30-31, 2004: Yankees vs. Devil Rays — Tokyo Dome
The Tokyo Dome once more hosted on Opening Day in 2004, when the Yankees and Rays took the sphere.
The Yankees had Japanese celebrity Hideki Matsui, who’d simply come to the massive leagues from Nippon Professional Baseball a 12 months earlier in 2003. Matsui was returning to his own residence stadium — he’d spent a decade with the Yomiuri Giants, who play within the Tokyo Dome.
Matsui was coming off a wonderful rookie season in MLB, and he can be even higher in 2004. It all began in his house nation, to wild fanfare. The Yankees misplaced the opener, 8-3, however Matsui recorded the very first hit of the MLB season, a double within the first inning. Then he led the Bronx Bombers to a blowout 12-1 win within the sequence finale, going 2-for-5 with a two-run homer. Attendance was listed at 55,000 for every recreation.
“I’m just glad Matsui’s a Yankee and not a Giant,” mentioned Kevin Brown, who gained his Yankees debut within the second recreation. “He did an unbelievable job of handling everything he’s had to go through over here.”
March 25-26, 2008: Red Sox vs. A’s — Tokyo Dome
Four seasons after their rivals did, the Red Sox made the journey to Japan to begin the 2008 season. The defending World Series champions performed a two-game set in opposition to the A’s, once more on the Tokyo Dome.
Like the Yankees in 2004, the Red Sox had a star Japanese participant who’d just lately made the NPB-to-MLB bounce: Daisuke Matsuzaka, who performed for the Seibu Lions earlier than coming to Boston and serving to the Red Sox win their second championship in 4 seasons.
Dice-Ok began the 2008 season opener in Japan in entrance of a crowd of 44,628 and pitched 5 strong innings, permitting two runs and hanging out six. The Red Sox pulled off an exciting comeback within the recreation to win, 6-5, in 10 innings. With Boston down a run within the ninth, Brandon Moss hit the game-tying house run off A’s nearer Huston Street, and within the tenth, Manny Ramirez belted a tiebreaking double. Hideki Okajima, who himself had simply joined the Red Sox from NPB and used to pitch for the Yomiuri Giants, picked up the win in aid.
“I actually had some nerves, even when I was on the mound,” Okajima mentioned after the sport. “But I was pumped up by the cheering and everybody was just playing so hard. So I thought I had to do the same as well.”
The A’s earned a sequence cut up within the subsequent recreation with 44,735 followers in attendance, beating the Red Sox, 5-1, on the power of Rich Harden’s six sharp innings of one-run, nine-strikeout baseball.
March 28-29, 2012: Mariners vs. A’s — Tokyo Dome
In Ichiro’s ultimate season with the Mariners — till his return in 2018 — the Japanese legend returned to the nation the place he’d starred for the Orix Blue Wave for this MLB season-opening sequence in opposition to the A’s.
On Opening Day, in entrance of 44,227 followers, Ichiro lived as much as all of the hype, accumulating 4 hits within the Mariners’ 3-1, 11-inning win — together with driving in Seattle’s ultimate run with a two-out RBI hit within the eleventh. The A’s gained the second recreation, 4-1, in entrance of a crowd of 43,391, with Bartolo Colon pitching eight innings and permitting only one run.
“I’ve never been that nervous before,” Ichiro mentioned after the primary recreation. “The warmth of the fans almost made me want to cry. … I felt the significance of the occasion. I knew it would only happen once in my life. I wanted to share a special moment and give something back to them.”
The sequence had some further that means, too, as MLB and the MLB Players Association took the chance to help within the rebuilding efforts in Japan following the earlier 12 months’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.
March 20-21, 2019: Mariners vs. A’s — Tokyo Dome
The AL West rivals met up once more in Tokyo seven years later in a sequence marked by Ichiro’s fond farewell to followers from his native nation. The Mariners legend trotted out to proper area on Opening Day at age 45, turning into the second-oldest place participant to begin a season opener, and went 0-for-1 with a stroll earlier than he was pulled within the fourth inning. The two golf equipment mixed for 5 house runs in a 9-7 victory for Seattle.
Ichiro suited up once more for Game 2, and information broke midway by the competition that he can be retiring from skilled baseball. He went hitless in 4 at-bats, narrowly lacking out on an infield single in his ultimate plate look as a Major Leaguer. Suzuki then jogged out to proper area one final time to start the underside of the eighth earlier than exiting the sport alone in entrance of an emotional Tokyo crowd. Suzuki hugged every of his teammates and coaches — a lot of whom, together with fellow Japanese native Yusei Kikuchi, had tears of their eyes — earlier than leaving the sphere for good.
Aug. 16-18, 1996: Padres vs. Mets — Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey
The first MLB regular-season recreation performed outdoors the U.S. or Canada got here greater than 20 years in the past because the Mets and Padres met for the primary of three video games in Mexico.
That first recreation was performed in entrance of 23,699 followers, who packed the 25,644-seat stadium. Mexican baseball hero Fernando Valenzuela not solely threw out the ceremonial first pitch, however began the sport for the Padres. “With Fernando pitching we’re going to feel like the home team,” supervisor Bruce Bochy instructed The New York Times.
The recreation was a 15-10 slugfest in favor the Padres. Valenzuela picked up the win for San Diego, Tony Gwynn went 2-for-3 out of the leadoff spot, Ken Caminiti slugged a three-run homer and Greg Vaughn crushed a grand slam.
The following two video games additionally drew huge crowds, with 20,873 available for the second recreation and 22,810 on the sequence finale. The Mets gained Game 2, 7-3 — however the Padres took the sequence, shutting out the Mets, 8-0, within the finale. Trevor Hoffman closed the sport.
April 4, 1999: Padres vs. Rockies — Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey
Major League Baseball returned to Mexico three years later. This time it was just for a single recreation — but it surely was Opening Day, somewhat than a midseason sequence.
The crowd was the most important but for a recreation in Mexico: 27,104. The Padres had been the house crew once more, however the Rockies got here away with the win, an 8-2 victory. Mexico native Vinny Castilla was one of many stars of the sport, ripping 4 hits for Colorado. Dante Bichette additionally had 4 hits, together with a sixth-inning house run.
“It was a good night for me,” Castilla mentioned after the sport. “I tried my last two at-bats to hit a home run. It didn’t happen, but I’m happy for the win … I feel really excited I played in front of fans in my own country.”
May 4-6, 2018: Padres vs. Dodgers — Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey
It took 19 seasons for MLB to return to Mexico, and when it did, the Dodgers made historical past.
In the primary recreation of the sequence — with Valenzuela once more throwing out the ceremonial first pitch — the Dodgers pitched the primary mixed no-hitter in franchise historical past behind rookie flamethrower Walker Buehler.
“To fly here and to fly outside of our country, where the atmosphere is different, to perform the way we did, it’s almost humbling in a way, because you’re able to put it together and it makes it a little bit sweeter,” Buehler mentioned.
The Padres did win the following two video games by scores of 7-4 and 3-0 to earn the sequence victory.
April 13-14, 2019: Reds vs. Cardinals — Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey
In the opener of the two-game sequence between NL Central opponents, Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, calling up reminiscences of the Dodgers’ no-hitter in Monterrey the 12 months earlier than. But the Reds’ Jesse Winker broke up the bid with a game-tying solo homer within the backside of the sixth, Derek Dietrich slugged a go-ahead shot within the seventh, and Cincinnati went on to win, 5-2.
The Cardinals broke out within the second recreation, profitable a 9-5 slugfest to separate the sequence. Marcell Ozuna homered twice for St. Louis, and Matt Carpenter broke a 4-4 tie with a go-ahead blast within the prime of the seventh inning. Yasiel Puig hit his first house run in a Reds uniform within the loss.
May 4-5, 2019: Astros vs. Angels — Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey
The Astros erupted for twenty-four runs in a two-game sweep of the Angels in Monterrey, profitable the primary recreation, 14-2, and the second recreation, 10-4. Fans had been handled to some main fireworks — the groups crushed 12 complete house runs within the two video games.
In Game 1, Astros All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman homered twice, teammates George Springer, Yuli Gurriel and Michael Brantley added one every, and Albert Pujols launched a homer for the Angels. In Game 2, Bregman and Brantley homered once more for Houston — Bregman’s was a go-ahead grand slam within the fifth inning — as did Carlos Correa. Jonathan Lucroy hit a pair of homers for the Angels, and David Fletcher added one other.
March 22-23, 2014: Dodgers vs. D-backs — Sydney Cricket Ground
Major League Baseball went to Australia for the primary time in 2014, with the Dodgers and D-backs beginning their common season with two video games in Sydney.
Clayton Kershaw handled the 38,266 followers to a glowing pitching efficiency on Opening Day, permitting just one run in 6 2/3 innings whereas hanging out seven. Scott Van Slyke’s two-run homer offered many of the offense as Los Angeles gained, 3-1.
“We came a long way to get one [win]” Dodgers supervisor Don Mattingly mentioned after the sport. “You like to start off on the right foot.”
The Dodgers swept the mini-series with a 7-5 win in Game 2, with 38,079 followers in attendance. Puig led the way in which with a 3-for-5, two-RBI day, and though Arizona pulled inside two runs within the ninth after Mark Trumbo launched a house run off Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers held on for the victory.
There have been 49 MLB video games performed in Puerto Rico at San Juan’s Estadio Hiram Bithorn. Forty-three of them had been performed by the Expos throughout the 2003 and ’04 seasons, the franchise’s ultimate two seasons earlier than transferring to Washington and turning into the Nationals.
The different six Puerto Rico video games had been performed in 2001, ’10 and ’18 as a part of particular person MLB occasions.
April 1, 2001: Blue Jays vs. Rangers — Estadio Hiram Bithorn, San Juan
The first recreation performed in Puerto Rico was an Opening Day affair between the Blue Jays and Rangers in 2001 — so MLB video games had already been performed in Mexico and Japan by this level.
Both groups had star Puerto Rican gamers: Ivan Rodriguez for the Rangers and Carlos Delgado for the Blue Jays. Toronto gained the sport, 8-1, with an introduced crowd of 19,891 at Estadio Hiram Bithorn. Delgado roped an RBI single within the seventh inning.
June 28-30, 2010: Marlins vs. Mets — Estadio Hiram Bithorn, San Juan
Six years after the Expos’ run of video games in San Juan, Major League Baseball returned to Puerto Rico with a three-game sequence between the Marlins and Mets. The Marlins’ interim supervisor on the time, Edwin Rodriguez, was the primary Puerto Rico native to handle within the Majors.
The Marlins gained the primary two video games, 10-3 and 7-6. The second recreation was an thrilling walk-off win — after the Mets rallied for 2 runs to tie the sport within the prime of the ninth inning, Dan Uggla delivered the game-winning hit within the backside of the ninth.
New York took the sequence finale, 6-5. David Wright led the way in which for the Mets with a pair of doubles and a pair of RBIs. Crowds of 18,073, 18,373 and 19,232 had been introduced for the three video games.
April 17-18, 2018: Twins vs. Guardians — Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan
Eight seasons handed earlier than one other MLB recreation was performed in Puerto Rico, and with Guardians ace Corey Kluber on the mound, the sequence opener didn’t disappoint.
The Cleveland right-hander spun 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts and the Guardians crushed 4 homers — one by Puerto Rico native Francisco Lindor — en path to a 6-1 victory over Minnesota.
The second recreation of the two-game sequence surpassed all expectations. The two golf equipment entered the 14th inning in a scoreless tie, earlier than Cleveland’s Edwin Encarnación went deep for a solo homer. But the Twins’ Miguel Sanó knotted the rating at 1 with a solo blast of his personal within the backside half of the body.
In the underside of the sixteenth inning, Ryan LaMarre singled house Eddie Rosario — who hails from Puerto Rico — to ship the Twins house winners. The wild five-hour and 13-minute recreation additionally overshadowed a stellar efficiency from native Puerto Rican José Berríos, who accomplished seven scoreless frames within the no-decision.
Content Source: www.mlb.com