MLB: Dodgers and Yankees win on Opening Day, Soto misses with Mets

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, who faced off in the last World Series, picked up victories Thursday on Major League Baseball's Opening Day. On the other side, Dominican Juan Soto made his Mets debut with a loss.

 In front of 53,000 fans in Los Angeles, the Dodgers raised last season's championship banner in a pregame ceremony against the Detroit Tigers featuring rapper Ice Cube.

After the celebration, the Dodgers' All-Stars went into action to defeat the Tigers 5-4 with home runs by Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani, Dominican Teoscar Hernandez and American Tommy Edman.

Ohtani's homer came in the seventh inning to give the home side a definitive two-run lead.

The Dodgers, who are looking to become the first team to successfully defend their title since the Yankees in 2000, had already posted two wins in an opening series played in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.

All other teams made their season debuts Thursday including the New York Yankees, who beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 with an unprecedented home run by Austin Wells.

In the first inning, the American lifted the 46,000 spectators at Yankee Stadium with a home run never seen before in the MLB, as no catcher had ever hit the first home run on Opening Day.

The slugger also starred with a key play in the seventh inning, when the visitors had closed to within 2-1 on a Vinny Capra home run.

Judge then hit a double to left field to drive in Ben Rice and position Venezuelan Oswaldo Cabrera at third base, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Cody Bellinger.

Abreu's two home runs

For Milwaukee, young Venezuelan star Jackson Chourio had a discreet start to the season.

The 21-year-old slugger from Maracaibo struck out five times in five at-bats. One of them came against closer Devin Williams, recently acquired by the Yankees from the Brewers.

Juan Soto's luck

In Houston, the Astros beat the New York Mets 3-1 and spoiled the debut of Juan Soto, the big signing of the new MLB campaign.

The Dominican, who left the Yankees in exchange for an astronomical contract of $765 million for 15 years, was unsuccessful against his compatriot Framber Valdez, who pitched seven scoreless innings.

Soto finished with one hit and two walks in his three at-bats.

One of Thursday's standouts was Venezuela's Wylier Abreu, who hit two home runs in the Boston Red Sox's 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers.