KOUFAX Ks 21 IN OPENING DAY PERFORMANCE FOR THE AGES!

7/4: DEAD-BALLERS 5 - DODGERS 0

In a highly-anticipated battle of the aces on VLB's Opening Day In Los Angeles Sunday afternoon, one man took his game to a level never seen on a Major League Field. While the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw had a surprisingly hard time with the Dead-Ballers' offense, allowing five runs in six innings of work, Sandy Koufax would carve through the powerful 2017 Dodgers offense like a hot knife through butter, en route to a two-hit complete-game 5-0 victory over their intracity rivals.

Sandy Koufax Delivers the First Pitch in VLB History

From nearly the first pitch in Virtual League Baseball history, through his 145th and final pitch of the ballgame, "The Left Arm of God" was in complete control, establishing a VLB single-game record of 21 strikeouts that is unlikely to fall anytime soon. The total eclipses the Major League record of 20 strikeouts jointly held by Roger Clemens (twice), Kerry Wood and Max Scherzer. Koufax would twice reach the 18 K plateau in his career to set his personal-best MLB game total.

It would take a few batters for Koufax to settle into a groove, though. Chris Taylor laced a line-drive single to open the game, and with one out Koufax hit Justin Turner with a pitch to put him in a jam. But that's when the dominance would begin, as the Dead-Baller ace fanned Cody Bellinger and Kiké Hernández to wriggle off the hook.

By the time Koufax had recorded two outs in the ninth inning, no other Dodger batter had reached on a hit. Taylor, Hernández, Joc Pederson and Logan Forsythe were all sporting a golden sombrero (three strikeouts), while Bellinger had just been fitted for a grand sombrero with his fourth of the contest. Hernández then drove a double into the right-center field gap before Koufax would retire Yasiel Puig on a ground ball to third to put the Dodgers out of their misery. His final line: 9 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 21 K, 3 BB.

Koufax was working with more run support than he's used to receiving, which was all the more surprising given the presence of Kershaw as his mound foe. The Dodgers' ace was not entirely off his game, allowing just five hits and no walks against eight strikeouts. But two of those hits left the yard. The first came in the third inning, when Lou Johnson followed up a run-scoring double by Ron Fairly with a two-run shot. Fairly would launch a two-run homer of his own the following inning to cap the Dead-Ballers' scoring on this historic day.


7/4: ORIOLES 4 - BRAVES 2  (11 INNINGS)

Braves fans were treated to an exciting, extra-inning opener at Fulton County Stadium on Sunday. Unfortunately for them, the happy ending went to the visiting 1970 Orioles thanks to an eleventh-inning two-run homer served up to Frank Robinson by side-winding reliever Brad Clontz.

Frank Robinson Puts Baltimore Ahead for Good in the 11th Inning

The fireworks didn't end there, though. Boog Powell, following Robinson, was sent sprawling to the ground by a Clontz fastball that struck him square in the helmet. That slowed him down not in the least, as the 6'4", 230-pounder leaped to his feet and was on the pitcher's mound in a flash, flushed bright as his orange uniform, ready to crash down on the 180-lb. reliever like a tidal wave. Somehow Clontz ducked clear of the maelstrom and thankfully, although benches cleared and some heated wrestling ensued, no punches were thrown. Both Powell and Clontz were ejected.

It was a game that began with two pitching greats, Greg Maddux (7 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 11 K, 0 BB) and Jim Palmer (7 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 11 K, 2 BB) dueling to a draw. Both surrendered their only runs in the first inning. Don Buford led off against Maddux with a double that almost cleared the center field wall. Paul Blair followed that with a shot that did clear the wall in left to give the O's an early lead. But Fred McGriff would return the favor against Palmer in the bottom of the frame.

It was nine innings of goose eggs from then until Robinson's homer put the O's on top. The taste of victory would sour for the O's, however, when after the game VLB Commissioner Ethan Peterson handed down a four-game suspension to Powell for his actions. The Braves will likewise lose Clontz for two games for hitting Powell intentionally, in Peterson's view.


7/4: ASTROS 12 - ATHLETICS 3

It was a raucous crowd on hand at Minute Maid Park in Houston to see the '17 Astros run away with a 12-3 Opening Day victory over the '89 A's. Fans blew whistles and banged on garbage cans as Dallas Keuchel nearly went the distance, fanning 14 in 8.1 innings for the win.

It started as a tight, back-and-forth contest, but Houston pulled away for good in the fourth when Jose Altuve launched a two-out, two-run homer on a 3-2 slider from Dave Stewart. The Oakland ace would also surrender home runs to George Springer and Yuli Gurriel (his first of two on the night) before Altuve's blast knocked him out of the game. A puzzled Stewart said afterwards that it was as if they knew what was coming.


7/4: YANKEES 5 - REDS 3

O'NEILL

Yankee favorite Paul O'Neill thrilled an enthusiastic crowd in the Bronx with a pair of solo homers against '75 Reds starter Don Gullett, propelling the Bombers to a 5-3 Opening Day win. The veteran outfielder, who announced that this would be his final season, was honored in an emotional pregame ceremony before celebrating with a three-RBI day against the franchise he originally came up to the big leagues with.

Reds catcher Johnny Bench pulled Cincinnati to within a run with a solo shot in the seventh. But the Yanks Mike Mussina would fan 12 Reds in outlasting Gullett for the 5-3 victory. Mariano Rivera recorded the final four outs for the save.


7/4: RED SOX 7 - METS 3

The '86 Mets opened at Shea Stadium by taking Pedro Martinez deep three times. But none came with runners aboard and the Mets managed little else against the Boston ace, who worked into the ninth, striking out 12 in a 7-3 Red Sox win.

Mets starter Dwight Gooden also missed a lot of bats, fanning 11 Red Sox batters, but a few too many connected. Dr. K was touched up by a Jason Varitek homer and a two-run Manny Ramirez double on the way to a disappointing loss. Ramirez would punctuate the Sox win with a ninth-inning solo homer against Rick Anderson.


7/4: GIANTS 9 - MARINERS 7

Jamie Moyer and the '01 Mariners took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning of their Opening Day contest at AT&T Park in San Francisco. But with one out Buster Posey would break through for the 2012 Giants with a two-run homer. By the time he made the final out of the inning, the Giants would have a 7-3 lead that would ultimately stand up behind their ace, Matt Cain.