All the firsts of the 2021 season

Opening Day is finally here and with it come firsts of all kinds -- the first homer, the first strikeout, the first steal, you name it. We’re keeping track of every first of the 2021 season right here:

Hit and double: Cesar Hernandez, Cleveland

Hernandez, hitting second in Cleveland’s lineup against Detroit, doubled down the left-field line off Tigers starter Matthew Boyd in the first inning at Comerica Park. The ball came off the bat with an exit velocity of 107.7 mph, according to Statcast.

Home run, RBI and run scored: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers

As the snow came down at Comerica Park, Cabrera didn’t waste any time resuming his quest for 500 career home runs, launching a towering two-run shot over the right-field wall off Shane Bieber in the first inning for his 488th. It was so difficult to see where the ball landed, Cabrera initially slid into second base thinking he had a double. Once he knew his drive was a homer, not a double, Cabrera finished his home run trot and brought himself home with the first run of the season.

Strikeout: Gerrit Cole, Yankees

The Yankees' ace dialed it up to blow away Cavan Biggio in the top of the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Cole elevated a 98 mph fastball and Biggio couldn't catch up.

Walk and stolen base: Robbie Grossman, Tigers

Grossman drew the first walk of the season on five pitches against Bieber in the bottom of the second inning, and promptly stole second base for the season’s first steal. He swiped eight bags in 51 games for the A’s last year.

Triple: Max Kepler, Twins

Kepler smashed a shot off the right-field wall off the Brewers’ Freddy Peralta in the fifth inning at American Family Field. The ball hit right where the fence juts out toward the playing field, and caromed away from right fielder Avisaíl García, enabling Kepler to make it a three-bagger. It was Kepler’s first triple since Aug. 20, 2018 vs. the White Sox.

Hit-by-pitch: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies

Realmuto became the first batter to get plunked in the 2021 season when he was hit on the left foot by a Max Fried curveball to load the bases for the Phillies in the first inning against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

Team win: Tigers

With a two-run homer by Cabrera in the first inning and an RBI double by JaCoby Jones in the second, Detroit hung on to beat Cleveland, 3-2, at Comerica Park.

Pitcher win: Matthew Boyd, Tigers

Boyd tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the Tigers’ 3-2 win over Cleveland, giving up three hits, walking four and striking out two on 92 pitches (57 strikes).

Save: Gregory Soto, Tigers

Soto picked up the season’s first save despite surrendering a two-run homer to Roberto Roberto Pérez in the ninth.

Extra-inning game: Blue Jays at Yankees

A Lourdes Gurriel Jr. RBI single in the top of the second, a two-run homer from Gary Sánchez in the bottom of the second and a solo shot by Teoscar Hernández in the sixth led the Yankees and Blue Jays into the 10th inning tied, 2-2. But a Randal Grichuk go-ahead double lifted Toronto to an Opening Day victory at Yankee Stadium.

Walk-off victory: Brewers over Twins, 6-5 in 10 innings

With Lorenzo Cain the designated runner at second to lead off the bottom of the 10th at American Family Field, Omar Narvaez singled him to third and Orlando Arcia chopped one to second baseman Jorge Polanco, who fired home but not in time to get the sliding Cain for an Opening Day walk-off win for the Crew.