Betts, Ortiz Homer as Red Sox Win Home Opener 9-4 Over Nats  —  BOSTON — Mookie Betts hit a three-run homer, took a two-run shot away from Bryce Harper with a flashy catch and stole two bases on the same pitch, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 9-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday in their home opener.

COLORADO ROCKIES / MLB  —  ROCKIES TAKE LATROY HAWKINS OUT OF CLOSER ROLE FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE  —  The Denver Post  —  LaTroy Hawkins has struggled as a closer early this season for the Rockies.  (Mike McGinnis, Getty Images)  —  SAN FRANCISCO — LaTroy Hawkins …

Cole, Pirates Hand Tigers First Loss of Season, 5-4  —  PITTSBURGH — Gerrit Cole shut down baseball's top-hitting team, allowing just one run in six-plus innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates handed the Detroit Tigers their first loss of the season, 5-4 on Monday.

Mets shutout Phillies, win 2-0 in home opener  —  Jacob deGrom and the Mets (4-3) bullpen combined to shutout the Phillies (3-4) and win their home opener 2-0.  —  DeGrom threw 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing seven hits, walking one and striking out three.  He needed 99 pitches, with 64 landing for strikes.

Dodgers Release Ryan Webb  —  The Dodgers announced that they have released recently acquired right-hander Ryan Webb.  With this move, it becomes relatively clear that L.A.'s incentive in making the swap was simply to acquire the Competitive Balance draft pick that Baltimore included in order …

Celebrate the Cream City with Milwaukee Day Sale  —  MILWAUKEE - The Brewers are proud to represent the great city of Milwaukee, and to help celebrate their hometown, the team is offering a special one-day “4/14 Milwaukee Day Sale,” sponsored by U.S. Cellular.

MLB to follow Biogenesis model in investigating rash of stanozolol cases  —  50m - MLB JENRRY MEJIA ERVIN SANTANA DAVID ROLLINS ARODYS VIZCAINO NEW YORK METS MINNESOTA TWINS SEATTLE MARINERS ATLANTA BRAVES + more

Reds' manager calls Heyward slide ‘dirty’  —  CINCINNATI  • In the Cardinals' victory Sunday, there were two contentious plays at third base involving Cincinnati third baseman Todd Frazier — one that his manager called “dirty” — that could have reverberated through the game and beyond.

Closer's role, spot in bullpen not guaranteed for Jenrry Mejia when Mets pitcher returns after PED suspension  —  The Mets are ready to move on without Jenrry Mejia, and nothing is guaranteed for him when he comes back.  —  When the closer's 80 game suspension for violating MLB's Joint Drug Prevention …

ANAHEIM, CALIF.  —  Yordano Ventura unspooled the protective wraps from the right arm that silenced the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon.  He removed another wrap from the right leg that betrayed him midway through the 9-2 Royals victory.  He leaned back in a clubhouse chair and sipped from a 16-ounce bottle of water.

Mets SNY trio of Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez reflect on 10 years together in broadcast booth  —  ATLANTA — Looking for a reminder that life races by at an alarming speed?  Here's one: On Monday, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez will call their tenth Mets home opener together.

Blue Jays home opener '50,000-person St. Patrick's party'  —  Despite being the most popular ticket on the Blue Jays' schedule, the home opener has garnered a reputation among some fans for being a drunken gong show.  —  Win McNamee / GETTY IMAGES  —  Fans stream through newly installed metal detectors …

Right-hander dished a career-high nine K's in win  —  4/11/15: Jimmy Nelson tosses seven scoreless innings, striking out a career-high nine in a win over the Pirates  —  MILWAUKEE — If this is what Jimmy Nelson looks like with a curveball, his second season in the Major Leagues has a chance to be a lot better than his first.