Posey plunked in head in first inning of Giants’ victory.
SAN FRANCISCO — Giants catcher Buster Posey was doing well after being struck in the helmet by a 94 mph fastball in the first inning and forced out of the game, a frightening moment in San Francisco’s 4-1 victory Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in its home opener.
Posey will be re-evaluated Tuesday but, “He’s doing good, he’s doing fine,” manager Bruce Bochy said. Posey is likely to sit out Tuesday’s game.
Taijuan Walker’s 0-1 fastball with two out in the first inning sent the Gold Glove catcher immediately to ground. Athletic trainer Dave Groeschner sprinted toward the plate and Bochy was right behind. Posey got up on his own but exited the game, with Nick Hundley entering to pinch run and stay in the game as catcher.
Bochy said if Posey weren’t a catcher, he might have been OK to stay in the game, but the Giants weren’t taking a chance with the 2012 NL MVP and 2010 NL Rookie of the Year.
Walker (1-1) was booed at the conclusion of the inning, when he came up to bat and at every other opportunity by the AT&T Park sellout crowd of 42,129. Home run king Barry Bonds was among those in attendance.
Matt Moore (1-1) struck out five in eight impressive innings. Mark Melancon got his second save.
TIGERS 2, RED SOX 1
In Detroit, Justin Verlander and Chris Sale dominated in a matchup of ace pitchers before Nicholas Castellanos singled in the go-ahead run off Sale in the eighth inning, lifting Detroit over Boston.
Verlander gave up an unearned run, three hits and two walks while striking out four over seven innings. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out one and walked one in the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez struck out two and allowed a hit in the ninth, earning his second save in three chances.
Sale (0-1) struck out 10 and gave up two runs and five hits over 7⅔ innings.
Ian Kinsler homered off Sale in the sixth.
YANKEES 8, RAYS 1
In New York, Michael Pineda retired his first 20 batters before Evan Longoria lined a double down the left-field line, and he wound up pitching two-hit ball over 7⅔ innings in New York’s home opener.
Pineda (1-1) dominated like the pitcher the Yankees have always hoped he would become. He struck out 11, walked none and threw 67 of 93 pitches for strikes. Tampa Bay’s Logan Morrison homered with one out in the eighth.
MARINERS 6, ASTROS 0
In Seattle, James Paxton shut down Houston for the second time in a week, pitching seven innings of four-hit ball and leading Seattle to a win in its home opener.
Paxton struck out eight and walked two while pitching in Seattle’s home opener for the second time in his career.
ATHLETICS 2, ROYALS 0
In Kansas City, Mo., Khris Davis hit a two-run homer, Jharel Cotton shut down Kansas City’s anemic offense and Oakland held on to spoil the Royals’ home opener.
Cotton (1-1) gave up a single in the first and another in the sixth, but otherwise befuddled a Royals lineup that hasn’t shown much punch. He walked three and struck out six over seven innings.
Davis provided all the offense Oakland needed when he followed a leadoff single by Ryon Healy with his fourth homer of the year.
NATIONALS 14, CARDINALS 6
In Washington, Bryce Harper tied a career high with four hits and reached base in all six plate appearances as Washington routed St. Louis.
Harper drove in three runs during his first four-hit game since April 17, 2013. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (0-2) gave up six runs and 11 hits in four-plus innings.
METS 4, PHILLIES 3
In Philadelphia, Jay Bruce homered twice, including the tiebreaking shot in a testy eighth inning to lead New York over Philadelphia.
Recently bumped up to the cleanup spot, Bruce put the Mets in front 4-2 with a towering, tworun drive off his own digital image on the videoboard in right field. He connected on a 1-2 pitch from left-hander Joely Rodriguez, giving Bruce four homers this season.
REDS 7, PIRATES 1
In Pittsburgh, Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett homered, and Cincinnati took advantage of wild Pittsburgh starter Tyler Glasnow.
Making his season debut, Glasnow (0-1) failed to make it out of the second inning. The right-hander walked five — including four straight in the first — and left after throwing just 35 of his 64 pitches for strikes.