Los Angeles Angels catcher Chris Iannetta
(right) celebrates after Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce struck out looking Monday in the 13th inning at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Iannetta drove in all three runs in the Angels’ 3-1 victory.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 3, PIRATES 1
PITTSBURGH — A.J. Burnett was idly patting the rosin bag against his right hip when he suddenly found himself in the middle of a dust cloud. The bag had somehow exploded in his hand, covering the Pittsburgh Pirates ace and leaving him shaking his head.
It’s the first time Burnett (Central Arkansas Christian) can ever remember it happening in his lengthy career. Unfortunately, the numbers he saw on the scoreboard were all too familiar.
Pittsburgh’s offense struggled against Chicago’s Jeff Samardzija and the first opening day start in Burnett’s 15 seasons in the majors ended with a 3-1 loss on Monday. Burnett struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings but also gave up a long two-run home run to Anthony Rizzo in the first inning.
“The pitch to Rizzo and the rosin bag, that was my day,” Burnett said.
The Pirates continued a troubling trend that began during their late collapse last fall, when they failed to score in any of Burnett’s final three starts at PNC Park. It was more of the same on the first day of the 2013 season. Pittsburgh managed just two hits off Samardzija then saw a ninth-inning rally fall short when Russell Martin popped out with two runners on against Chicago reliever Kyuji Fujikawa.
“I was thinking about making something special happen,” said Martin, who was making his Pittsburgh debut after coming over in the offseason from the New York Yankees. “I just didn’t get it done.”
Burnett called it an honor to get the call in the opener, but the veteran showed some nerves early. Castro singled with one out and Rizzo followed with a towering two-run shot to center field that landed on the concourse behind the seats for one of the longest home runs in the park’s 13-year history. The ball left the park so fast even center fielder Andrew McCutchen trotted only couple of steps before stopping.
NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 0 Bryce Harper homered in his first two at-bats, Stephen Strasburg retired 19 batters in a row, and defending NL East champion Washington beat visiting Miami.
DODGERS 4, GIANTS 0 Clayton Kershaw launched his first career home run to break a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, then finished off a four-hitter that led host Los Angeles past San Francisco. Kershaw became the first pitcher to throw a shutout and hit a home run in an opener since Bob Lemon for Cleveland in 1953, STATS said.
METS 11, PADRES 2 Jonathon Niese stepped in for injured Johan Santana as the No. 1 starter, and Collin Cowgill capped a successful New York debut with a grand slam in a rout of visiting San Diego.
BREWERS 5, ROCKIES 4 Jonathan Lucroy hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give host Milwaukee a victory over Colorado, ruining the first game for new Rockies Manager Walt Weiss.
BRAVES 7, PHILLIES 5 Freddie Freeman drove in three runs with three hits, including the first of three Atlanta home runs, and the host Braves beat Cole Hamels and Philadelphia.
INTERLEAGUE
ANGELS 3, REDS 1 Chris Iannetta hit a home
run early in the game and a bases-loaded single in the 13th inning, leadi Los Angeles past host Cincinnati in the majors’ first interleague season opener.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
TIGERS 4, TWINS 2 Justin Verlander won on opening day for the first time in six tries, pitching five shutout innings at frosty Target Field for defending American League champion Detroit. Verlander (1-0) had been 0-1 in his previous five openers. Phil Coke got the last two outs for the save.
RED SOX 8, YANKEES 2 Jon Lester and visting Boston got off to a quick start after a dreadful 2012 season, giving new Manager John Farrell an opening day victory over New York. Newcomer Shane Victorino led a revamped Red Sox lineup with three RBI and rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. walked three times and scored twice in his big league debut. Boston’s big day against CC Sabathia (0-1) came a year after it lost its first three games under Bobby Valentine and went on to a 69-93 finish.
WHITE SOX 1, ROYALS 0 Chris Sale outpitched James Shields, Tyler Flowers homered and host Chicago beat Kansas City. Sale allowed seven hits and struck out seven in 72/ 3 innings. Addison Reed worked the ninth for the save.