Lefty MacKenzie Gore struck out 13 batters for the Washington Nationals, which on its own stands as a franchise record for the team on Opening Day. That feat also tied him with Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in another area, though: they're now the only two pitchers to ever rack up 13 strikeouts and no walks in a scoreless Opening Day outing.

A 14-game slate opened MLB's 2025 season, and The Athletic's MLB staff was there throughout it all, providing live updates, anecdotes and more.

Washington believes it, the Nationals themselves believe they’re ready to take the next critical step in their long rebuild and compete head-to-head with the top three teams in perhaps baseball’s toughest division.

MacKenzie Gore allows one hits and strikes out 13 in six scoreless innings, but Opening Day ends with the bullpen allowing four runs in the 10th in a loss to the Phillies.