Top News:
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Tampa Bay Rays' Jeremy Hellickson passes concussion tests, will start Saturday — Backfired: Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury injures his shoulder after colliding with Reid Brignac during a take-out slide. — BOSTON — After taking two more concussion-related tests Friday, one at a Boston hospital …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Howard Ulman / Globe and Mail:
Beckett rebounds, Red Sox pound Rays — Josh Beckett pitched eight solid innings Friday and the Boston Red Sox rebounded from a rough road trip by winning their eighth straight home opener, 12-2 over the Tampa Bay Rays. — Boston won despite losing centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury because of an injured right shoulder.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Over the Monster and Associated Press
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Lengthy absence would really hurt — Ellsbury's loss leaves gaps in lineup, outfield — The Rays' Reid Brignac comes down hard on Jacoby Ellsbury's right shoulder on a play at second, knocking him from the game - and possibly much longer. (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
Discussion:
Surviving Grady
ESPN:
Rays' Scott piles on Boston: Fenway's a ‘dump’ — Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Luke Scott told MLB.com he thinks Fenway is “a dump” as the Boston Red Sox prepare to kick off their 100th season in the ballpark. — “As a baseball player, going there to work, it's a dump,” said Scott …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, MLB and Yahoo! Sports
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Jacoby Ellsbury ‘felt something move’ in shoulder — The Red Sox provided few details on Jacoby Ellsbury's injury after Friday's win over the Rays. Manager Bobby Valentine said the center fielder was “in a lot of pain” after Reid Brignac landed on his right shoulder in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Discussion:
WEEI and the joy of sox
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Maddon, Scott have mixed opinions of Fenway
Maddon, Scott have mixed opinions of Fenway
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk, Getting Blanked, baseballmusings.com and NESN.com
Josh Liebeskind / MLB.com:
Cameron throws first pitch, retires as Mariner — SEATTLE — Mike Cameron played for eight teams in his 17-year Major League career, but the former All-Star center fielder will retire a Mariner. — The announcement that the 39-year-old Cameron signed a one-day employment agreement …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Tim Booth / Associated Press:
Colon, A's ruin Seattle's home opener with 4-0 win — SEATTLE—Bartolo Colon gave up just three hits in seven shutout innings for his 16th career win against Seattle, and the Oakland Athletics won 4-0 on Friday night to ruin the Mariners' home opener. — Making his third start already …
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
GM Williams likes early look of White Sox — CHICAGO — Five games does not a Grinder Rules campaign make. — But from listening to White Sox general manager Ken Williams' comments before Friday's home opener against Detroit, it sounds as if he believes the team is constructed to move …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Indians Use Big First Inning to Beat Royals, 8-3 — KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Brantley had a pair of hits during a seven-run first inning, and the Cleveland Indians roughed up Luke Hochevar before knocking him from the game in an 8-3 victory Friday that spoiled the Royals' home opener.
Discussion:
Royals Review and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Betemit lifts Orioles over Blue Jays 7-5 — (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young) — TORONTO—Wilson Betemit hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning and the Baltimore Orioles rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 Friday night, snapping a three-game skid.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
RELATED:
Richard Griffin / Toronto Star:
Jays lucky to have coach Brian Butterfield, and he feels the same way
Jays lucky to have coach Brian Butterfield, and he feels the same way
Discussion:
Toronto Sun, Drunk Jays Fans and MLB Rumors
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Final Score: Mets 5 Phillies 2 — The Mets (5-2) defeated the Phillies (3-4) by the score of 5-2 tonight in Philadelphia. — For a full recap and box score, check out SNY.TV. — The Least You Should Know: — R.A. Dickey started for the Mets and he was great, allowing just a solo home run …
Discussion:
NY Daily News, NorthJersey.com, New York Post, The Good Phight, Phillies Nation, Amazin' Avenue and baseballmusings.com
Associated Press:
McCann, Uggla Lead Braves Past Brewers 10-8 — ATLANTA (AP) — Brian McCann equaled a career high with four hits, including a homer and four RBIs, and Dan Uggla's broken-bat single in the eighth inning gave the Braves a wild 10-8 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Atlanta's home opener Friday night.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Mark Lerner on Stan Kasten, Mike Rizzo, the 2012 season and never selling the Nationals — Nationals Principal Owner Mark Lerner sat in the team's dugout yesterday morning, about two hours before the first pitch of the season at Nationals Park. The team he presides over has finally produced …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers' sale to group fronted by Magic Johnson is OK'd by court — During a tense six-hour court session, the deal is closed despite strong objections from Major League Baseball, which wants more control over the club as it moves out of bankruptcy. — Magic Johnson will be the new face of the Dodgers ownership.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
RELATED:
Howard Megdal / Capital New York:
Will the Mets seriously do to David Wright what they did to Jose Reyes? — Who says the New York Mets aren't consistent? — With David Wright dealing with a fractured pinky, the Mets have elected not to issue any obvious public statements about Wright that would be commonplace everywhere else in the sport.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Cain Pitches 1-Hitter, Giants Win Home Opener — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Cain threw a one-hitter, allowing only a single by Pittsburgh pitcher James McDonald in the sixth inning during a near-perfect performance Friday as the San Francisco Giants beat the Pirates 5-0 in their home opener.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout and HardballTalk
Associated Press:
Harang breaks Dodgers record with 9 straight Ks — LOS ANGELES—Dodgers pitcher Aaron Harang struck out nine straight batters Friday night, setting a franchise record for one game. — Harang gave up a leadoff single to Cameron Maybin before striking out the next nine San Diego Padres hitters …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Black shuffles lineup for opener in LA — LOS ANGELES — As Padres manager Bud Black likes to say — and he did so again on Friday — “you've got to use your bench, all 25 guys.” — In Friday's opener against the Dodgers, Black mixed up his lineup, inserting Jeremy Hermida in the starting lineup …
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Arnie Stapleton / Associated Press:
Helton's RBI lifts Rockies to 7-6 win over D-backs — DENVER—Todd Helton drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning, to rally the Colorado Rockies past the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 Friday night. — Carlos Gonzalez singled with one out in the eighth off Bryan Shaw …
Discussion:
Purple Row