This year in the NL West, one thing is certain.  The team that pitches the best will win and once again be a threat for the World Series.

The San Francisco Giants

In baseball, timing is everything and the San Francisco Giants timed their stretch run just right last season.  Known for their weak bats, the Giants did not lack for live arms that showed their best when the money was on the line.

From their championship team, the Giants lost infielders Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria who played big roles in the stretch run.  Also gone are outfielders Jose Guillen and Eugenio Velez along with reliever Chris Ray.  The Giants added just one veteran Miguel Tejada who will fill the hole at shortstop.

Although the Giant names are familiar, many of them were not on the opening day roster last season, including catcher Buster Posey and right fielder Cody Ross, who has a bout a shot a post season as could be had.

The starting pitching is the best in the division and will challenge the Phillies with youth against experience in the playoffs.

The starting lineup looks like this:

1. Andres Torres CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Buster Posey C
4. Aubrey Huff 1B
5. Miguel Tejada SS
6. Mark DeRosa LF
7. Pablo Sandoval 3B
8. Cody Ross RF

The weakness of this team is not in the bullpen or in the starting rotation.  The team’s ability to score runs is the only question mark.  Linecum, Cain and Baumgartner will all have strong seasons in 2011.  Success breeds success.

The Colorado Rockies

The Rockies were busy in the off-season.  These are their 2011 additions:  P Felipe Paulino, C Matt Pagnozzi (MIN), 2B/INF Jose Lopez, 1B/INF Ty Wigginton, 1B Eric Duncan (MIN), C Jose Morales, 1B Mike Jacobs (MIN), P Billy Buckner (MIN), 3B Matt Macri (MIN), OF Jeff Salazar (MIN), 2B Tug Hulett (MIN), P Matt Lindstrom, IF Hernan Iribarren (MIN), P Sean White (MIN), Claudio Vargas (MIN), P Josh Muecke (MIN), P Jim Miller (MIN), 3B Joe Crede (MIN), P Clayton Mortenson, OF Wily Taveras (MIN), 1B Kala Ka’aihue (MIN) and UT Alfredo Amezaga (MIN).

The Rockies gave up on these players: Joe Beimel, 2B Clint Barmes, SP Jeff Francis, P Octavio Dotel, OF Jay Payton, OF Chris Frey (Rule V), SP Ethan Hollingsworth, SP Wes Musick, P Jonnathan Aristil, P Paul Bargas, 3B Melvin Mora and SP Chaz Roe, RP Manny Corpas, OF Brade Hawpe, RP Manny Declarmen, P Samuel Deduno, C Miquel Olivo.

Any team with that much activity is making changes in philosophy.  The Rockies were 52-29 at home and want to do better.  They won just 31 road games.

The Rocky lineup looks solid in the middle with question marks at both ends.

1.Dexter Fowler CF
2. Eric Young Jr 2B
3. Carlos Gonzalez, RF
4. Troy Tulowitszki, SS
5. Todd Helton, 1B
6. Seth Smith, LF
7. Ian Stewart, 3B
8. Chris Iannetta, C

The pitching rotation is set. Ubaldo Jimenez is the ace of the staff and gets support from fellow starters Jhoulys Chacin, Aaaron Cook, Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel.  This staff got it done early in the year but ran out of gas after mid season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

The high profile Dodgers have a change at the helm as Don Mattingly takes the reins from Joe Torre.  Torre ran into Manny troubles and the locker room problems that have plagued the Dodgers for years.  Mattingly will have his hands full capitalizing on the talent that the Dodgers have.  When this team is hitting on all cylinders, they are hard to beat.

Some changes were inevitable.  Gone are Ryan Theriot, Reed Johnson, Scott Podsednik, Jeff Weaver, Chin-lung Hu, Russell Martin, George Sherrill, Trent Oeltjen, Brent Leach. Martin, Sherill and Jeff Weaver will be missed although Sherill was a disappointment after coming over from the Orioles.

The Dodgers had holes to fill and they added some well-traveled veterans.  Jon Garland, Blake Hawksworth, Juan Uribe, Tony Gwynn Jr, Dioner Navarro, Matt Guerrier, Eugenio Velez, Oscar Villareal, Gabe Kapler, Roman Colon and Marcus Thames will put a veteran feel in the clubhouse.  Thames, Garland and Tony Gwynn, jr. will all contend for jobs.  Juan Uribe may add some pep to 2nd base but at third, Casey Blake’s offense slipped last season.

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw is the established ace and should have a breakout season.  His stuff is overpowering.  Chad Billingsley got off to a good start last season and is a strong number two pitcher.  Hiroki Kuroda has a great repertoire but it is time to win some games. Former Cub Ted Lily and former Padre Garland will hold the four and five slots to start the season.

The Dodgers have talent in the bullpen but coordinating it is a full-time job.  Closer John Broxton was hit hard at the end of the season while Hong-Chi Cho was virtually unhittable.  Now, throw Matt Guerrier in the mix and there is plenty of power in the pen.

The Dodger lineup features seasoned players with good numbers.

1.Rafael Furcal
2. 1B James Loney
3. CF Matt Kemp
4. RF Andre Ethier
5. 3B Casey Blake
6. 2B Juan Uribe
7. LF Jay Gibbons
8. C Rod Barajas

The Dodgers need to get production from Uribe and Gibbons.  Always known for strength behind the plate, catcher Rod Barajas will surely be tested early in the year.  If the Dodgers do not beat themselves, Mattingly will keep them in position to win.

The San Diego Padres

The Padres’ 10 game skid at the end of 2010 is still burning bright at Petco Park.  The team made some changes to better suit their park but the young starting rotation remains inconsistent.

Gone are a host of players including 1B Adrian Gonzalez, C Yorvit Torrealba , 2B David Eckstein, SP Jon Garland, IF Jerry Hairston Jr, SS Miguel Tejada, SP Kevin Correia, OF Scott Hairston, OF Tony Gwynn Jr, RP Ryan Webb, RP Edward Mujica, RP Adam Russell, SP/RP Cesar Ramos, PH Matt Stairs, and SP Chris Young.

That roster changes left plenty of room for newcomers OF/1B Brad Hawpe, 2B Orlando Hudson, SS Jason Bartlett, OF Cameron Maybin, IF Jorge Cantu, SP Aaron Harang, RP Samuel Deduno, SP/RP Dustin Moseley, RP Chad Qualls, C Rob Johnson, RP Pat Neshek, OF Eric Patterson IF Kevin Frandsen, RP Randy Flores.  The pickups of veteran 2b Orlando Hudson and ss Jason Bartlett will solidify the infield and the Padres can use some of Brad Hawpe’s clout.  Flores may surprise.

The staring lineup will look like this:

RF Will Venable

SS Jason Bartlett

2B Orlando Hudson

Lf Ryan Ludwick

1b Brad Hawpe

3b Chas Headley

CF Cameron Maybin

C Nick Hundley

The Padres only generated 655 runs last season and that will be the benchmark,  This lineup may have difficulty equalling that mark.

The Pardes are proud of the hard-throwing and young starting rotation.  Matt Latos will lead the way for fellow starters Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer, Aarion Harang and Wade LeBlanc.  The Padres have good depth if a starter goes down.

Their bullpen is also strong with closer Heath Bell back as closer.  The setup guys will be Mike Adams, Luke Graderson, Chad Quallis and Ernesto Frieri.

The Padres seem to feel they have straigthened out their problems.  From here, it does not look like enough. A bigger bat and a fifth starter might have improved the Padre chances.

The Arizona Diamondbacks

After finishing in the NL West for the second straight year, change was in the Arizona air.  Kevin Towers was brought in to be the General Manager and Tower, who won four titles with San Diego, retained last season’s Manager Kirk Gibson.  Gibson was promoted half way through the 2010 season.

Tower’s first mission has been to imprvoe the worst bullpen in the major leagues (5.74 ERA) and add strength to a weakend starting pitching rotation.  For the rotation, Tower will rely on ace Ian Kennedy and number 2 Daniel Hudson.  Joe Saunders (LAA) will anchor the third spot with Barry Enright who showed good struff at the end of 2010.  Zack Duke was acquired from Pittsburgh as the fifth starter.

The Diamondbacks will lineup will be young and prone to strikeouts.  Gibson will have his hands full with these hit or miss lineup.

1. 2b – Stephen Kelly
2. SS- Steven Drew
3. RF – Justin Upton
4. CF – Chris Young
5. LF Xavier Nady
6. 1b – Russell Branyan
7. 3b – Melvin Mora
8. c – Miguel Montero

There is improvement here but not enough to mount a threat.

NL West Projections

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. San Diego Padres
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Arizona Diamondbacks

Jake Peavy

Jake Peavy went from a lock to be part of the Chicago White Sox Opening Day roster (after recovering from experimental shoulder surgery in July) to possibly starting the year on the DL. He was shut down on Sunday due to discomfort following his 83-pitch outing on Saturday. He admits that the discomfort has been building since his first spring outing.

The White sox will now move cautiously with Peavy and he admits that he wants to be 100% healthy when he makes his first start for the White Sox in 2011 so he can be in the rotation for the rest of the season. He played light catch on Thursday and could get back on the mound sometime this weekend.

Now the White Sox will look at Phil Humber, Tony Pena, and Jeff Marquez to fill the final spot in the rotation. Humber has made six appearances this spring (two starts) while allowing 13 hits and ten runs (he has struck out ten). Humber was just lit up yesterday. Pena has made seven appearances (one start) and allowed 18 hits and six runs though he has struck out nine. Pena was the White Sox long reliever last season. Marquez has made six appearances (one start) and allowed 16 hits and four earned runs though he has struck out 13. He is also out of options, but will get one last start on Saturday (though he could become the long reliever). Manager Ozzie Guillen may also look at carrying seven relievers to protect the inexperienced fifth starter. Guillen is leaning toward Humber in the short-term.

Kendrys Morales

Kendrys Morales had a horrific and freak leg injury last season when he jumped on homeplate to celebrate his walk-off homerun for the LA Angels. He fractured his lower left leg on May 29^th and will start the season on the DL. He has been shut down due to soreness in his foot caused by running on consecutive days. Morales is the key power hitter in the Angels lineup and finished 5^th in the 2009 AL MVP voting when he had a breakout season, hitting .306 with 34 homeruns and 108 RBIs.

Morales has been hitting and fielding for several weeks and was hoping to return in some capacity for Opening Day on March 31^st. However he has yet to play in any games this spring, which has led to manager Mike Scioscia’s announcement that Morales will start the season on the DL. When the medical staff clears him to return to baseball activities, Morales will be back.

For now Mark Trumbo, who is dealing with his own injury (groin tightness), will fill in due to his great spring. Last season for Triple-A Salt Lake, Trumbo hit 36 homeruns, drove in 122, scored 103 runs, and batted .301. He only collected one hit in 15 at-bats during his September call-up, but is hitting .340 this spring. He also has collected five homeruns, five doubles, and 13 RBIs in 47 at-bats. Others who could fill in at first base are Howie Kendrick, Brandon Wood, Bobby Wilson, and Chris Pettit. However with Morales out of the lineup for any amount of time, the Angels will feel the loss of catcher/DH/first baseman Mike Napoli, who they traded this offseason to the Toronto Blue Jays (who then traded him to the Texas Rangers).

Derek Lee

When Derek Lee made his spring debut on Saturday, he fouled a ball off his foot, causing more concern. He had x-rays and an MRI, but things seem to be okay because Lee got into a spring game on Tuesday against the NY Yankees and then again on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins.  Derek Lee is progressing slowly and if he is unable to go on Opening Day (though they are cautiously optimistic he will be ready), the O’s have a few options. Luke Scott, who is expected to start in left field, will move to first base with either Felix Pie or Nolan Reimold taking over in left field. Jake Fox, who leads the majors in spring training homeruns, is fighting for a roster spot and could fill in at first base.

Leadoff hitter and second baseman Brian Roberts missed most of the 2010 season due to back problems. This spring, he has missed time with neck and back issues, though an MRI revealed no new damage. He has been back in the lineup as of late (and played back-to-back games for the first time Tuesday and Wednesday), but I expect manager Buck Showalter to give him repeated days off early in the season with the cold weather in the Northeast. Utility infielders Robert Andino and Brendan Harris are fighting for the backup job with Mark Reynolds starting at third base and JJ Hardy at shortstop, with Cesar Izturis off the bench. It is important for the O’s to have options in the infield with their injury-prone players (Hardy has also missed plenty of time the last two years).

With a young starting rotation, the O’s went out and signed free agent Justin Duchscherer to help Jeremy Guthrie anchor the staff. When healthy, Duchscherer is an All-Star and proved it with the Oakland A’s. However he has had trouble staying healthy. He had a second hip surgery this offseason and said he was healthy (and he must have proven he was healthy to have received a major league contract). This spring, Duchscherer has thrown just two innings in one start due to discomfort in his hip. With Duchscherer’s injury, that leaves the fifth starter’s spot wide open. The O’s would have liked to send both Chris Tillman and top prospect Zach Britton back to Triple-A Norfolk to refine their skills, but now one of them may be forced into the rotation. With the extra off-days early in the season, the O’s could carry an extra reliever and just go with Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Brad Bergesen, and Jake Arrieta. Duchscherer threw a bullpen session yesterday and said he felt great but Showalter said they would wait until today to determine the next step.

Koji Uehara

Last year, Koji Uehara filled in nicely as the closer when he recovered from his arm problems. In the second half of the 2010 season, Uehara converted 13 of 15 save opportunities. In 33 appearances, he held a 2.57 ERA with just one walk compared to 45 strikeouts. He was expected to battle with offseason acquisition Kevin Gregg for the closer’s job.

However Uehara has had soreness in his pitching elbow and has yet to pitch an inning this spring against big league hitters. He did face minor leaguers and Tuesday and felt good and is expected to face Triple-A hitters on Friday (Showalter said he should pitch more regularly now). Uehara could be ready for Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. The bullpen has been an issue for the O’s and it will need lefty Mike Gonzalez and righties Jim Johnson and Jason Berken to step up late in games.

Johnny Cueto

Cueto was diagnosed with mild inflammation in his right shoulder in an exam in Cincinnati. The recommendation is a week or so of rest before he gets back to a throwing program. He will remain in Arizona when camp breaks but it could be a couple of weeks before he returns to the rotation. The Reds are downplaying the injury, but Bailey was diagnosed with minor shoulder inflammation last year and ended up missing three months.

Cueto has made just four starts this spring (nine innings total) and was only up to 40 pitches. His third start of the spring (March 11) lasted just two innings (he was scheduled for four innings) because he felt soreness in both his biceps and forearm when throwing breaking pitches. The exit was considered precautionary. In his fourth start eight days later, he lasted just one inning (he was scheduled to throw 50-60 pitches) due to biceps stiffness. Cueto signed a four year, $27 million contract this winter after going 12-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts in 2010.

The St. Louis Cardinals had to deal with the Albert Pujols pending free agent saga at the start of spring training (and the two sides did not reach an agreement). Things got worse quickly as second ace Adam Wainwright succumbed to Tommy John surgery. Wainwright will miss the entire 2011 season, but is back in Jupiter during spring training to begin his rehab. He has other TJ survivors to seek advice from, as three of the Cardinals starting pitchers have returned successfully (Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Jake Westbrook).

The loss of Wainwright puts pressure on the rest of the Cardinals pitching staff, especially with the health histories of some of the pitchers (mainly Carpenter). However the injury early in spring allows the Cardinals time to audition pitchers for the final spot in the rotation.

The front runner for the final spot is Kyle McClellan, who has prepared the last two seasons to start (though he has been part of the bullpen). McClellan has pitched superbly this spring in four outings. Last Tuesday he allowed just one hit in five innings (40 of his 66 pitches were strikes). He has allowed just one run in 17 innings this spring. He has given up just nine hits and struck out 11 (though he has walked six).

McClellan has received the backing of pitching coach Dave Duncan. Though manager Tony LaRussa has been reluctant to officially name McClellan the fifth starter, he has said that no one else has stepped up and the Cardinals have more viable options to fill McClellan’s role in the bullpen.

The NL Central figures to be very competitive this season, but most of the teams are dealing with injuries to important members of their teams. The team that overcomes the injuries will win the division.

Bernie The Brewer

The Milwaukee Brewers made a huge splash this offseason by acquiring not one, but two front-line starting pitchers (while giving away most of the organizations top young talent).

They acquired Zack Greinke of the KC Royals, who won the 2009 American League CY Young award, and Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays. Greinke was expected to immediately slide in as the team’s ace with Marcum sliding into the third spot, behind Yovani Gallardo and in front of lefties Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson. With slugging first baseman Prince Fielder set to hit the free agent market after the season, the mantra for the Brewers is to win now. With these two pitching acquisitions, the Brewers had become the favorite in the National League Central. Starting pitching was their biggest issue in 2010 and they went out and solved their problem (not to mention having the best hitting rotation in the NL).

However the injury bug has hit both acquisitions, causing new manager Ron Roenicke to name Gallardo as the Opening Day starter for the second consecutive season. Apparently Greinke fractured a rib while playing basketball during the first week of spring training and will start the season on the DL. He made two Cactus League appearances pitching with discomfort on the left side of his rib cage before an MRI revealed the rib injury. His return date is open-ended with April 16^th as the earliest date being discussed, though Roenicke says that date is the best-case scenario.

Marcum exited his game on Thursday with a tight right shoulder. He has been dealing with shoulder tightness throughout spring, along with a stiff neck. Marcum is not expected to begin a throwing program until later this week. He mentioned that he would rather miss two weeks in spring training than two months during the season. He also said that he would have pitched through the injury if it was the regular season. Marcum felt that he may have gotten overwhelmed this spring and a little fatigued, leading to the shoulder tightness.

Marcum missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008 and returned last season with the Blue Jays to have a solid season (13-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 195.1 innings). He is slotted to start on April 2^nd against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Brewers rotation is thin and this final week of spring will be a competition of who will fill the spot until Greinke returns. Wily Peralta has been the leading candidate, but struggled in his Friday outing and recorded just one out. Others being considered include non-roster invitees Eulogio De La Cruz and Marco Estrada, along with minor leaguers Mark Rogers and Amaury Rivas.

Right fielder Corey Hart is dealing with a rib cage injury and it is looking more likely that he will not be ready for Opening Day. He was hurt in a throwing drill back on February 26^th when he did not set his feet properly and tweaked his oblique muscle. He still cannot go full-speed and the injury does not seem to be progressing. The Brewers are running out of Cactus League games to get Hart at-bats.

I watched the game live on MLB Network against the Cleveland Indians on Monday March 14^th when he hurt his arm and it looked bad. I stood in horror watching him grab at his arm in obvious pain after throwing a pitch. It will be interesting to see if the injury bothers him mentally.

Bailey is an integral part of the A’s success, especially with the young core of starting pitchers. He won Rookie of the Year in 2009 and was an American League All-Star in his first two seasons. He is one of the better closers in the game (though most people do not talk about him).

Bailey has thrown just 1.1 innings this spring with about a week of games left it looks as though he will start the season on the DL.There is no timetable for his return and he cannot return to throwing until he is pain-free. The A’s should take it slow with their young closer and can now actually afford to. This offseason, the team bolstered their bullpen by signing left-hander Brian Fuentes and right-hander Grant Balfour. Both have the pitching arsenal to close, and Fuentes has closed many games in the past with the Colorado Rockies and the LA Angels. They also have Brad Ziegler to fall back on, who closed games for the A’s before facing injuries and the emergence of Bailey.

Brian Wilson sustained a strained left oblique muscle on Thursday against the Angels

The other Bay area closer to catch the injury bug is Brian Wilson of the World Champion SF Giants. He sustained a strained left oblique muscle on Thursday against the Angels in his one inning of work, though he expects to be ready for Opening Day on March 31^st. Wilson said he felt much better over the weekend. If you are the Giants, you would rather have Wilson miss time early in the season and fully heal, rather than have the injury linger throughout the season. If the bearded one is unable to go, look for left-handers Jeremy Affeldt or Javier Lopez, or right-handers Sergio Romo or Santiago Casilla to get the call to the bullpen to close. Affeldt recorded four saves last season, but Romo and Lopez have a combined for just six saves in 562 major league appearances. Though Casilla sometimes deals with control issues, he has the closer’s repertoire with his electric fastball and devastating curveball.

Wilson is expected to be re-evaluated today with a prognosis and will not throw until at least Tuesday. The Giants are holding their breath that the injury is not serious. He strained the same oblique muscle in 2006 and missed about a month of the season.

*UPDATE: Wilson had his throwing session cut short yesterday and it is not looking good that he’ll be ready for Opening Day. The Giants also did not receive good news in terms of outfielder Cody Ross (who left yesterday’s game with a strained right calf) and pitcher Matt Cain (who got roughed up in his outing to hopefully get ready to start the season on the roster).

The Philadelphia Phillies have been crowned the 2011 World Series Champion by many when they went out and signed free agent left-hander Cliff Lee, adding him to a rotation that already included Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. However their inconsistent offense was the reason the Phillies lost to the eventual champion SF Giants in 2010. They took a hit this offseason when right fielder Jayson Werth signed with divisional opponent Washington Nationals.

Philadelphia Phillies Baseman Chase Utley Injured in Training

The Phillies took another hit this spring training when second baseman Chase Utley went down with a knee injury. The now oft-injured Utley did not get into any game action this spring and many wonder how much time during the season he will miss. Slugger Ryan Howard was already missing the protection behind him when Werth left and now he has no protection in front of him. I will be surprised if Howard sees anything good to hit this season (especially fastballs).

I like Wilson Valdez to take over at second base for the time being. He is having a great spring, while playing all over the field, and he is a big reason that the Phillies made the playoffs last year. However if Utley is expected to miss the majority of the season, I would look at signing a veteran second baseman. David Eckstein is still on the market and he is a proven winner. He could bat leadoff or in the 2-spot, with Jimmy Rollins sliding down to the 3-hole.

I am not saying that I am not confident in Valdez’ abilities, but I think he is more valuable as a utility man. The Phillies are getting older and most of the starting lineup has dealt with injuries over the last year that have led to DL stints. Rollins could not stay on the field last year (which is where Valdez filled in the most). Placido Polanco had elbow surgery in the offseason and hyper-extended that same elbow in his last spring training game (and he should miss a few days at least). If Charlie Manuel manages this team right, the Phillies bench should receive ample playing time to give his aging starters days off to stay fresh for the possible playoff run.

Closer Brad Lidge is dealing with right biceps tendonitis. He threw on Friday in the bullpen and reported no discomfort. He is expected to throw another bullpen session on Sunday and then get into another Grapefruit League game next week if all goes well. Lidge’s velocity has been down, but it is expected to be back up when his arm is completely healthy and the season starts on April 1st. However there should be concern for the Phillies because Lidge has had problems in the past with his throwing arm. If Lidge cannot go, look to Ryan Madson to get the bulk of the closing opportunities.

*UPDATE: The Phillies signed second baseman Luis Castillo to a minor league deal. Castillo was just released by the NY Mets last week and the Mets are paying his $6 million contract. Castillo is expected to arrive in Clearwater and report to Phillies camp Monday afternoon.

*UPDATE 2: Utley and Lidge will start the season on the DL, with no timetable for their return. Lidge could be activate on April 9th at the earliest, but Lidge is concerned because he has never had shoulder problems before. Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras look to take over the closer’s role in Lidge’s absence. This opens a spot for Scott Mathieson so I hope he takes advantage of it.

Ubaldo Jimenez fires no-hitter

In Atlanta, the Braves were treated to history as Colorado Rockies hurler Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, the first in Rockies history. Despite walking six, Jimenez struck out seven and was electric the entire outing. His last pitch of the game was to Brian McCann at 97 mph. Jimenez threw 128 pitches in the 4-0 win and got some great defense, especially from centerfielder Dexter Fowler in the seventh inning.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals and NY Mets battled all afternoon and into the night. For the second straight game, they were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Mets ace Johan Santana matched up with Cardinals rookie Jaime Garcia (who was making his third career start), who did not give up a hit until the sixth inning. The Mets did not collect their second hit until the 12^th inning with the game tied at 0-0. New Met first baseman Alex Cora (who just came into the game and had only played 3 games there in his career) kept the score tied at 0-0 in the 10^th when he jumped into the first row of seats with two outs and the bases loaded to keep Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday from getting a new life. The Cardinals threatened with the bases loaded three times (with the pitcher batting) and had men on base in just about every inning but could not score.

Felipe Lopez pitches in 18th

The Cardinals ran out of pitchers so third baseman Felipe Lopez (who started at shortstop) moved to the mound in the 18^th and sent the Mets down in order (after Mets pitcher Raul Valdes was thrown out at second base after an infield single). Joe Mather, who moved from the outfield to third base, came in to pitch the 19^th. The Mets scored on a sacrifice fly in the 19^th (with the deep fly ball by Jeff Francoeur going to new left fielder Kyle Lohse, who is a starting pitcher for the Cardinals). The Mets saved closer Francisco Rodriguez for a save situation and the Cardinals got to him. Albert Pujols ripped a one out double and went to third base on a ground out by Lohse. K-Rod chose to pitch to Yadier Molina instead of rookie Allen Craig and Molina ripped a game-tying RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Into the 20^th they went, with Mather again taking the mound. Mather struggled with throwing strikes and the Mets again scored on a sacrifice fly. Though the Cardinals had their chances in the bottom of the 20^th, starter Mike Pelfrey collected the save. The Mets 2-1 win took 6 hours and 53 minutes to complete. If the Mets had lost to the Cardinals (who were using position players to pitch), manager Jerry Manuel may have gotten fired. He will hold onto his job for now.

Tim Lincecum hits

Reigning National League CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants has so far showed that he is still the best pitcher in the NL. Against the LA Dodgers, Lincecum went six scoreless innings to improve to 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA. He struck out seven and gave up four hits. Lincecum also starred at the plate in the 9-0 victory as he went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

Bullpen problems continue for the Baltimore Orioles as newly named closer Jim Johnson came in with a 3-2 lead in Oakland. The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and Ryan Sweeney delivered a walk-off two-run single to improve the A’s record to 9-4. The O’s dropped to 1-11 (the worst team in baseball).

In Cleveland, the Indians Jake Westbrook battled the Chicago White Sox Jake Peavy. With the White Sox ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera blasted a solo homerun off of Peavy to tie the game and end his night. In came hard-throwing Matt Thornton and Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo delivered an RBI double to win it as closer Chris Perez used 15 pitches to get the White Sox 1-2-3 for his third save.

The grounds crew in NY

Rain played a major part in games played Friday night. In New York, the Yankees and Texas Rangers completed just six innings when the game was finally called. The Yankees won 5-1 as CC Sabathia dominated in the complete game win. CJ Wilson of the Rangers was hurt by poor defense and infield hits (four of the Yankees seven hits did not leave the infield) in his complete game loss.

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays played to a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park, as rained halted the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Play will resume prior to their start tonight. The Red Sox Josh Beckett and the Rays rookie Wade Davis were involved in a great pitcher’s duel, despite the rain, though the Rays stole four bases off of catcher Jason Varitek (who hit a solo homerun).

In Pittsburgh, rookie Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds matched up against the Pirates Zack Duke. Though Leake was not stellar (he walked five and gave up seven hits in seven innings), he limited the damage by allowing just three runs. Duke on the other hand was outstanding. He gave up six hits and one run in seven innings. However the Pirates bullpen gave away the lead by allowing three runs (one of which was Duke’s as he started the eighth inning) in two innings. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, centerfielder Andrew McCutchen collected a single. He immediately stole second base and scored on left fielder Lastings Milledge’s RBI single to center to send the Pirates home happy.

Felipe Lopez greeted by teammates after grand slam

In St. Louis, the Cardinals were dominated all night by NY Mets starter Oliver Perez (even though Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter was just as dominant by striking out 10 in 6.1 innings). In the seventh, Mets manager Jerry Manuel pulled Perez after he allowed an infield single and a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Fernando Nieve came in and hit pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker and walked pinch-hitter Matt Holliday to load the bases. In came Raul Valdes to face Cardinals infielder Felipe Lopez, who deposited a 2-1 hanging curveball over the left field wall for a grand slam (which gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead). Though the Cardinals bullpen almost blew the lead, they held on for a 4-3 win.

In Philadelphia, the Florida Marlins Jorge Cantu extended his hitting streak to 11 games but could not collect an RBI. He came up in the ninth inning after the Marlins had already scored four runs off of the Phillies bullpen with two men on base, but closer Ryan Madson induced a ground ball to end the rainy and cold game (8-6). The Marlins were dominated all night by Phillies new ace Roy Halladay, as he allowed two runs on eight hits in eight innings.

In Minnesota, the Twins seemed to have the bases loaded every inning against the KC Royals ace Zach Greinke and the Royals bullpen as they won 10-3. Greinke, last year’s CY Young award winner, did not have his usual command as he walked five in his five innings of work while allowing four runs (though only two were earned). The Twins on the other hand, received solid pitching from Scott Baker, who went seven innings while striking out six.

Andre Ethier greeted by teammates after grand slam

In LA, the Dodgers jumped all over SF Giants starter Todd Wellemeyer in the first two innings as he allowed seven runs, capped by Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier’s back-to-back homeruns in the first inning and  Ethier’s grand slam in the second. There was a scary moment for the Giants in the fifth as Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla hit Aaron Rowand in the face, causing a cheek injury and a concussion. The Giants stormed back against the Dodgers bullpen as they scored five runs in the ninth, but could not overcome the lead (they lost 10-8).

In Toronto, the LA Angels almost wasted a gem thrown by starter Jered Weaver, as the Blue Jays scored four times in the eighth inning to cut the Angels lead to 7-5. However new Angels closer Fernando Rodney came in and quickly shut the door on the Blue Jays, as he threw just 9 pitches to pick up his second save of the season. Weaver went into the eighth inning (he was pulled after allowing a Randy Ruiz solo homerun) and gave up just two runs on five hits while striking out eight (he did not walk a batter).

NY Yankees honor Jackie Robinson

The biggest celebration came in NY at Yankee Stadium as Robinson’s wife and daughter were in attendance for the pre-game festivities and his grandson threw out the first pitch. Phil Hughes made his first start of the season for the Yankees and was backed by three homeruns off of LA Angels Scott Kazmir, who was also making his first start.

The LA Dodgers always request to play home on Jackie Robinson day so that they can honor their former player. On Thursday, Tommy Lasorda, Frank Robinson, and Don Newcombe (among others) were on hand for the pre-game festivities. The Dodgers came back for the second straight day against Arizona Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls, but this time won the game in the bottom of the tenth on Andre Ethier’s walk-off hit (his 10^th walk-off hit of his career).

The Cleveland Indians (in the bottom of the American League Central) received great starting pitching from David Huff, who threw a complete game four-hitter in the Indians 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers. He threw just 104 pitches and his only blemish was the two-run homerun he allowed to Michael Young in the fourth inning. Shin-Soo Choo took Huff off of the hard luck loss by blasting a three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning (the homerun was preceded by two men reaching base on errors).

Phillies NL champions ring

In Philadelphia on Thursday was also the ring ceremony for the 2009 National League Champions. Even though Phillies pitcher JA Happ struggled into the sixth inning (he walked six), they held a 4-1 lead. However the Phillies bullpen, which has been stellar so far this season, gave up six runs in relief of Happ (three runs by Danys Baez and two more by closer Ryan Madson). Washington Nationals Ryan Zimmerman delivered a pinch-hit go-ahead two-run homerun in the eighth inning off of Baez to seal the win for the Nationals. Zimmerman had not played since Saturday due to an injured hamstring.

The Houston Astros finally won a game in the 2010 season. They beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 with a three-run eighth inning. The top of the order for the Astros (Michael Bourn and Jeff Keppinger) combined to go 4-for-8 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Astros starter Bud Norris went five innings allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out nine.

Minnesota Twins honor Jackie Robinson

In Minnesota, Twins starter Francisco Liriano dominated the visiting Boston Red Sox with seven shutout innings. He allowed just four hits and struck out 8. The Twins offense battered Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield through five innings (he allowed 10 hits and five earned runs).

Ben Sheets, an expensive signee this offseason for the Oakland A’s, won his first game since 2008 as he dominated the now 1-9 visiting Baltimore Orioles. Sheets went six shutout innings and allowed five hits. He walked three and struck out four. The A’s improved to 7-4 on the season.

Chris Iannetta's walk-off homerun

There were two more extra inning games on Wednesday. At Coors Field in Denver, the NY Mets scored an unearned run in the ninth inning off of Rockies closer Franklin Morales (his first blown save as a closer) to tie the game and send it into extra innings. However in the bottom of the tenth, Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta (who contributed to the Mets unearned run in the ninth) led off the inning with a walk-off solo homerun off of Mets rookie reliever Jenrry Mejia.

The other was in Los Angeles, as the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks battled back and forth for nearly five hours with the Dodgers scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth off of Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls to send the game into extra innings. In the top of the 11^th, the Diamondbacks scored two runs off of Dodgers reliever Ramon Ortiz to win the game 9-7. Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young delivered an RBI single to left field and infielder Augie Ojeda contributed a sacrifice fly in the 11^th. The Diamondbacks overcame a 19-hit attack from the Dodgers.

One day after almost being no-hit by Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero, the Chicago White Sox jumped all over starter Brandon Morrow, which was capped by two four-run innings (the fifth and sixth). Andruw Jones and Carlos Quentin both homered off of Morrow, with Quentin hitting a grand slam. White Sox starter John Danks was dominant, while allowing just two hits and a run in seven innings.

Astros starter Brett Myers

In St. Louis, the Cardinals and the visiting Houston Astros were battling in a classic pitchers’ duel with the Cardinals Brad Penny facing off against new Astros hurler Brett Myers. After unearned runs scoring in the first inning to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead, the score remained the same. Both starters went seven innings with Penny allowing just three hits while striking out four and Myers allowing four hits while striking out seven. However the Astros could not capitalize on chances, like with the bases loaded in the eighth. The Astros dropped to 0-8 on the season.

In Florida, Marlins third baseman Jorge Cantu set a Major League record by collecting at least one hit and an RBI in each of the Marlins first eight games. He hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning off of Reds starter Homer Bailey. The Marlins held onto the win 5-3 over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

In Baltimore, Tampa Bay Rays left-hander David Price dominated the Orioles through seven innings. Price allowed a run (a homerun by Miguel Tejada) on four hits while striking out seven. Orioles starter Brad Bergesen struggled into the fourth inning, allowing eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. Carlos Pena continued his hot-hitting against the O’s as he connected on another three-run homerun in the first inning in helping the Rays improve to 6-3. The O’s dropped to 1-8 on the season and put closer Mike Gonzalez on the DL prior to the game. On the bright side for the O’s, converted reliever Jason Berken threw five innings while allowing just one run (he struck out five).

Joey Votto's RBI single

The Cincinnati Reds and Florida Marlins went into extra innings for the second straight night and the Reds won it again. The game went back and forth all night with the Reds scoring two in the top of the eighth and the Marlins countering with three in the bottom half to tie the score. The game went to the 11^th where Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips hit back-to-back RBI singles with two outs. Francisco Cordero worked a perfect 11^th to earn the save and win it for reliever Micah Owings who worked two scoreless innings. The Reds have won five of their last six and all five wins have come in their final at-bat. Jorge Cantu of the Marlins became the first player since 1921 to have a hit and RBI in his first 8 games.

Tampa Bay and Baltimore also went into extra innings. After the Rays were dominated for seven innings by rookie left-hander Brian Matusz, they finally got to him and the O’s bullpen in the eighth, scoring five runs. The resilient Orioles scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up. It stayed tied until the tenth when Rays slugger Carlos Pena blasted a three-run homerun off of Matt Albers to take an 8-5 lead. The O’s did score a run off of Rays closer Rafael Soriano (a solo homerun by Ty Wiggington) but could do no more damage. The hopeful Orioles dropped to 1-7 on the season and attendance is dropping quickly (they had just a little over 13,000 for Tuesday night and just 9,000 on Monday).

Resilient is the best way to describe the 2010 Detroit Tigers (at least early on). On Sunday, ace Justin Verlander was battered by the Cleveland Indians, but the Tigers stormed back to win the game in their final at-bat. On Tuesday, it was more of the same but this time the KC Royals did the battering to Dontrelle Willis. The Royals held a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers scored six runs in the inning, finally chased starter Brian Bannister (who gave up just three singles through six innings), and again ripped the Royals bullpen (just as they did during the first series of the season as it took three relievers to get out of the inning). It was the Tigers fifth comeback of the season.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox had the best defensive play on Opening Day (most likely one of the best of the season). On Tuesday night in San Francisco, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Maholm made a play to rival Buehrle’s. On a ball hit by the Giants’ Aubrey Huff, Maholm dove to stop the ball as it was rolling by him, rolled over, and flipped the ball over his head (from inside his glove) to first base for the out. Check out this site to see the play in real time (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7432519). The Pirates also held on in a nail-biter, 6-5.

Ricky Romero

In Toronto, the Blue Jays had another no-hitter watch, this time from second year left-hander Ricky Romero (they also had one from Double-A New Hampshire prospect Luis Perez at the same time and last week Shaun Marcum had one). Romero went into the 8^th inning while no-hitting the White Sox, but he hit AJ Pierzynski and former Blue Jay Alex Rios sent a 2-1 changeup into the left field seats for a two-run homerun. Romero finished the inning with three straight ground outs and he struck out 12 on the night as the Blue Jays won 4-2. “We were just in awe,” Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells told reporters after the game. “It was one of the most dominant performances I’ve seen as a Blue Jay. It was fun to be a part of.”

NY Yankees ring

The NY Yankees began the second season at new Yankee Stadium with the ultimate pre-game festivities: the unveiling of the World Series champion’s banner and the ring ceremony. Yankee greats Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford were on hand to present the Yankees with their World Series champion rings. Former Yankee Bernie Williams threw out the first pitch. The Yankees received stellar starting pitching from veteran Andy Pettitte (6 innings of shutout baseball), though the LA Angels came back against reliever Dave Robertson to make the game close (the Yankees won 7-5).

Unveiling of the Kirby Puckett statue

Monday was another day full of home openers. In Minnesota, Kirby Puckett Jr. was the first fan admitted inside Target Field for the official opening of the ballpark Monday afternoon. He and his mother unveiled the Kirby Puckett statue on Target Plaza just outside one of the gates prior to entering the ballpark. He also represented the family for on-field festivities with Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, and Kent Hrbek. Marco Scutaro of the Boston Red Sox had the first official hit at Target Field off of Twins starter Carl Pavano. However, Twins leadoff hitter Denard Span scored the first run. Jason Kubel hit the first homerun and Joe Mauer collected three hits for the Twins. The Twins beat the Red Sox 5-2 as Jon Rauch collected his fifth save.

In Chicago, the Cubs opened Wrigley Field (which had $10 million done in renovations). Many of the renovations were the new player’s lounge and maybe that helped. The Cubs blasted three homeruns (a three-run blast from Xavier Nady and two-run blasts from Jeff Baker and Aramis Ramirez) to win the opener 9-5 over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel once again raised the championship flag in the center field stands. The Phillies players also filed in from the stands onto the field just like last year and were led by Jamie Moyer and Roy Halladay. Phillies starter Cole Hamels struggled into the sixth (he allowed a two-run double to opposing pitcher Jason Marquis) but was helped out by the Phillies offense. The Phillies had a five-run 5^th inning that chased the Nationals’ Marquis, which was capped by a Chase Utley two-run homerun. The Phillies bullpen came up strong going 3.1 scoreless innings.

The Clydesdales at Busch Stadium

The St. Louis Cardinals opened up Busch Stadium with the usual Clydesdales taking part in the pre-game festivities. Albert Pujols quickly brought the fireworks against the winless Houston Astros. Pujols had an RBI single in the first and blasted a curveball into the left field seats for a three-run homerun in the third. Pujols’ performance backed the dominance of starter Adam Wainwright, who went eight shutout innings while allowing six hits and he struck out seven.

In Seattle, the Mariners had the Big Unit (Randy Johnson) throw out the first pitch before their home opener against the Oakland A’s. However the Mariners were dominated by A’s starter Justin Duchscherer, who won his first game since 2008. The Mariners mustered just two hits in the game to lose 4-0.

In San Diego, the worst offensive team in baseball (the Padres) took out its week’s worth of struggles on Jair Jurrjens and Jo-Jo Reyes of the Atlanta Braves. The Padres scored 17 runs (10 in the fourth) on 19 hits to back San Diego native Kevin Correia.

In Toronto, Blue Jays starter Brian Tallet expected the home crowd to be electric due to the Blue Jays record coming into their home opener (5-1). However the hometown fans saw the visiting Chicago White Sox tie the game in the ninth inning on a Mark Teahen homerun off of Jason Frasor (who blew his second save) and win it in the top of the 11^th on Teahen’s RBI triple.

In Florida (where the fans did not come out for their home opener with just a little over 10,000), the Cincinnati Reds won the game in the top of the 10^th on an RBI single from third baseman Scott Rolen, who also belted two homeruns in the game. The Marlins had their chance in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded off of Reds reliever Nick Masset but Cody Ross grounded out and sent the game into extra innings.

Stephen Strasburg's debut

Strasburg made his professional debut at Altoona for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. The Curve staff fielded close to 70 credential requests from nearly 30 different media outlets. It was a circus with the media and a circus with fans and autograph seekers trying to get a glimpse of the future star. He was to throw 85-90 pitches, which is standard operating procedure for all pitchers in the Nationals system. “We’ll keep an eye on him, but I’m not going to show him any favoritism,” Harrisburg manager Randy Knorr said. “If he trips off the mound, I’m not going to run out there to see if he’s OK. I don’t think that’s what he wants. He doesn’t want the attention. He just wants to be a normal guy. If that’s what he wants, I agree with him, and I’m going to treat him accordingly.”

Strasburg went five innings, allowing four runs (though only one was earned). In the Curve’s three run fourth inning, Strasburg did not back up home plate very well on a play at the plate. On a throw home that got away from the catcher, a runner scored all the way from first base (so there are a few things he needs to work on). He struck out eight, walked two, and recorded the victory. Strasburg contributed an RBI double and scored a run. His first pitch was recorded at 99 mph (though one gun read 100 mph).

Harrisburg is trying to blend Strasburg in. The Nationals just want him to settle into becoming a professional baseball player. They have no idea what his timetable will be but really it depends on how well he pitches while with the Senators.

Cuban signee Aroldis Chapman made his US debut. He was set to throw 75-85 pitches for Triple-A Louisville against the Detroit Tigers Triple-A affiliate Toledo. He went 4.2 innings allowing just an unearned run. He allowed five hits, four of which did not leave the infield. 55 of Chapman’s 85 pitches went for strikes. Chapman was regularly in the upper 90s and hit 100+ mph a few times. He struck out nine and walked one.

Mike Leake's debut

Leake made his professional debut as he became the 21^st player to make his big league debut without playing in the minors. It did not start out well for Leake. He walked the leadoff hitter Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome followed with a double. After a four pitch walk to Derek Lee, pitching coach Bryan Price came out for a meeting at the mound. Leake then proceeded to get Ramirez to pop up, he struck out Marlon Byrd, and Alfonso Soriano popped up the first pitch to end the first inning threat. In the second, it took just seven pitched for Leake to retire the side in order.

In the third, he got into another jam, this one with two on and no one out. He escaped by striking out Lee and Ramirez and ended the inning by getting Byrd to ground out. He did give up a run in the fifth and ran out of gas in the seventh as he walked two after getting two outs before manager Dusty Baker finally came to get him.

All in all, Leake threw 106 pitches in 6.2 innings while allowing one run on four hits. He struck out five, though he walked 7 (he did not get any close calls from the home plate umpire). Besides his solid pitching performance, he went 2-for-2 at the plate (he was a two-way player at ASU) to register his first Major League hit in his first at-bat.

Sabathia exists the game after giving up his first hit

On Saturday afternoon, NY Yankees ace CC Sabathia made quick work of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. He got within four outs of a no-hitter. In the seventh with two outs catcher Kelly Shoppach (and a former teammate of Sabathia’s with Cleveland) ripped a single to left field on the very first pitch to break up the no-hitter. Sabathia threw 111 pitches and was helped out by great defense in the infield by Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano. The Yankees spanked the Rays 10-0.

Gaby Sanchez of the Florida Marlins hit his first big league homerun, a three-run shot, off of LA Dodger Vicente Padilla. In the bottom of the ninth and the Marlins down 6-4 (after the Dodgers came back against the Marlins bullpen to take the lead), pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino delivered a two-run double off of Dodgers reliever George Sherrill to tie the game. Hanley Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases to face Jorge Cantu. Cantu launched a fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly to score Chris Coghlin for the game winner (the Marlins won 7-6).

Zach Duke of the Pittsburgh Pirates seems to have rediscovered his dominance of a few years back. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks he got 14 ground ball outs to go with his two strikeouts in his seven solid innings of work. Duke allowed just four hits and two runs, which scored on Mark Reynolds’ two-run homerun in the seventh inning. The Pirates bullpen held on for the 6-3 win.

Matsui tips hat to the fans after gw hit

New LA Angels ace Jered Weaver dominated in his second start against the hot-hitting Oakland A’s. Weaver went six innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven (to just one walk). However the A’s were happy to see Weaver exit the game as they scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the ninth, the A’s elected to intentionally walk Torii Hunter after Bobby Abreu doubled. That brought up Hideki Matsui, who ripped a 2-0 fastball down the right field line to win the game 4-3, which broke the Angels four game losing streak.

The Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres battled into the 14^th inning with Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez coming through with an RBI double for the game winner. The Rockies could not muster any offense against the Padres bullpen and had just two hits after the sixth inning. Tim Stauffer of the Padres went three shutout innings out of the pen while allowing just one hit while striking out three.

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to put runs on the board and rack up hits. They have 10 or more hits in each of their first five games (they are 4-1). Last night, veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer was cruising along until a five run third inning gave the Houston Astros the lead (their first lead of the year). The Astros, who were the only team in baseball without a homerun, hit two on Saturday night in that third inning (both Jason Michaels and Hunter Pence homered). Unfortunately for the Astros, their bullpen could not hold the lead. Brandon Lyon, who was signed to bolster the pen, gave up four hits and three runs in the seventh inning to take the loss (two of the runs came on a Ryan Howard homerun). In the ninth, Astros closer Matt Lindstrom gave up a two-run homerun to Shane Victorino. Despite the Astros hitting homeruns and scoring a run in the ninth against Phillies closer Ryan Madson, they lost 9-6 and have lost all five games to open the season at home at Minute Maid Park.

In San Francisco, the Atlanta Braves halted the Giants four game winning streak with a 7-2 win. Braves starter Derek Lowe did not have his best stuff but gutted it out. He walked seven but gave up just one run and four hits. Offensively the Braves were led by rookie Jason Heyward, who snapped an 0-for-11 skid to go 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored, and the league’s leading hitter in second baseman Martin Prado (he is batting .600) as he went 2-for-4.

The SF Giants opened up AT&T Park against the Atlanta Braves in a game that was dominated by the Braves Tim Hudson. Hudson went seven innings while allowing two runs on just three hits. However in the bottom of the ninth against Braves closer Billy Wagner, Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria continued his hot-hitting by blasting a two-run homerun to tie the game at 4-4. In the 13^th inning, Braves manager Bobby Cox was ejected for the 154^th time for arguing a checked swing called third strike from the dugout. Juan Uribe stole second base and Braves catcher Brian McCann’s throw sailed into centerfield (with Uribe moving up to third base). The umpires could have called interference on the batter as Aaron Rowand’s back swing caught McCann as he was throwing the ball. With two outs, Rowand hit a ball into the hole at shortstop but Yunel Escobar could not throw him out, thus driving in the game-winning run from third base. The Giants won the game 5-4 in 13 innings to improve to 4-0.

Mike Gonzalez hands off the ball after another blown save

The Orioles opened up Camden Yards against the Toronto Blue Jays with second year pitcher Brad Bergesen making the start. However both he and Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow struggled. Miguel Tejada returned to Baltimore to blast a two-run homerun in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5 (Tejada had three hits and four RBIs). After the Orioles took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, manager Dave Trembley went to new closer Mike Gonzalez to earn the save. Unfortunately the record breaking home opening crowd of O’s fans did not like what they saw out of Gonzalez. His struggles continue this season as he went just 2/3 of an inning while allowing two runs. He left to a loud array of boos from the fans that had high hopes for the 2010 team. The O’s lost yet another game by one run and another blown lead to drop to 1-3 (they lost the game 7-6).

The Colorado Rockies opened Coors Field against the San Diego Padres, who continued their poor-hitting (which is worst in the Majors). Jorge De La Rosa of the Rockies gave up just one hit in seven innings while striking out nine. The Rockies won 7-0 with everyone other than De La Rosa in the lineup collecting a hit (with the 4-6 hitters combining to go 6-for-11).

Then there were the late inning heroics. In Chicago, Minnesota’s JJ Hardy grounded a ball past the diving Alexei Ramirez at shortstop for an RBI single in the top of the eleventh to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Closer Jon Rauch came on in the bottom of the inning and retired the White Sox, despite giving up two singles, to record his third save. The White Sox lost their second straight 11 inning game.

In Milwaukee, St. Louis Cardinals pinch-hitter Nick Stavinoha hit a two out 1-2 changeup from All-Time saves leader Trevor Hoffman into the left field bleachers to give the Cardinals a 5-4 win. It was Stavinoha’s first at-bat of the season. It was a tough loss for the Brewers, who kept the Cardinals in check with starter Dave Bush who gave up just four hits in 5.2 innings while striking out six (though he gave up three runs).

Drew Stubbs hits a grand slam

The Cincinnati Reds won in dramatic fashion for the second straight day. This time the hero was Drew Stubbs and the victim was the Chicago Cubs. Stubbs hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth off of Cubs reliever Esmailin Caridad to give the Reds a 5-4 win. The centerfielder hit his first Major League grand slam 421 feet into the Reds’ bullpen in centerfield.

The Kansas City Royals came back to defeat the Boston Red Sox once knuckleballer Tim Wakefield left the game after seven innings. Against reliever Daniel Bard with two men on base, centerfielder Rick Ankiel deposited a broken bat double into left field to drive in the two runners. Ankiel collected a career high four hits in the Royals 4-3 win.

Tyler Colvin rounds third after hitting first homerun

It took the third game of the season for the Chicago Cubs to record their first victory, a 2-0 win at Atlanta. The Cubs have struggled so far to put everything together. The Cubs had solo homeruns from Marlon Byrd and rookie Tyler Colvin (his first Major League homer), though they only had four hits in the game. They got dominant pitching from Randy Wells in a matchup of two of last year’s best rookie pitchers (Tommy Hanson pitched for the Braves). Wells went six innings allowing six hits.

In Tampa, it was a scary moment for the Rays as starter Jeff Niemann was hit in the shoulder with a ball off the bat of Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada in the second inning of a game he seemed to be cruising through. He is day-to-day with a shoulder contusion. The Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth down 5-4 against O’s closer Mike Gonzalez, but Ben Zobrist flied out to right to end the game. The O’s avoided the three-game sweep to win their first game.

The Cleveland Indians won their second straight game by the score of 5-3 over the Chicago White Sox. This one took 11 innings to finish through the cold (the game began at 38 degrees) and a hail storm (in which the game was not delayed). With the game tied at 3-3, the Indians got to reliever JJ Putz. Second baseman Luis Valbuena led off with a bunt single but with two outs he was only standing on second base. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera then blooped an RBI single to right field and Grady Sizemore (who went 3-for-6) drove an RBI double to right to give closer Chris Perez some insurance. Sizemore has five RBIs in his last two games and Perez has saved the Indians two wins.

Jonny Gomes hits a walk-off homerun

In Cincinnati, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Reds received stellar starting pitching from Brad Penny and Bronson Arroyo (who pitched through pain as he took a line drive off his calf from Colby Rasmus). The game headed to the bottom of the ninth tied at 1-1 until the Reds Jonny Gomes deposited a one-out fastball from Jason Motte into the seats to give the Reds their first win and send the fans home happy.

The Detroit Tigers again battered the KC Royals bullpen scoring three runs a piece in the eighth and ninth innings to give the Tigers a 7-3 win. After the Tigers Dontrelle Willis and the Royals Brian Bannister were involved in a pitcher’s duel and with the Royals leading 2-1 when both pitchers left after the sixth inning, the Tigers scored the tying run off of Royals reliever Dusty Hughes. They then scored five runs off of Luis Mendoza, capped by a three-run homerun from Miguel Cabrera.

Jason Heyward's 1st homerun

The talk of the spring has been about rookie sensation Jason Heyward. The 20 year old is wise above his years and everyone who meets him and his teammates comment on his maturity.

Heyward was Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2009 and the Atlanta Braves were going to give him every opportunity in spring training to win the starting right fielder’s job. Many called Heyward the best player in Florida this spring. At Champions Stadium, home of the Braves spring games, there was talk of putting up nets at the outfield walls to keep Heyward’s homeruns from breaking anymore windshields beyond the walls.

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones played with centerfielder Andruw Jones when he first made his debut. Chipper thought that he would never see a talent of Andruw’s caliber again. Until now. Chipper has repeatedly said that Heyward is the best 20 year old he has ever seen, even better than Andruw. He believes that Heyward is more well-rounded than Andruw was when he made his debut. Manager Bobby Cox is constantly praising Heyward for his skills, his hustle, his maturity, and his personality.

Hall of Famer Hank Aaron is also excited about Heyward. “He can certainly bring the excitement back, not only for Atlanta but also for African-American players,” Aaron told the Associated Press.

Baseball analyst Peter Gammons commented that Heyward is “one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met”. Every analyst that has talked to Heyward says that he talked like a mature 30 year old, not a 20 year old.

Heyward is the preseason candidate for Rookie of the Year and as the Braves starting right fielder, he will get plenty of opportunities to succeed. On Opening Day, Heyward was on hand to catch Hall of Famer Hank Aaron’s ceremonial first pitch. It was like the passing of the torch from legend to prospect. Not bad to catch one of the best players in the game’s pitch on your first day in the big leagues. Aaron offered him some advice. “He said, ‘Have fun,’ and told me I’m ready to do this,” said Heyward. “He said, ‘Go out there and enjoy it.’”

In his first Major League at-bat on Opening Day, he blasted a three-run homerun off of Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano. “It was a nice little line drive that he crushed, and that’s the kind of hitter that he is,” Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton said of Heyward’s drive that went an estimated 414 feet. “He’s a line-drive hitter. He just hit a line drive a long way.” Heyward is the second youngest player to hit a homerun in his first at-bat since 1950. He also delivered an RBI single in the game.

In his second game, he doubled and delivered a two-out RBI. He did however pick up his first two Major League strikeouts against the Cubs Ryan Dempster and Sean Marshall. Heyward got off to a fast start and do not expect for him to hit a homeruns every at-bat, but expect him to continue to have a great season.

Rays walk-off win

Baltimore Orioles fans have been looking forward to the 2010 season because of the hopes that management put into them. They have good young talent in the pitching staff, the outfield, and behind home plate. The Orioles added veterans at the corner infield spots, to anchor the starting rotation, and a closer. Opening Night for the Orioles came a day later than everyone else in Tampa. Kevin Millwood, the veteran signed to anchor the rotation and who struggled throughout spring training, allowed just two runs in his five innings of work. He left with a 3-2 lead courtesy of three Orioles homeruns (Adam Jones, Luke Scott, and Matt Wieters). However the veteran brought in to close out games, Mike Gonzalez, gave up a walk-off two-run single to the Rays Carl Crawford to lose the game 4-3. Prior to Crawford’s game-winning hit, Gonzalez gave up a hit to Sean Rodriguez and a double to pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach before intentionally walking Jason Bartlett to lead to the heroics. Gonzalez said he was “disgusted” by his outing, but complimented the Rays by saying, “They grinded.”

The NY Yankees, despite a subpar performance from AJ Burnett, held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 in Game Two of their opening series. Reliever Alfredo Aceves picked up where he left off in 2009 (he won 10 games out of the bullpen) and picked up his first win of the 2010 season.

Angels fans wearing snuggies

In LA, the Angels set the Guinness Book of World Records of most people wearing a fleece (or snuggie as they are now called) for five minutes. The Angels gave out Hideki Matsui snuggies to all fans and even TV and radio guys like the Angels’ Victor Rojas and the Minnesota Twins’ Bert Blyleven were wearing them. However the Angels could not convert the fans’ energy into a win. Starter Joe Saunders gave up homeruns to Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and JJ Hardy. Newly named Twins closer Jon Rauch worked a 1-2-3 ninth to record his first save. He struck out two while throwing 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes.

In Oakland, A’s second baseman Mark Ellis delivered a walk-off two out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning off of Seattle Mariners rookie reliever Kanekoa Texeira, who was making his Major League debut. The A’s won the game 2-1 as Dallas Braden provided a solid starting pitching performance. He went seven innings of four hit baseball. He also struck out ten, using a great changeup. The A’s bullpen also pitched solid with new reliever Edwar Ramirez earning the win with a perfect tenth inning. For the Mariners, Ian Snell gave up just one run (a homerun by catcher Kurt Suzuki) on three hits through six innings.

In Houston, the SF Giants pitching continued its dominance over the Astros hitters. In the first game, it was Tim Lincecum. Last night it was Barry Zito (and the bullpen). Zito pitched six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and he struck out five. The Giants offense put up three runs in the sixth inning off of Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez to win 3-0. Closer Brian Wilson picked up his second save in as many chances, while throwing just 13 pitches.

Albert Pujols

The reigning National League MVP Albert Pujols started where he left off from last year. In the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 win over host Cincinnati, Pujols collected four hits (two singles and two homeruns).

The reigning NL Champs continued their dominance over the Washington Nationals and continue to score runs in bunches. The Philadelphia Phillies scored five runs in the fourth, two runs in the sixth, and four runs in the seventh. The opener for the Nationals drew more Phillies fans than Nats fans. The Nationals were dominated by newly acquired ace Roy Halladay. Though he struggled in the first inning (allowing a run on two hits), he settled in to pitch six more shutout innings while allowing just four more hits. Halladay also struck out nine. The Phillies dominated, winning 11-1.

The LA Dodgers traveled to PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates probably had their biggest crowd of the entire season. The Pirates hitters rudely greeted Dodgers pitching. Garrett Jones, coming into his sophomore season, clubbed two homeruns (one of which touched down in the river beyond the ballpark) off of Dodgers ace Vicente Padilla. The Pirates won 11-5.

There were two grand slams hit on Opening Day. One was hit by the Phillies Placido Polanco and the other was hit by Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

The NY Mets, who were not expected to have a strong offense without Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Daniel Murphy, poured on runs against Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson and the rest of the Marlins bullpen. The Mets won the game 7-1, led by a two-run homerun from David Wright and great pitching from ace Johan Santana.

Jason Heyward

There was a welcome to the big leagues moment for the top rookie heading into the 2010 season. The Atlanta Braves Jason Heyward hit a mammoth three-run homerun in his first Major League at-bat. He hit a low breaking ball into the right field seats. When a rookie hits his first homerun, the players usually greet him with the silent treatment and completely ignore that player when he returns to the dugout. Not with Heyward. The Braves were going as nuts as the packed house of fans. Who was the first Brave to greet him with open arms outside the dugout? Chipper Jones. The fans even greeted Heyward with a curtain call. Not bad for your first game. He also contributed an RBI single to give him four RBIs in the Braves 16-5 thrashing of the Chicago Cubs. Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano lasted just 1.1 innings while allowing 8 runs.

The other welcome to the big leagues moment came for Detroit Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson. He saw 19 of the Royals Zack Greinke’s 96 pitches. He came alive once Greinke left to drive in a run off reliever Robinson Tejeda and scored the go-ahead run in the Tigers 8-4 win. Jackson also threw a runner out at the plate. So in his first Major League game, he totaled his first hit, RBI, run scored, and assist.

Despite some high scoring games, there was some really good pitching. Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays made the Opening Day start, his first start since 2008. Marcum went into the seventh inning without giving up a hit or walk to the powerful Texas Rangers lineup. With one out in the seventh, he walked Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero collected the first hit (a single to right field). Nelson Cruz then followed with a three-run homerun to tie the score. The Blue Jays did come back to take the lead, but newly named closer Jason Frasor gave up a game-tying RBI double to Cruz and a walk-off RBI single to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, giving the Rangers a 5-4 win.

Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle pitched another outstanding game for the White Sox, as he blanked the Cleveland Indians 6-0.  Buehrle went seven innings while allowing just three hits. Plus he made the best defensive play of the day, and possibly one of the best of the season: a between the legs scoop throw to first to get Indians catcher Lou Marson out (after he kicked saved it from going up the middle for a hit).

Dan Haren

Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks dominated against the San Diego Padres, going seven innings while allowing just one run on three hits and he struck out four (he threw just 92 pitches and 63 were for strikes). On offense, third baseman Mark Reynolds clubbed a two-run homerun and shortstop Stephen Drew hit a two-run inside-the-park homerun.

The reigning American League CY Young award winner also pitched well but ended the game with the same results as in 2009. An error behind the KC Royals Zack Greinke led to the Detroit Tigers first run, though Greinke left the game after six innings with a 4-2 lead. Greinke outpitched fellow ace Justin Verlander. However after the seventh inning (and three Royals relievers later) the Tigers led 8-4 as they batted around in the seventh.

The reigning NL CY Young award winner was back at it on Opening Day. Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants dominated the Houston Astros. In his seven innings of work, he was only in trouble in the sixth inning when the Astros put two men on (though they did not score). Lincecum threw 98 pitches in his shutout innings while striking out seven and he did not walk a batter.