Stanton homers twice, Yankees beat Blue Jays
TORONTO — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, doubled and had four RBIs in his New York Yankees debut, a 6-1 win Thursday over the Toronto Blue Jays that gave Aaron Boone in a win in his first game as a professional manager.
Luis Severino (1-0) pitched 5⅔ scoreless innings for the Yankees, who won their opener for the first time since 2011.
Acquired from Miami after leading the majors with 59 homers, Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first off J.A. Happ (0-1), an RBI double in the fifth and hit a solo homer in the ninth off Tyler Clippard.
WHITE SOX 14, ROYALS 7
In Kansas City, Mo., Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, Tim Anderson homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox.
James Shields (1-0) surrendered four runs in the first inning but wound up lasting six innings, holding his former team without a hit after that shaky first.
Davidson became the fourth player with a three-homer performance on opening day, joining Detroit’s Dmitri Young (2005), the Cubs’ Tuffy Rhodes (1994) and Toronto’s George Bell (1988). Chicago’s matched the record for home runs on opening day, set by the New York Mets in 1988.
Danny Duffy (0-1) was followed by eight relievers.
CUBS 8, MARLINS 4
In Miami, Ian Happ became the second player to homer on the first pitch of the major league season, and Anthony Rizzo made his emotional homecoming even more memorable with a home run.
Rizzo homered into the upper deck in the second inning — an unscripted tribute to the victims of last month’s shooting at his former high school in Parkland, Florida. As he crossed home plate, Rizzo patted his chest and pointed to the sky.
ATHLETICS 6, ANGELS 5 (11 INNINGS)
In Oakland, Calif., Marcus Semien singled into an empty center field with one out in the 11th inning, beating Los Angeles’ five-man infield.
Shohei Ohtani connected on the first pitch he saw for a single in a much-hyped major league debut for the Japanese two-way star. Batting eighth as designated hitter, Ohtani swung at the first pitch and grounded a hard single to right field off Kendall Graveman in the second inning. He grounded out his next three times up before a strikeout in the 11th.
GIANTS 1, DODGERS 0
In Los Angeles, Joe Panik homered off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning, and San Francisco dealt the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner his first loss in his franchise-record eighth consecutive opening day start.
It was the first run allowed this year by Kershaw (0-1), including spring training. The seven hits given up by the left-hander are the most off him on opening day, when he is 5-1.
ASTROS 4, RANGERS 1
In Arlington, Texas, World Series MVP George Springer hit a leadoff homer in the opener for the second year in a row and Justin Verlander (1-0) pitched six scoreless innings as Houston started its championship defense.
Springer hit a 2-0 pitch off Cole Hamels (0-1), becoming the only player in MLB history with leadoff homers in consecutive season openers, according to Elias. Jake Marisnick also homered for the Astros.
RAYS 6, RED SOX 4
In St. Petersburg, Fla., Denard Span made a huge splash in his debut for his hometown team on opening day, lining a bases-loaded triple to highlight a six-run rally in the eighth that sent Alex Cora to a loss in his first game as a major league manager.
Span’s triple was only Tampa Bay’s third hit of the day and gave the Rays a 5-4 lead. Adeiny Hechavarria followed with an infield single off Carson Smith (0-1), providing a two-run cushion for closer Alex Colome to earn a save.
ORIOLES 3, TWINS 2 (11 INNINGS)
In Baltimore, Adam Jones homered on the first pitch from Fernando Rodney (0-1) starting the bottom of the 11th inning, and the Orioles won their eighth straight opener.
Richard Bleier (1-0) worked one inning for the Orioles, who made the most of five hits.
BREWERS 2, PADRES 1 (12 INNINGS)
In San Diego, Orlando Arcia singled in Ji-Man Choi with two outs in the 12th off Adam Cimber (0-1), who was making his big league debut.
Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) pitched two innings for the win. Jacob Barnes struck out the side in the 12th for the save.
BRAVES 8, PHILLIES 5
In Atlanta, Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer off Hector Neris (0-1) with two outs in the ninth inning, capping a comeback from a 5-0 deficit as Philadelphia lost in Gabe Kapler’s first game as a big league manager.
Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies also homered for Atlanta, which won with a walk-off hit on opening day for the first time since 1998.
METS 9, CARDINALS 4
In New York, Yoenis Cespedes drove in three runs and newcomer Adrian Gonzalez hit a go-ahead double.