Dodgers set opening day mark with 8 HRs in win over Arizona
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez each hit two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' eight home runs Thursday in a 12-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers set a major league record for homers on opening day and tied the franchise mark for any game.
Hernandez, Austin Barnes and Corey Seager all homered in the fourth inning to chase Arizona ace Zack Greinke (0-1). Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Hernandez connected in the seventh for the power-packed Dodgers, whose pursuit of a third straight National League got off to a thrilling start.
Adam Jones and Christian Walker homered for the Diamondbacks, but their pitching staff's eight homers allowed also set a team record.
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks weren't the only ones going deep, either, as teams around the majors combined to set an all-time high for home runs on opening day.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0) struck out eight over six stellar innings as Los Angeles' first opening day starter not named Clayton Kershaw since 2010. Kershaw's franchise-record streak of eight consecutive opening day starts ended due to left shoulder inflammation.
BREWERS 5, CARDINALS 4
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Center fielder Lorenzo Cain soared above the wall to rob Jose Martinez of a tying home run for the final out, lifting Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers over St. Louis.
With at least one Cardinals player in the bullpen already raising his arms to celebrate, Cain pulled back the pinch-hit drive by Martinez in right-center. A fired-up Cain flung the ball high into the air as the Brewers poured onto the field to celebrate.
Yelich got right back to work after winning the NL MVP award last season, putting Milwaukee ahead to stay with a three-run homer off Miles Mikolas (0-1) in the third.
Mike Moustakas and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin (1-0) also connected for the Brewers in a performance that looked a lot like their run to the NL Championship Series last October. Josh Hader retired the first two batters before Cain's play finished off the save.
Kolten Wong homered twice for the Cardinals, and Harrison Bader also connected.
Paul Goldschmidt went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and a walk in his first regular-season game for St. Louis.
METS 2, NATIONALS 0
WASHINGTON (AP) — Robinson Cano homered in his first at-bat for the Mets and added a late RBI single, Jacob deGrom outpitched Max Scherzer as each struck out at least 10 in a sterling matchup between the winners of the past three NL Cy Young Awards, and New York edged the Bryce Harper-less Washington Nationals.
A day after signing a $137.5 million, five-year contract, deGrom (1-0) compiled 10 strikeouts with one walk and five hits in six innings, setting a major league record with his 30th consecutive start allowing three runs or fewer. The lanky righty topped runner-up Scherzer in Cy Young voting last season — and got the better of him in the win and run columns on this day.
Scherzer (0-1) was charged with both Mets runs in 7 2/3 innings, with 12 Ks, three walks and two hits.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper struck out twice in green Phanatic cleats in his $330 million debut and bowed to thousands of fans in No. 3 jerseys who gave him rousing standing ovations during Philadelphia's win over Atlanta.
Harper had the city electric in anticipation for his first game in Philly since he signed a $330 million, 13-year deal that was briefly the richest in baseball.
He went 0 for 3 with an intentional walk and failed to deliver a big hit — but no worries, the Phillies picked up the scoring slack. Harper's presence in the lineup helped blow the game open when the Braves walked the lefty slugger to load the bases. Rhys Hoskins followed with a grand slam off reliever Luke Jackson that broke open the game.
Phillies newcomer Andrew McCutchen hit a leadoff homer against Julio Teheran (0-1). Maikel Franco added a three-run shot against the defending NL East champions.
Aaron Nola (1-0) won despite walking five in six innings.
MARINERS 12, RED SOX 4
SEATTLE (AP) — Tim Beckham hit two of Seattle's three home runs off Boston ace Chris Sale, and the Mariners improved to 3-0 with a victory over the defending World Series champions.
The Mariners followed up their two wins against Oakland last week in Japan by rattling Sale (0-1) and knocking out the lefty that had dominated Seattle in the past. Sale was done after just three innings, while the Mariners were just getting started on their big offensive day.
Beckham did the most damage, hitting a solo homer in the second and following up in the third with a two-run shot. The infielder was hitless in 15 career at-bats with nine strikeouts against Sale before hitting his second and third home runs of the season.
Edwin Encarnacion added a solo shot off Sale as part of a four-run third. Ryon Healy and Domingo Santana both homered against Boston's bullpen as Seattle finished with five long balls.
Santana has nine RBIs in three games, the most in team history after the first three games of a season. He had 20 RBIs in 85 games last year with Milwaukee.
Marco Gonzales (2-0) was shaky early but pitched into the sixth and allowed three earned runs.
NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit hit a first-inning homer, Masahiro Tanaka finally got an opening day victory in his fourth try and New York started the season with a win over Baltimore.
Voit launched a three-run drive off Andrew Cashner (0-1), and Greg Bird added a solo homer in the eighth, the first big flies for the Yankees a year after hitting a record 267 en route to 100 wins. Of course, that wasn't enough to catch the rival Boston Red Sox, who won 108 games and a World Series championship.
Tanaka became the first Japanese pitcher to start four openers, breaking a tie with Hideo Nomo. Tanaka (1-0) allowed two runs, one earned, and six hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Brandon Hyde lost in his managerial debut with Baltimore.
TIGERS 2, BLUE JAYS 0, 10 INNINGS
TORONTO (AP) — Jordan Zimmermann took a perfect game into the seventh inning, Christian Stewart hit a two-run homer in the 10th and Detroit beat Toronto.
Zimmermann, who pitched a no-hitter for Washington on the final day of the 2014 season, came close to bookending it — Hall of Famer Bob Feller threw the only no-hitter on opening day, for Cleveland in 1940.
This bid ended when Teoscar Hernandez reached on a two-out infield single. That was the only hit Zimmerman allowed in seven sparkling innings.
Niko Goodrum doubled off Daniel Hudson (0-1) to begin the 10th, and Stewart homered on an 0-2 pitch.
Victor Alcantara (1-0) pitched one inning for the win and Shane Greene finished for a save as Detroit won its opener for the seventh time in eight seasons.
Playing their first game under rookie manager Charlie Montoyo, the Blue Jays lost their eighth consecutive home opener — tying the third-longest streak in baseball history.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Justin Verlander outpitched Blake Snell in a rare opening day matchup between a reigning Cy Young Award winner and runner-up, helping Houston begin the season with a victory over Tampa Bay.
George Springer homered on opening day for the third straight year. Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve also went deep for the Astros against Snell (0-1), the AL Cy Young recipient who won 21 games and led the American League in ERA in 2018.
Verlander (1-0) allowed a leadoff homer to Austin Meadows before dominating a mostly young lineup featuring just one player — center fielder Kevin Kiermaier — who started for the Rays on opening day last year.
The 36-year-old right-hander, fresh off signing a three-year contract that added $66 million in guaranteed money for 2020 and 2021, limited the Rays to one run and three hits over seven innings before a crowd of 25,025 at Tropicana Field — Tampa Bay's 14th consecutive sellout for a home opener.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Javier Baez homered twice, Jon Lester won for the first time in his last five opening day starts and Chicago spoiled the debut of new Texas manager Chris Woodward.
Kris Bryant added a two-run shot for the Cubs, opening their fifth season under manager Joe Maddon after four playoff appearances in a row that included the 2016 World Series title.
Lester (1-0) went six innings to win his first opening day start since 2013 with the Red Sox.
Elvis Andrus and Nomar Mazara each hit a two-run homer for the Rangers in the 26th and final opener in their current ballpark. Mike Minor (0-1) made his first opening day start and permitted six runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Reigning home run champion Khris Davis went deep for the second time this season, Marcus Semien added a solo shot and Oakland blanked Los Angeles for its first win after a pair of losses to Seattle last week in Japan.
Mike Trout singled and walked in his first game since signing a record $426.5 million, 12-year contract, and manager Brad Ausmus lost his Angels debut after taking over for Mike Scioscia.
Stephen Piscotty added an RBI double as the A's backed Mike Fiers (1-1), who lost in Tokyo last week in his first opening day start. Fiers allowed one hit in six innings. Three relievers completed a three-hit shutout that breezed by in 2 hours, 18 minutes.
Trevor Cahill (0-1) gave up four runs over six innings against his former team.
Albert Pujols went 0 for 3 with a strikeout as he began his 19th season.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota newcomer Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run double in the seventh inning, Jose Berrios outpitched Corey Kluber and the Twins gave manager Rocco Baldelli a victory in his debut against Cleveland.
Berrios (1-0) set a Twins opening day record with 10 strikeouts. He allowed just two hits and a walk in 7 2/3 innings.
Taylor Rogers got four outs for the save, stretching his scoreless streak to 27 innings.
Kluber (0-1) hardly deserved defeat after retiring the first 14 batters he faced until Gonzalez drew a walk. Byron Buxton broke up the no-hit bid with a one-out double in the sixth.
The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner made his fifth straight opening day start. He yielded four hits in seven innings.
The AL Central champion Indians played without star shortstop Francisco Lindor and mainstay second baseman Jason Kipnis, both recovering from strained right calf muscles.
ROCKIES 6, MARLINS 3
MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Freeland allowed two hits and one run over seven innings in his first opening day start as Colorado beat the sloppy Miami Marlins.
Freeland (1-0), who had a breakout 17-win season in 2018, retired his first 11 batters before Starlin Castro lined a single. The only other hit the left-hander gave up was a pinch-hit home run by J.T Riddle leading off the sixth inning.
Neil Walker also had a pinch-hit homer in his first at-bat for Miami. Marlins teammate Jorge Alfaro homered with two out in the ninth.
Colorado's Nolan Arenado began earning his new $260 million, eight-year contract when he doubled to start the fourth and scored the first run off Jose Urena (0-1). Trevor Story homered, and David Dahl had three hits and scored twice.
REDS 5, PIRATES 3
CINCINNATI (AP) — Pinch-hitter Derek Dietrich connected for a three-run homer in the seventh inning and the new-look Cincinnati Reds rallied past Pittsburgh.
Playing their first game under manager David Bell, the Reds got starring performances from two players signed for backup roles last month. They also ended the game with a relief pitcher playing center field, a sign of Bell's openness to new ideas.
Jose Iglesias doubled twice and drove in a run. Jose Peraza's homer off Jameson Taillon (0-1) tied it in the seventh, and Dietrich put Cincinnati up 5-2 with his homer off Richard Rodriguez. Dietrich got a curtain call from the crowd of 44,049, the largest for a regular-season game at Great American Ball Park.
Reds newcomer Zach Duke (1-0) retired the two batters he faced. Cincinnati closer Raisel Iglesias came on in the eighth and gave up a solo homer by Corey Dickerson. Bell replaced him with two on in the ninth — another unconventional move. David Hernandez loaded the bases before retiring Dickerson on a grounder for his first save since 2017.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado went hitless in his first game with San Diego but Fernando Tatis Jr. singled twice in his big league debut against San Francisco.
Wil Myers homered off Madison Bumgarner and added an RBI single in the start of a new era for the Padres, who popped above .500 for the first time since June 8, 2015.
The Padres signaled their intentions to move beyond the rebuilding stage when they signed Machado to a $300 million, 10-year contract early in spring training. Then they promoted Tatis, whose father played in the big leagues for parts of 11 seasons, giving fans some hope after years of futility. San Diego hasn't had a winning season since 2010.
Tatis became the youngest player with a multihit game on opening day since Milwaukee's Robin Yount in 1975.
Eric Lauer (1-0) threw six innings of four-hit ball. Bumgarner (0-1) struck out nine while allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings.
Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for a save.
It was the beginning of the end for Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who announced in spring training that he will retire at the end of this season, his 25th as a big league manager.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brad Keller pitched two-hit ball over seven shutout innings, Adalberto Mondesi tripled twice and Kansas Royals held off Chicago after the start of their season opener was delayed nearly two hours by rain.
Eloy Jimenez went 0 for 3 with an RBI in his major league debut for the White Sox after signing a $43 million, six-year contract — a record high for a player under club control yet to appear in a big league game. The 22-year-old outfielder was nicked on the left toe by a pitch with the bases loaded in a three-run ninth.
With the sacks full again, Brad Boxberger retired Yolmer Sanchez on a line drive to deep right field to earn a save in his Kansas City debut.
Jorge Soler drove in two runs and Whit Merrifield scored twice for the speedy Royals. Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 21 games dating to last season and stole two bases — he led the majors with 45 steals a year ago.
Keller (1-0) struck out five and walked one to help the Royals improve to 18-33 on opening day.
Carlos Rodon (0-1) was charged with three runs — two earned — and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.