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Best Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Performances of All-Time

By Christopher Church

29 Sep 2001: Tony Batista of the Baltimore Orioles joggs during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/Allsport
29 Sep 2001: Tony Batista of the Baltimore Orioles joggs during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/Allsport /
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1. Rick Sutcliffe, Baltimore Orioles Opening Day 1992

April 6, 1992: Indians 0, Orioles, 3 (Box Score)
Sutcliffe’s line: 9 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K
WPA: 0.554

The inaugural game at the historic Oriole Park at Camden Yards was led by 36-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rick Sutcliffe.

Following pregame activities that involved President Bush throwing out the first pitch at Oriole Park, Sutcliffe and the Orioles took the field in front of an announced crowd of 44,568.

Scoreless through four innings, Orioles’ Chris Hoiles and Billy Ripken delivered Sutcliffe a 2-0 lead following the fifth inning.

However, Sutcliffe gave up a leadoff single Paul Sorrento to begin the seventh inning. Next at-bat, Sutcliffe got Mark Whiten to ground into a double play to end any type of Indians scoring threat.

Sutcliffe allowed just four hits through seven innings and opened the eighth inning with back-to-back strikeouts looking.

As he took the mound in the top of the 9th inning, Sutcliffe retired the Indians’ 3-4-5 hitters to earn the 17th shutout of his career and his first since 1989.

Sutcliffe continued to dominate in April, finishing the month with a 2.65 ERA in five starts, along with back-to-back complete games on Apr. 17 and Apr. 22.

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The right hander’s 110 pitches on Orioles Opening Day 1992 was actually his lowest pitch count of this three complete games that month. Sutcliffe threw a combined 556 pitches in April as well and faced 150 batters.

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