Here are the Scores. Here are the Highlights:
Twins 9, Royals 1: This was a two-run game until the seventh when Miguel Sano came up with three men on. He reached down and upper-cut a triple that went to the deepest part of the park, clearing the bases and breaking the game wide open. This came just after he ended the top of the sixth by snagging a rocket line drive off the bat of Sal Perez that had extra bases written all over it. I feel like this is going to be a big year for Sano.
Orioles 3, Blue Jays 1: Dylan Bundy allowed one run while striking out eight over seven innings while Adam Jones and Chris Davis went deep. It feels like we’ve been waiting for the O’s first round pick in 2011 to arrive for a long time — and last year was a nice preliminary arrival — but if Bundy is the effective starter everyone always hoped he’d be this year, it’ll provide a big boost for an O’s team with questions in the rotation.
Nationals 6, Marlins 4: Ryan Zimmerman homered while Bryce Harper and Matt Wieters each drove in two runs. Tanner Roark started a bit rough but settled down, eventually retiring 13 of the last 14 he faced. “Archer: Dreamland” debuted last night. It too is starting a bit rough — not a ton of laughs in the debut — but I think I’m gonna dig it. It had some surprising depth for a show that usually leads with . . . something less than a lot of depth.
Red Sox 3, Pirates 0: Chris Sale made his Red Sox debut and he didn’t disappoint (7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 7K, 0 ER). Jameson Taillon made his season debut and he was equally impressive (7 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 6K, 0 ER). This would end up scoreless into the 12th inning when catcher Sandy Leon ended things with a three-run bomb off Antonio Bastardo. This was redemption for Leon, who got thrown out at the plate in the third inning after running through third base coach Brian Butterfield’s stop sign.
Braves 3, Mets 1: The Mets are “sniffing around” for starting pitching help, eh? Too bad they don’t still have Bartolo Colon, who allowed one run over six innings in his Braves debut. Jacob deGrom held the Braves scoreless for six, but Hansel Robles blew the save in the seventh. On to the 12th here was well, where Matt Kemp doubled in two. After a bullpen meltdown on Opening Day, Braves relievers tossed six innings of three-hit, zero run ball.
Rays 4, Yankees 1: No 12-inning affair here, as the Yankees and Rays got all the scoring in the game over with by the bottom of the second inning. It was in that frame where Derek Norris singled in two runs and Corey Dickerson singled in a third. In the previous frame Dickerson homered. Alex Cobb and four relievers limited the Yankees to a second inning Jacoby Ellsbury homer.
Reds 2, Phillies 0: Brandon Finnegan allowed one hit and struck out nine over seven innings while Joey Votto homered and Zack Cozart singled in a run in the bottom of the seventh just in time to allow Finnegan to register the win. There was a 50 minute rain delay here but they made up for it by getting this one done in a mere two hours and twenty-five minutes.
Indians 9, Rangers 6: The Indians sweep the Rangers to begin the season and they did so with a ninth inning rally. Down 6-4 and facing Sam Dyson, the Tribe loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before Carlos Santana drew another walk to force in a run. Then up came Francisco Lindor, who took Dyson out of the park to right field for a grand slam. Just like Sandy Leon in Boston, Lindor’s heroics made up for a miscue. In the fifth inning Lindor helped Texas take the lead when he was late to the bag on a force play at second that would’ve ended the frame and then threw the ball away in a seeming panic while trying to throw out the batter heading to first, allowing two runs to score. The slam is all he’ll remember.
Brewers 6, Rockies 1: Eric Thames, Travis Shaw and Jonathan Villar each homered and Wily Peralta tossed five shutout innings. Thames was never a big success in the bigs but, as you probably know, he spent the past three years in Korea where he hit 147 home runs and drove in 382 with the NC Dinos. While that may have merely been a function of a guy finding a home in a lesser, hitter-friendly league, I suspect it was really a matter of him figuring stuff out. He won’t average 45 homers a year in the majors the rest of his career, but he may prove to be one of the more intriguing signings of the past offseason.
Astros 5, Mariners 3: Another extra innings walkoff homer, this one from George Springer in the 13th inning down in Houston. This one was of the come-from-behind variety, as Seattle had gone ahead by one in the top of the inning. Springer drove in all five of the Astros’ runs last night, having earlier doubled in two to tie things up in the seventh.
Diamondbacks 8, Giants 6: San Francisco led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth but the Snakes added three runs that inning and two more in both the six and seventh. A.J. Pollock went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Yasmany Tomas had two hits and an RBI. Chris Owings got two hits, walked twice and stole two bags.
Angels 5, Athletics 0: Garrett Richards made his return but had to leave early due to tightness in his biceps. Not a great sign — that can often be caused by overcompensating for a sore elbow — but Richards and the Angels said it was no big deal after the game. We’ll see. As it was, he pitched shutout ball before leaving in the fifth. The Angels spoiled Jharel Cotton‘s season debut with RBI singles from Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Danny Espinosa and an RBI double from Andrelton Simmons.
Dodgers 3, Padres 1: Rich Hill allowed one run over five somewhat rocky innings — he walked three and gave up a homer — but the Padres couldn’t make more hay out of it and relievers Sergio Romo, Alex Wood and Kenley Jansen shut them down over the final four frames. Yasiel Puig hit a homer.
Cubs vs. Cardinals; Tigers vs. White Sox — POSTPONED:
I’ve been loving you a long time
Down all the years, down all the days
And I’ve cried for all your troubles
Smiled at your funny little ways
We watched our friends grow up together
And we saw them as they fell
Some of them fell into Heaven
Some of them fell into Hell
I took shelter from a shower
And I stepped into your arms
On a rainy night in Soho
The wind was whistling all its charms
