BALTIMORE — Pete Alonso put his hands to his mouth, walked onto the orange carpet and then stretched his arms outward.

The pregame ceremony Thursday ahead of Orioles opening day at Camden Yards was Baltimore’s first real opportunity to embrace Alonso. As broadcaster Kevin Brown said Alonso’s name, the 42,134 fans at Oriole Park rose to their feet and screamed, embracing him officially as the face of their ballclub.

As he stretched out his arms, he embraced Baltimore.

Alonso’s Camden Yards coronation had it all. A perfect day. A beautiful and rejuvenated ballpark. A standing ovation. And an Alonso helmet tip before his first at-bat. There was even a polar bear ice sculpture to commemorate Alonso’s Orioles debut.

What made it all even sweeter for Alonso and Baltimore fans was the final score.

The Orioles defeated the Minnesota Twins, 2-1, to cap off a sparkling opening day. After a disastrous 2025 season, Baltimore spent the winter trying to wash the bad taste out of its mouth. Opening 2026 in the win column is quite the palate cleanser.

While the cheers for Alonso stole the show early, it was the pitchers who dominated the contest. Twins righty Joe Ryan was excellent with 5 1/3 scoreless innings, but Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers was even better.

Rogers punctuated his rise from failed trade acquisition to opening day starter with seven scoreless frames and five strikeouts for the win. He is only the eighth pitcher in Orioles history to toss at least scoreless innings on opening day, joining a list that includes Rick Sutcliffe, Jim Palmer and Dave McNally.

The game was scoreless through six and a half innings, but Baltimore’s bats came alive in the seventh against Minnesota’s bullpen. Designated hitter Samuel Basallo, the Orioles’ 21-year-old slugging sensation, and right fielder Tyler O’Neill, whose miraculous opening day homer streak came to an end Thursday, led off the inning with back-to-back singles.

Center fielder Colton Cowser, aiming to hit a sacrifice fly, did just that, flying out to deep left field to easily score Basallo and give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. That advantage doubled after a two-out single by second baseman Blaze Alexander, one of president of baseball operations Mike Elias’ many offseason additions, brought home O’Neill.

The Twins scored off starter-turned-reliever Tyler Wells in the eighth to cut their deficit in half. But closer Ryan Helsley, whom the Orioles signed to a two-year, $28 million contract this offseason, entered to “Hells Bells” by AC/DC, blew the Twins away like a hurricane and slammed the door shut to send Baltimore fans home happy.

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