On Day 1, a 2011 echo  —  Sox rally in opener, then fall to Tigers in 9th  —  Alfredo Aceves walked off after surrendering the winning hit as the Tigers celebrated behind him.  Coverage, C1.  (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)  —  Jonathan Papelbon was in Pittsburgh, setting down the Pirates 1-2-3 …

Lance Berkman: Marlins Park too spacious for homers  —  CINCINNATI — Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman predicted to reporters Wednesday that hitting a home run at Marlins Park is so difficult that one day soon they will have to shorten the distance to the fences.

Cubs interested in Nationals lefty John Lannan  —  Geovany Soto congratulates Ian Stewart (left), who scored the Cubs' lone run on Marlon Byrd's single in the fourth inning.  John J. Kim~Sun-Times  —  The Cubs aren't done putting together their early-season roster.

Offense the big question mark as Rays start season  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The starting rotation is very good, among the very best in the game.  The defense was the best in the league last season.  Together, those two are capable of carrying the Tampa Bay Rays to another trip to the postseason.

MLB Ticket Prices Flat for 1st Time in 2 Decades  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Major League Baseball's average ticket price has stayed flat for the first time in two decades.  —  The Team Marketing Report said Friday that MLB's average is $26.92 this year, up 1 cent from last season.

Volquez Walks in 2 Runs, Loses Padres Debut  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — It wasn't a great day for starting pitchers at Petco Park, especially for San Diego's Edinson Volquez.  —  Volquez walked in the Los Angeles Dodgers' first two runs and the Padres went on to a 5-3 loss on Thursday.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis expected to join Mets  —  Kirk Nieuwenhuis is expected to join the Mets when Andres Torres is placed on the disabled list on Saturday, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.  —  Torres strained his calf muscle chasing a ball in the right-centerfield gap during today's game, forcing him to exit early.

Astros' season opener a holy day for area Christians, Jews  —  Photo: Brett Coomer / © 2012 Houston Chronicle  —  The Astros' opening day is among the holiest on the calendar for faithful baseball fans, full of hot dogs and hope for a new season, but this year, it falls on two actual holy days …

Ron Washington puts family first  —  Approach helps Rangers manager get most out of roster's 25 personalities  —  W2W4: White Sox - Rangers  —  Colby Lewis and the defending AL Champion Texas Rangers kick off their season against the Chicago White Sox.  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Ron Washington has nine siblings.

Latest On Reds, Brandon Phillips  —  The Reds offered Brandon Phillips a five-year, $60MM contract extension for the 2012-16 seasons, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reports (Twitter link).  One Reds source believes Phillips would sign if the Reds offer a sixth guaranteed season.

White Sox To Sign Kip Wells  —  We'll keep track of the day's minor moves right here...  - The White Sox agreed to sign right-hander Kip Wells to a minor league deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.  Wells, 34, last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2009.

MLB concerned with lack of details from Dodgers' winning bidder … Major League Baseball officials have expressed concern that Guggenheim Baseball Management, the winning bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been slow to produce the details of the bid and the structure of its management team …

Halladay cruises, Phillies beat Pirates 1-0  —  PITTSBURGH—If only Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies had gotten this 1-0 win last October.  —  Halladay was nearly flawless for eight innings Thursday and the Phillies showed off their pitching from the start, opening a new season by edging the Pittsburgh Pirates.