Bumgarner’s blasts highlight MLB’s start
Leave it to Madison Bumgarner to get baseball off to a smashing start.
Before the World Series champion Chicago Cubs took the field Sunday night against their top rivals and after the New York Yankees lost their season opener for the sixth straight year, Bumgarner struck.
The San Francisco ace, known for his dominant pitching in October, gave a jolt to MLB’s opening day by hitting not one, but two home runs as the Giants beat the Diamondbacks 6-5 in Arizona.
New Diamondbacks closer Mark Melancon blew a save in the ninth inning.
That wasn’t exactly what Henry Sands came to see at Chase Field. After watching Arizona lose 93 times last season, the Diamondbacks fan was hoping this would be his team’s season. That makes him like just about every other baseball fan, at least for a few more days.
“It is the beginning of the year, it is baseball again. It is something I have to look forward to, it is home,” Sands said. “The Diamondbacks are tied for the top, then they work their way down. But first is the goal.”
That’s where the Cubs finished last November, winning a Game 7 thriller in Cleveland to capture their first World Series crown since 1908.
The Cubs opened Sunday night at St. Louis, and fans of the longtime rivals mixed and mingled outside Busch Stadium beforehand.
Ted Summers and Katie Moll, both from Manchester, Mo., walked hand in hand along the concourse. He wore a Cubs
shirt, hers featured St. Louis star Yadier Molina — earlier in the day, the Cardinals catcher added $60 million and three years to his contract.
They were still coming to grips with the Cubs wearing the crown.
“It was weird,” Moll said. “I don’t know how to explain it. It was just, hard to believe, I guess. Never going to happen again. It’ll take another 108 years.”
Said Summers: “I get that all the time.”
Other teams begin play today, but the season started with Tampa Bay beating the visiting Yankees 7-3. Corey Dickerson of the Rays singled for the first hit of the new season; teammate Evan Longoria launched the first home run.
With baseball searching for ways to speed up the action, the Yankees and Rays didn’t add much pace to any pace-of-play approach. Their game took 3 hours, 21 minutes.
Tom Giordano didn’t seem to mind. At 91, the former big leaguer enjoyed his 71st pro opening day, now working for the Atlanta Braves as a special assistant to the general manager.
“I see my old buddies again,” he said. “I just love what I’m doing.”
Roster set for Braves
ATLANTA — The Braves set their roster for opening day by recalling catcher Anthony Recker to fill out the bench and assigning right-handed pitcher David Hernandez to Class AAA Gwinnett on Sunday.
Atlanta opens today with a 1:10 p.m. game against the Mets in New York. Two-time All-Star right-hander Julio Teheran is set to start for the Braves opposite Mets ace Noah Syndergaard.
Recker’s promotion means the Braves will carry five bench players, at least in the early weeks, when they have multiple off days.
Hernandez, a recent signee who pitched 70 games out of Philadelphia’s bullpen last season, was beaten out for the final spot on the 12-man pitching staff by right-hander Chaz Roe.
The Braves placed four players on the 10-day disabled list, including hard-throwing reliever Mauricio Cabrera, who has right elbow pain.