Braves knock off Padres on opening night at new stadium
ATLANTA >> Ender Inciarte hit the first home run in baseball’s newest stadium, local product Nick Markakis drove in the first two runs and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 Friday night in the regular-season debut for SunTrust Park.
Before a sellout crowd of 41,149 that included former President Jimmy Carter, Commissioner Rob Manfred and one-time home run king Hank Aaron, the Braves won their second straight game after a 1-6 start.
Julio Teheran (1-0) was a bit wild but lasted six innings. He gave up both San Diego runs, working around four walks and two hit batters. Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his second save.
Markakis, who grew up in nearby Woodstock, put the Braves ahead in the first with a two-run double off Jhoulys Chacin (1-2). Inciarte gave Atlanta some breathing room in the sixth with a two-run shot into the right-field seats, his third homer of the season.
There was plenty of pomp before the game as the Braves moved into the suburban stadium, which replaced their downtown home of the last two decades, Turner Field.
Ten retired numbers were unveiled on a facade down the left-field line, and seven of the greats — Aaron, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Phil Niekro, Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones and Dale Murphy — were on hand for the ceremony.
Then it was time for the 83-year-old Aaron to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, reprising the role he filled for the first and last game at Turner Field. Needing a cane for his walk to the field, Aaron steadied himself with one hand before flipping the ball underhanded to Cox. YANKEES 4, CARDINALS 3 >> Masahiro Tanaka pitched into the seventh inning, Aroldis Chapman escaped his own jam for his third save in three days and the Yankees earned their fifth straight win.
Chapman allowed a two-out walk to Randal Grichuk and a double to pinch-hitter Jose Martinez before Dexter Fowler — the closer’s teammate on the World Series champion Cubs last year — grounded out to second. ORIOLES 6, BLUE JAYS 4 >> Home plate umpire Dale Scott was hit in the face mask by a foul tip from Baltimore slugger Mark Trumbo, casting a shadow over the Orioles’ victory.
Scott recoiled after the ball struck the bottom of his mask and staggered backward before going down on one knee in the eighth inning. Once his neck was immobilized on a spinal board, Scott was lifted onto a cart and driven off the field. The game resumed with second base umpire Brian Knight working behind home plate.
Toronto has dropped seven in its franchise-worst start. RAYS 10, RED SOX 5 >> Logan Morrison hit a grand slam for Tampa Bay and Shane Peterson homered in his first big league at-bat since 2015, two of the career-high four homers allowed by Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello.
Brad Miller and Steven Souza Jr. also homered for the Rays, who were coming off losing three straight at Yankee Stadium. MARLINS 3, METS 2 >> J.T. Realmuto hit a game-ending RBI double with two out in the ninth inning, and the Marlins snapped the Mets’ five-game win streak. BREWERS 10, REDS 4 >> Eric Thames homered for the second straight night and drove in three runs, helping Milwaukee to its fourth straight victory.
Thames’ third home run of the season capped Milwaukee’s four-run sixth inning against a Cincinnati bullpen that went into the game with a National League-best 1.13 ERA. PIRATES 4, CUBS 2 >> David Freese and Francisco Cervelli each drove in two runs, and the Pirates stopped a four-game skid.
Pittsburgh right-hander Gerrit allowed two runs in six innings, out five. a row, extending Cole (11) striking