Game Recap

After ending last season with a bad taste in their mouth, the San Diego Padres opened the 2011 campaign against the team that ended their last two playoff runs.

Despite having only one win in their last 13 meetings in St. Louis, the Padres got off on the right foot against a familiar foe.

The Giants did not expect to start their trek to a repeat title like this.

The Giants hit a road block on Thursday's opening day at Dodger Stadium, kicking the ball around in the sixth inning.

Miguel Tejada botched a throw to second with a runner at first with one out, followed by a rare Posey throwing error with the bases loaded. Just nanoseconds before, Posey made a great save on a pitch by Lincecum in the dirt.

After an exciting winter and encouraging spring, the Washington Nationals could not wait for Opening Day 2011 to arrive.

After an uneventful 2-0 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Braves though, the day turned out to be one the Nats will want to forget. The day was marred by umpire Tim Welke's amoeba-like strike zone, frigid temperatures and ominous dark clouds.

But it's Opening Day, so let's forget about the bad and look for the silver lining.

Two opening days, two first at-bat home runs for Jason Heyward.

Last season, in what may have been the single biggest home run call of the year, Braves rookie phenom Jason Heyward went yard on his very first at-bat against Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs.

One year later, history and Heyward repeated themselves.

Heyward took a 2-1 pitch from Washington Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez chest high and belted it over the right field fence, extending the Braves' lead to 2-0.

Matt Holliday smashed a home run in the bottom of the eighth to put the Cardinals up 3-2, but it wasn't enough to get the win. 

Cameron Maybern hit a two out home run in the top of the ninth to tie up the game and the San Diego Padres added two more in the top of the 11th to ruin the Cardinals season opener at home. 

It was a cold, rainy day in the New York area. Some even wondered if there would be baseball in the Bronx on Thursday with the gray skies looming above.

But that wouldn't stop 50,000 faithful Yankee fans from coming out Thursday afternoon to turn out for the 2011 Opening Day game between the Yankees and the Tigers.

Action got under way quickly in Cincinnati today with back-to-back home runs to lead off the game. Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez took advantage of Edison Volquez’s mistakes as both led off the game with home runs.

The Milwaukee Brewers proceeded to pounce on the vulnerable Volquez by knocking in another run with Casey McGehee’s sacrifice fly.

Some quick hits about the games of the day.

Odd start to season on a Thursday, New York COLD, Washington COLD, Cincinnati COLD and only six games on the docket for opening day, weird!

Tigers 3 at Yankees 6

After missing out on signing free-agent Cliff Lee and the retirement of veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte, the Yankees focused on improving their pitching in the later innings.

So far, so good.

After aces CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander battled to a 3-3 tie through six innings, the bullpens entered for both sides.

New York Yankees recently-named fifth starter Freddy Garcia finished spring training strong, allowing just one run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 4.2 innings in an Opening Day preview against the Tigers.

Garcia, who ended the exhibition season with a 4.91 ERA, threw 51 of his 79 pitches for strikes and worked out of trouble in the second and third innings of New York's 2-1 win over Detroit.