Mets pay tribute to Octavio Dotel, who died in Dominican Republic tragedy

The New York Mets held a moment of silence Tuesday to honor former Dominican pitcher Octavio Dotel, who tragically passed away in Santo Domingo, before their 10-5 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Dotel, 51, who made his Major League debut with the New York Mets in 1999, was among at least 66 people killed in the tragedy at a Santo Domingo nightclub, where the roof collapsed during a concert by merengue singer Rubby Perez.

"We mourn the death of Octavio Dotel. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy in the Dominican Republic," the Mets posted on social media. 

The Citi Field screens displayed an image of Dotel, followed by the Dominican flag, as the players stood on the field.

The Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers round out the list of teams for which Dotel played during his 15-season MLB career.

Mets win

Puerto Rico's Francisco Lindor hit his first home run of the season, while the Dominican Republic's Juan Soto contributed two hits for the Mets.

In another game, the Cleveland Indians secured a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox in their season opener at Progressive Field. The game was decided by three walks, leading to an unearned run scored by Dominican Carlos Santana.

Mike Clevinger entered the game in the ninth inning for the White Sox but struggled to record even one out. He walked Kyle Manzardo, Dominican Jhonkensy Noel, and Nolan Jones, who drove in the game’s only run.

Cleveland has played its first nine away games of the season, and with today’s win, improves its record to 4-6.

Elsewhere, the Detroit Tigers scored three runs in the fourth inning, securing a 5-0 victory over the New York Yankees.

Venezuela's Carlos Carrasco (1-1) pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs in his first loss of the season for New York.

Other games

The Atlanta Braves scored in the seventh and eighth innings to secure a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cuban Daysbel Hernandez (1-0) pitched 1.1 innings to earn his first win of the season, while fellow Cuban Raisel Iglesias recorded his first save of 2025 and the 225th of his career. 

In a three-homer performance, the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Colorado Rockies 7-1, with Venezuelan William Contreras hitting his first home run of the 2025 season.

The game began with a double from Venezuelan Jackson Chourio, who drove in the first two runs in the third inning.