It was Game 1 of 162. A drop in the bucket, but it quenches a winter’s thirst. Across North America, a series of close games thrilled.

Heading into Opening Day, the prevailing wisdom surrounding the Mets was that the lineup should be solid but the pitching might be an issue. So naturally through three games, the Mets have pitched well and struggled at the plate.

After knocking a bloop double past a sliding Cam Smith with one out in the inning, Torrens was thrown out at third base during Soto's at-bat. The Mets remained scoreless, trailing the Astros 3-0 midway through the fifth inning.

Holmes became the seventh pitcher to start on Opening Day in his Mets debut. Roger Craig (1962), Don Cardwell (1967), Mike Hampton (2000), Tom Glavine (2003), Pedro Martinez (2005) and Johan Santana (2008) were the others. Tyrone Taylor received the start in center field over Jose Siri, but it wasn’t an easy decision for Mendoza.

The New York Mets announced their lineup for Opening Day against the Houston Astros. With left-hander Framber Valdez on the mound for the Astros, the Mets went with their most right-handed lineup.

This was the script from last fall. Regardless of how the first seven or eight innings had gone, the Mets discovered another gear late, often against the opposing team’s most dominant relievers. Here it was, supercharged by the presence of Soto. “If we’ve got Juan up at the end of the game,” said Clay Holmes, “everybody likes our chances.”

At the start of spring training, the biggest worry for the Yankees was who was going to play third base in a lineup reconstituted in the absence of Juan Soto. As the weeks went on, it turned out

The Mets couldn't replicate their past success on Opening Day, and it resulted in a sour start to the Juan Soto era in Queens.

Opening Days are what they are — just one game in a galaxy of 162. And yet, because they are first impressions, they can often also be snapshots of what’s to come.