Cubs begin defense of title at Cardinals
Diamondbacks’ Lovullo makes debut as skipper; Rays visit Yanks
Dexter Fowler will have a bunch of old friends on hand for his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The rivalry between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs begins a new chapter in prime time Sunday. The Cubs are the new kings of baseball, coming off their first World Series title since 1908; the Cardinals are trying to return to the playoffs after missing the party last year.
That would be more than enough for an intriguing opening day, but then there’s Fowler playing his first game in St. Louis since he got an $82.5 million, fiveyear free-agent contract from the Cardinals. First up is his former team, the same one he helped to a title in November.
“Playing against the Cubs is gonna be bittersweet. Obviously, the last game I played was with them,” Fowler said. “(But) I’m excited to be in St. Louis and get started on this side.”
Fowler spent two successful years in Chicago, drawing praise for his presence in the clubhouse and solid all-around play. As far as the Game 1 reunion is concerned, don’t expect frosty glares or awkward moments — unless someone is trying to have a little fun with the other side. Fowler joked about tackling Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo if he gets on first base, and Chicago manager Joe Maddon continued to speak glowingly of Fowler’s time with the team — even while he seemed to be preparing himself for the sight of Fowler in a Cardinals uniform standing across from him during pregame introductions.
Schwarber to lead off
“I’m like the first one down and he’ll be hitting leadoff for the Cardinals so he’s going to be right there,” Maddon said. “And I’ve thought about that. We got along really, really well, and he’s going to be very, very important for them. So it will be interesting to see that and feel that.
“But I’m happy for him. He deserves everything that he’s getting right now.”
Kyle Schwarber gets the first crack at replacing Fowler in the Cubs’ leadoff slot, giving Chicago an imposing top third of the lineup along with NL MVP Kris Bryant and Rizzo. Jon Lester, who gets the ball on opening day, leads a deep pitching staff.
Maddon thinks his team will handle the mantle of defending champions well.
“I think our guys are ready to turn the page and move on to this year,” he said. “We’d like to do it again.”
The Cardinals went 8676 last season, finishing a whopping 17½ games behind the Cubs and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010. They were trying to complete one last piece of business before Carlos Martinez throws the first pitch of their 2017 season, working on an extension with Yadier Molina.
The seven-time AllStar catcher, who hit .307 last season, has said he wants a contract finalized before the opener against the Cubs, and each side sounded optimistic in the last couple days.
MadBum vs. Greinke
In Phoenix, Torey Lovullo will make his debut as Diamondbacks manager when his team squares off against San Francisco and Giants ace Madison Bumgarner.
The easygoing Lovullo was bench coach for the Red Sox before he was hired to replace Chip Hale, fired after last season.
“My particular style is going to be one that’s going to make sure our team is prepared for the moment, being able to take advantage of any type of situation that will allow us to win a moment,” Lovullo said.
“I feel like a lot of what I will do is make sure that these guys are of sound body and sound mind to go out and compete in the space that they’re most comfortable and see where that takes us by the end of the night.”
Zack Greinke starts for Arizona and surely hopes this opening day goes a lot better than did his desert debut a year ago, when he allowed seven runs in four innings against the Rockies. Greinke, brought in on a six-year, $206.5 million contract, was slowed by injuries and finished 13-7 with a 4.37 ERA.
“I’m as ready as I’m going to be,” Greinke said. “There weren’t any setbacks or anything throughout camp.”
Late-inning relief was the big problem last year for San Francisco, which opened its wallet to fix that. Closer Mark Melancon signed a four-year, $62 million contract after earning 47 saves in 51 appearances for Pittsburgh and Washington last season.
“We know when we have everybody on the field, we’re one of the best teams out there,” said Giants first baseman Brandon Belt.
Youthful Yankees
Sunday’s actual MLB season opener pits the Rays and Yankees at St. Petersburg, Fla., where Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer is excited by a fresh start. The Rays’ opening-day pitcher went from firsttime All-Star in 2015 to 19game loser last year.
“At the beginning of the season, there’s always optimism,” said the 28-yearold righthander, who gets his third consecutive opening-day assignment. “It’s baseball —anything can happen. That’s the beauty of this game. And I think if we stay healthy and just play our game, we have a chance to succeed, just like anybody else.”
The Yankees, sporting a more youthful lineup as they try to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish in the rugged AL East, counter with righthander Masahiro Tanaka, who is 6-0 with a 2.82 ERA in eight career starts against Tampa Bay.
With a lineup likely to feature Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Ronald Torreyes and Aaron Judge, New York is entering a season with at least four players under the age of 25 on the field for the first time since 1932.