NEW YORK: Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven innings to earn the win in his major league debut as the New York Yankees spoiled the Toronto Blue Jays’ home opener with a 7-3 victory.
The Yankees took the lead with two runs in third, which was extended after a video review reversed an out call at first base that would have ended the inning with no runs scored.
Tanaka (1-0), who gave up a home run to his first batter, left fielder Melky Cabrera, allowed six hits and three runs, while striking out eight as the Yankees (2-2) won their second in a row and the Blue Jays (2-3) dropped their second straight.
Second baseman Chase Utley went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Utley clubbed a go-ahead two-run homer, his first of the season, in the fifth inning off Chicago starter Travis Wood, who took the loss on a windy, frigid afternoon in the Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field.
Right-handed starter Roberto Hernandez (1-0) worked 5 2/3 innings for the win. The Cubs led 2-0 but were run down.
Third baseman Chris Johnson hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth to break a 1-1 tie and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 to spoil Opening Day in the nation’s capital before a sellout crowd of 42,834.
It was the first loss of the season for the Nationals (3-1).
Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth for his third save and 142nd overall with Atlanta, breaking a tie with Gene Garber for second place in franchise history.
Rajai Davis hit a three-run home run following a 34-minute, fourth-inning rain delay and Torii Hunter added a solo shot one out later to help the Detroit Tigers improve their record to 3-0 with a 10-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera became just the ninth player in Major League history to reach 2,000 hits before the age of 31.
Cabrera had four hits, including an RBI single in the seventh and a two-run home run in the eighth, his first RBI of the season.
First baseman Lyle Overbay delivered a tie-breaking, two-run double in the ninth inning to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-2 win over the Boston Red Sox, spoiling the home opener at Fenway Park on a day dedicated to the defending World Series champions.
Centre fielder Carlos Gomez went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and catcher Jonathan Lucroy had a home run and double as the Brewers scored more runs than they had in their first three games combined.
REUTERS
