Angels pitchers held Texas to four hits on Opening Day, with Ian Kinsler’s homer providing the only run for the visitors. Los Angeles got single tallies in the first, second, fifth, and eighth and dominant work from the back end of their bullpen (Justin Speier, Scott Shields, and Francisco Rodriguez retired all eleven batters they faced) to win it 4-1.
Appropriately Barry Bonds started the Opening Day offense with a second inning double, scoring on Lance Niekro’s single, but it was all Padres from there. Mike Piazza led off the bottom of the second with a homer and Khalil Greene would later go deep as well as San Diego scored four off Jason Schmidt in seven innings. Other than the second, Jake Peavy was superb, going seven and allowing just the one run on four hits and one walk with five Ks.
The Cubs pounced on Javier Vazquez for seven runs in the first two innings, and homers from Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez helped keep it going as they ruined Opening Day for the Diamondbacks, 16-6. Ramirez and Lee had the two biggest days for the Cubs as Ramirez went 3-4 with a walk, scoring three and driving in four while Lee went 4-6, scoring two and driving in five.
It was Opening Day in Minnesota, exciting for the home fans as local hero, #1 draft pick, and top prospect Joe Mauer made his major league debut catching and batting eighth. He didn’t disappoint, going 2-3 with two walks. However, three solo homers (two from Travis Hafner, one from Jody Gerut) and a fine start from CC Sabathia (seven shutout innings, two hits (both in the first), four walks, and eight strikeouts) had the visiting Indians up 4-0 entering the bottom of the eighth. Jose Jimenez allowed a walk and a single and getting a comebacker to put runners at second and third with one out. Lew Ryan pinch-hit, Scott Stewart relieved, and Michael Cuddyer hit for Ryan (“NB” notation indicating Ryan “never batter” as the pinch-hitter). He singled in the runs, Doug Mientikewicz singled, and Corey Koskie hit a ground-rule double to put men on second and third with still only one out. Rafael Betancourt was greeted by a Tori Hunter single, but fanned Jaque Jones and Matthew Lecroy to preserve a 4-4 tie.
Matt Lawton was thrown out at the plate by Jones in the tenth. In the bottom of the eleventh, Chad Durbin sandwiched two Ks around a Lecroy walk and Mauer single, but Shannon Stewart blasted a 1-1 pitch for a three-run walkoff homer.
The Indians scored four in the second (homers by Milton Bradley and Matt Lawton), one in the third, and an excellent start from Chuck Finley (six shutout innings, three hits, three walks, seven strikeouts). But after Einar Diaz doubled to lead off the fourth, they failed to record another hit, and their bullpen made it interesting. Jerrod Riggan allowed two runs in the seventh and was relieved by Ricardo Rincon who stranded runners on the corners. Paul Shuey made it through the eighth, and Bob Wickman retired the first two batters in the ninth before surrendering singles to AJ Pierzynski, Jacque Jones, and Cristian Guzman. He fanned Doug Mientkiewicz to earn the save in a 5-4 Cleveland win.
