Flaherty sparkles as Cards hang on

CARDINALS 5, PIRATES 4

ST. LOUIS — Jack Flaherty pitched seven solid innings, Paul DeJong hit a two-run home run and the St. Louis Cardinals opened the season by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 on Friday night.

Tyler O’Neill and Dexter Fowler added home runs for St. Louis in the first game of an unprecedented 60-game season shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Flaherty, who went 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA over his final 15 regular season starts last year, did not give up a run until Jacob Stallings hit two-out, two-run single just under the glove of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in the seventh.

“Jack is Jack — he’s a bulldog,” O’Neill said. “He’s going to give us his best effort.”

St. Louis, which won the National League Central with a 91-71 mark last year, built up a 3-0 cushion on home runs by O’Neill in the third and Fowler in the fifth.

Yadier Molina added a run-scoring hit in the sixth.

Pittsburgh pulled to within 3-2 before DeJong unloaded against Richard Rodriguez in the eighth.

Kwang Hyun Kim allowed two runs before retiring three successive hitters to get the

save in his major league debut. The 32-year-old Kim pitched 12 years in Korea before coming to the U.S. this season.

Flaherty struck out six and did not walk a batter.

“I saw a guy that was super-efficient,” St. Louis Manager Mike Shildt said. “He was in control of everything he was doing. In the seventh [inning], he was still making quality pitches.”

Pittsburgh starter Joe Musgrove allowed three runs and five hits over 52/3 innings. He fanned seven and walked three.

The Pirates, under first-year Manager Derek Shelton, fell to 7163 in season openers.

Goldschmidt and Kolten Wong added two hits each for the Cardinals.

CUBS 3, BREWERS 0 Kyle Hendricks convinced new Manager David Ross to let him finish a three-hitter, Anthony Rizzo homered and dished out hand sanitizer, and host Chicago started the season by beating Milwaukee. Ian Happ also had a two-run drive and Ross got his first victory as a big league manager. Hendricks struck out nine and walked none in his first career opening-day start and fourth career shutout. Orlando Arcia had each of Milwaukee’s hits off Hendricks (1-0). Ross came out to check on Hendricks with two out and a runner on first in the ninth. He decided to leave him in, and Keston Hiura bounced into a game-ending fielder’s choice on Hendricks’ 103rd pitch.

MARLINS 5, PHILLIES 2 Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run home run off Aaron Nola, Sandy Alcantara pitched neatly into the seventh and visiting Miami spoiled Manager Joe Girardi’s first game in Philadelphia. Alcantara (1-0) allowed 2 runs — 1 earned — and 3 hits, striking out 7 in 62/3 innings. Nola (0-1) gave up 4 runs and 5 hits, striking out 7 in 51/3 innings. The Phillies have lost his last eight starts since a 3-2 victory at Boston last Aug. 20.

METS 1, BRAVES 0 Yoenis Cespedes came back with a bang, taking immediate advantage of the new designated hitter rule in the National League by launching a home run that sent Jacob deGrom and host New York past Atlanta. After five dominant innings from deGrom, who was popping the catcher’s mitt with 99 mph fastballs from the start, Cespedes connected in the seventh off reliever Chris Martin (0-1) for his first long ball since his previous major league game on July 20, 2018. The slugger missed most of the past two seasons with a string of leg injuries, requiring surgery on both heels and then a broken ankle after a bad fall at his Florida ranch in a reported run-in with a wild boar. Seth Lugo (1-0) tossed two innings, pitching out of trouble in the seventh for New York.

PADRES 7 DIAMONDBACKS 2 Eric Hosmer hit three-run doubles in consecutive innings to ruin Madison Bumgarner’s Arizona debut. The six RBI tied Hosmer’s career high and backed 24-year-old right-hander Chris Paddack (1-0), who threw six scoreless innings. Hosmer doubled off Bumgarner in the sixth and Kevin Ginkel in the seventh, both with two outs.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BLUE JAYS 6, RAYS 4 Cavan Biggio hit a three-run home run and Toronto began its stillin-progress odyssey by topping Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla. Biggio’s infield single began a three-run fourth inning off 36-year-old Charlie Morton, who made his first career start on opening day. Randal Grichuk, Rowdy Tellez and Teoscar Hernandez drove in the runs. Biggio, son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, homered in the fifth for a 6-1 lead.

ASTROS 8, MARINERS 2 Dusty Baker posted a victory in his debut as Houston’s manager and the Astros, playing for the first time since their sign-stealing scandal rocked baseball, opened the season by beating visiting Seattle. Michael Brantley hit a three-run home run to back Justin Verlander. Rookie Kyle Lewis, who was one of 10 Mariners to make their first opening day roster, hit a home run to the train tracks atop left field to open the second inning.

INDIANS 2, ROYALS 0 Shane Bieber struck out 14 over six scoreless innings as the Indians, making a statement for minorities by wearing their road jerseys with “Cleveland” on the front, beat Kansas City. Bieber’s 14 strikeouts set a club record for Opening Day and are the most in the majors in an opener since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson also fanned 14 on March 31, 1996. Oscar Mercado and Cesar Hernandez drove in runs in the fifth for Cleveland.

RED SOX 13, ORIOLES 2 J.D. Martinez and Kevin Pillar each drove in three runs, and Boston rolled past Baltimore in Fenway Park. Jackie Bradley Jr., Jose Peraza, Martinez and Pillar each doubled as part of a four-run third inning. Boston kept it going in the fourth, sending 11 batters to the plate and adding six more runs. Nathan Eovaldi (1-0) gave up just one run and five hits, striking out four over six innings.

TWINS 10, WHITE SOX 5 Max Kepler homered against White Sox ace Lucas Giolito in his first two at-bats and visiting Minnesota beat Chicago. White Sox slugger Yoan Moncada had three hits, including a three-run shot off Jose Berrios in the second inning that tied the game at 5. Jorge Polanco answered with a two-run single in the fourth inning to put Minnesota ahead for good.

INTERLEAGUE

RANGERS 1, ROCKIES 0 Lance Lynn struck out nine in six sharp innings and Texas inaugurated its new retractable-roof stadium with a victory over Colorado.

REDS 7, TIGERS 1 Mike Moustakas drove in four runs in an emphatic first impression, teaming with fellow Reds newcomers Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos to turn the Reds’ long-delayed opener into a victory over Detroit.