The
Montreal Expos were a former
Major League Baseball (MLB)
franchise based in
Montreal,
Quebec from 1969 to 2004. The team relocated to
Washington, D.C. after the
2004 season and became the
Washington Nationals. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honour, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season,[1] though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.[2] The Expos used 19 different
Opening Daystarting pitchers in their 36 seasons. The 19 starters had a combined Opening Day record of 9
wins, 15
losses (9–15) and 12
no decisions. No decisions are awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game, or if the starting pitcher does not pitch at least five innings with the lead. The overall Opening Day franchise record is 12–24.
Steve Rogers holds the team record for most Opening Day starts with nine, and has an Opening Day record of 2–4, with three no-decisions. All of Rogers's Opening Day starts were on the road.
Liván Hernández is the only pitcher to have made Opening Day starts for both the Expos (in 2004) and Nationals (2005, 2006, and 2011).[3]
For their first 19 Opening Day games, early season cold weather kept the Expos on the road. In 1988, the availability of
Olympic Stadium and its retractable roof allowed the team to have its first Opening Day home game, in which
Dennis Martínez was the starting pitcher.[4] The Expos never played on Opening Day in
Jarry Park Stadium, their home from 1969 to 1976. Olympic Stadium, their home from 1977 to 2004, hosted six Opening Day games; five Expos starters accumulated a record of 0–3 (and three no-decisions).
The franchise's only playoff experience was in the
strike-shortened1981 season. In a special format created for that season, the Expos were the second-half champion, with a 30–23 record. The team won the
NL Division Series to become Eastern Division champions, winning three games to two over
Philadelphia Phillies who had been the first-half champion with a 34–21 record.[5] In 1981, Opening Day pitcher
Steve Rogers faced Phillies ace
Steve Carlton and won the first game of the series by a score of 3–1.[6] The Expos then lost the
NL Championship Series to the first-half Western Division champion
Los Angeles Dodgers three games to two on a ninth-inning home run in Game 5 by
Rick Monday.[7]
Key
Season
Each year is linked to an article about that particular Expos season.
† The scheduled Opening Day starter for April 1, 1996, was
Pedro Martínez. Due to the death of umpire
John McSherry, the game was postponed.
Jeff Fassero then started the April 2 makeup game.[44]
^
abDurso, Joseph.
"Unlike '87, Gooden Will Open Season", The New York Times, April 4, 1988. Accessed October 7, 2008. "Because of the cold spring weather, the Expos have customarily spent the first couple of weeks of the season on the road ever since they joined the National League 19 years ago. But Olympic Stadium now has its retractable fabric roof in place, and the Expos at last have the luxury of opening at home."