MLB Recap: April 1st

Phillies 5 Astros 4

The first game of the day yesterday was a heartbreaking one for the Astros, who got a brilliant outing out of starter Brett Myers, but couldn't hold on to the lead. The game was scoreless going into the 6th, but that's when the runs started to come. Midway through the 7th, the Astros were up 4-0 and seemed to have a firm grip on the lead. Brandon Lyon came in to close it for the Astros but gave up 3 runs to the Phillies and blew the save on an walk off RBI single from rookie John Mayberry Jr. Myers went 7 strong innings, and Roy Halladay went 6. There were no home runs in the game.

Pirates 6 Cubs 3

The Pittsburgh Pirates started off their 2011 campaign with a three run win over division rival Chicago. The game took a major turn when the Cubs were leading 2-0 heading into the 5th. The Pirates had the bases loaded when second basemen Neil Walker stepped to the plate and hit a grand slam, giving the Pirates a 2 run lead. The Cubs were never able to get back in the game, losing by a final of 6-3. The Pirates also got a home run from potential breakout star Andrew McCutchen. There were no home runs for the Cubs. 

White Sox 15 Indians 10

The White Sox got off to a quick start for the season, exploding for 14 runs in the first four innings. The Indians started the game with ace Fausto Carmona, but he got shelled for 10 runs on 11 hits in just 3.0 innings of work. The White Sox saw immediate production out of newcomer Adam Dunn. Dunn was    2-4 with a home run and 4 RBI. The Indians began to make in interesting, scoring 10 runs in the last four innings. Their offense came from catcher Carlos Santana who homered and led the team with 3 RBI. The White Sox also got a home run from Carlos Quentin, and Jack Hannahan went deep for Cleveland.

Diamondbacks 7 Rockies 6 F/11

The Rockies season didn't start as planned, as they lost to the D-Backs in a heart breaking game. Fast forward to the 11th inning, and the Diamondback led the inning off with a single off the bat of Gerardo Parro, who ended up scoring the game winning run on a wild pitch from Matt Reynolds. In his first game since signing his mega-extension, Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. Jose Lopez hit a home run for the Rockies, while Arizona got long balls from Miguel Montero and Justin Upton.

Blue Jays 13 Twins 3

Jose Bautista started 2011 right where he left off in 2010, and Carl Pavano looked like the Carl Pavono of old. Bautista hit a solo home run in the 5th innings, coming off a season where he hit a career-high 54 home runs. Pavano, on the other hand, looked more like the guy from the Yankees than the guy with the Twins last year, giving up 8 runs, 7 earned, in just 4.0 innings. The Blue Jays got a lot of production from the middle of their lineup, with their 3-5 hitters going 6-12 with two home runs and 4 RBI. The Blue Jays got home runs from Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia in addition to Bautista. The Twins were homer-less.

Marlins 6 Mets 2

The Mets 2011 started in typical Mets fashion, as they were no hit in the first 7 innings of the game. Marlins ace Josh Johnson looked just as he did last year, which is to say brilliant. He had great movement on top of great velocity. He finished the game with the W, and 6.2 innings, giving up 2 ER and striking out 3. The game broke open when Marlins catcher John Buck hit a grand slam in the bottom  of the 4th. The Marlins also got a homer from Logan Morrison. The Mets, not surprisingly, didn't hit one out.

Orioles 4 Rays 1

In an AL East matchup, the Orioles got the best of the Rays for the first game in 2011 for each team. The Orioles got a great outing from ace Jeremy Guthrie, who went for 8.0 shutout innings, giving up 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6. For Tampa, ace David Price didn't look as sharp, as he lasted 7 innings, allowing 4 ER and striking out 7. The only home run of the day came from Ben Zobrist in the 9th inning for the Rays' only run.

Royals 2 Angels 1

The Royals were able to even up their first series of the year behind a strong pitching performance out of their starter Jeff Francis. This one was a pitchers duel throughout, with Francis going 7.0 innings yielding 1 run and striking out 4, compared to the Angels Dan Haren 7.0 innings of one run ball and striking out 6. The game was tied at 1 in the bottom of the ninth when Royals 1B Kila Ka'aihue hit a walk off, solo home run, his first career walk off. The Angels also got a first inning home run from Howie Kendrick.

Mariners 6 A's 2

King Felix followed up his Cy Young 2010 campaign with a complete game victory last night in the M's season opening win over trendy AL West pick Oakland. He went 9 full innings, striking out 5 and giving up 2 runs, both earned. A's ace Trevor Cahill only gave up 1 run, but he threw 105 pitches in just 4.2 innings. The Mariners ended up winning the game by being able to hit off of Craig Breslow in the 6th inning. As soon as they got the lead, Hernandez was able to shut down the Oakland offense. Home runs were from Chone Figgins for the M's and Josh Willingham from the A's.

Dodgers 4 Giants 3

The Giants took the lead with a three run fourth inning, and were cruising along behind a strong first 5 innings out of starter Jonathan Sanchez, but he failed to make it out of the 6th after giving up 3 runs in the inning. The Dodgers had a solid start out of Chad Billingsley, and closer Jonathan Broxton was able to get his 2nd straight save, pitching a 1-2-3 9th inning. The only home run of the game was off the bat of Dodgers' CF Matt Kemp.