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April 4, 2023
Opening Day at Raiders Field Ends in Silence, Not Defeat
The lights were on. The crowd was ready. The moment had arrived.
The San Jose Raiders finally took the field for the first official game in franchise history on Tuesday night at Raiders Field, welcomed by 45,300 fans under partly cloudy skies and a cool 50-degree breeze blowing in from center. Everything about the night felt like a beginning.
What followed was a reminder that beginnings are rarely tidy.
The Raiders fell 1–0 to the Kansas City Wheat Kings, a game defined not by mistakes or blowouts, but by missed chances and razor-thin margins.
A Duel From the Start
From the first pitch, it was clear this would be a pitchers’ night.
Raiders starter Willie Baca was everything San Jose hoped for in its inaugural Opening Day. Over seven innings, Baca allowed just three hits, surrendered a single run, walked three, and struck out eight. He induced ground balls, worked efficiently, and never looked overwhelmed by the moment.
Unfortunately for Baca, he was matched pitch for pitch by Kansas City’s J. Georges, who held the Raiders scoreless across seven innings of his own.
The One That Slipped Through
The game’s lone run came in the seventh inning.
After a one-out double by Omar Naranjo, Carlos Concepcion delivered a two-out single that brought Naranjo home. It was the only run either team would manage—and it proved decisive.
That was it. One pitch too many, one ball too well placed.
Chances, But No Breakthrough
The Raiders didn’t lack opportunities. They collected eight hits and put runners on base consistently, but could not deliver the hit that mattered most.
Neil Aiton went 2-for-5, including a double.
Joey Watts reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, continuing his strong form.
Dave Jones added two hits and was hit by a pitch.
But San Jose left 10 runners on base, including several in scoring position. Andrew McRaven and Danny Seavey were among those who came up just short in key moments.
The wind blowing in from center field didn’t help, but the truth was simpler: the decisive hit never came.
Bullpen Holds, Door Closes
After Baca exited, the bullpen did its job.
Bobby Ragland worked a clean eighth, and Danilo Bobbio closed the ninth with authority. The problem wasn’t prevention—it was production.
Kansas City’s bullpen, meanwhile, slammed the door. J. Jacobs navigated the eighth, and S. Jansen shut down the ninth to secure the save.
Baca’s Perspective
Despite taking the loss, Willie Baca was named Player of the Game, a small but telling acknowledgment of his performance.
Afterward, Baca kept the focus on the bigger picture.
“I felt good out there,” Baca said. “I did what I could to keep us in the game. One run shouldn’t beat us, but that’s baseball. We’ll take what we did well and keep building.”
A Beginning, Even in Loss
Opening Day didn’t bring a win, but it brought clarity.
The Raiders can pitch. They can compete. They can fill a stadium. What they still need is timing—one swing, one moment, one breakthrough.
The season is young.
Tomorrow, they try again.
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