Top News:
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Duda's day: Slugger's two homers carry Mets — NEW YORK — Mets manager Terry Collins spent much of Spring Training lauding Lucas Duda, he of prodigious raw power but a noticeable lack of confidence and experience. What Collins envisioned for his right fielder was something like this.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Talking Chop and Amazin' Avenue
Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Joe Girardi and Joe Maddon play game of chess in bizarre Opening Day game between Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays — Managers save nothing and neither does Mo Rivera — Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Pena watches the flight of the ball after hitting a grand-slam home run and might as well thank Joe Girardi for loading bases for him.
Discussion:
DRaysBay and the joy of sox
RELATED:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Pineda plays catch, but April return unlikely
Associated Press:
Blue Jays Topple Indians 7-4 in 12 Innings — CLEVELAND (AP) — Rajai Davis hit a two-run double in the 12th inning, Toronto rallied for the second straight game against Cleveland's bullpen and the Blue Jays beat the Indians in extra innings again, 7-4 on Saturday.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Nationals rally again, beat Cubs 7-4 — CHICAGO - Adam LaRoche homered and matched a career-high with four hits, and the Washington Nationals again rallied late against Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol, scoring five runs in the eighth to beat the Chicago Cubs 7-4 on Sunday.
Associated Press:
Brandon Phillips mum on contract — CINCINNATI — Reds All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips is keeping quiet while closing in on a contract extension. — Phillips said on Saturday before a game against Miami that he's not going to discuss an extension that's been in the works since last season.
Kristie Rieken / Associated Press:
Rockies get 5-3 opening day win over Astros — HOUSTON—Pinch runner Eric Young scored the go-ahead run on an error in the eighth inning and Troy Tulowitzki homered in the ninth to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 5-3 win over the mistake-prone Houston Astros on Friday night.
Discussion:
Purple Row
RELATED:
Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
For 10 Astros, Opening Day extra special
For 10 Astros, Opening Day extra special
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball and The Crawfish Boxes
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd addresses several issues on opening day — HOUSTON — The Rockies are going to score runs. Preventing them? That's a concern even for the man responsible for piecing together the opening-day roster. — “I thought there was a lot of trust …
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Magic vs. Kemp? LA slugger is ready — SAN DIEGO — It might have to happen over the dead body of incoming CEO Stan Kasten, what with the injury exclusion clauses in today's contracts. — But the mythical one-on-one hoop challenge concocted in the Dodgers clubhouse has been further fueled …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Kimberley A. Martin / Newsday:
Nieuwenhuis promoted after Torres is put on DL — After playing in only one regular-season game, the Mets' new centerfielder is on the disabled list. — The Mets announced Friday that Andres Torres was put on the 15-day DL with a strained left calf, an injury suffered in their Opening Day win over Atlanta on Thursday at Citi Field.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Fox Sports:
Uecker mourns loss of 52-year-old son — MILWAUKEE (AP) — Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker's son Steve has died from complications related to San Joaquin Valley fever. — The Brewers issued a statement saying Steve Uecker passed away Friday at a hospital in Milwaukee. He was 52.
Associated Press:
Mariners Top A's 7-3 in Stateside Opening Night — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes leaned back, put all his might into one powerful swing and sent a soaring shot over the fence in left-center field and off the second-deck facade. — And with that, the Cuban defector finally arrived at his new home.
Discussion:
Athletics Nation and Lookout Landing
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Lucchino willing to up payroll — Goal is to improve pitching, prospects — DETROIT - Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said on Friday the team would be willing to add to the payroll to improve the pitching staff. — In an appearance on MLB Network Radio, Lucchino said the team would be over the luxury tax threshold regardless.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Royals Shut Down Pujols, but Lose Opener to Angels — ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols was little trouble for Bruce Chen and Aaron Crow in the Royals' opener. — Nobody in the Kansas City lineup was any trouble at all for Jered Weaver, and that's why the Royals are still starting the season in a hole.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Venable focused on effective baserunning — SAN DIEGO — Padres outfielder Will Venable didn't start Thursday against the Dodgers, but he got into the game in the sixth inning when he walked and later stole second base. — For as much that was made during Spring Training about Venable's …
Discussion:
True Blue LA and Gaslamp Ball