Hendricks, Cubs Blank Brewers in Opener
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CHICAGO (AP) -- Kyle Hendricks convinced new manager David Ross to let him finish a three-hitter, Anthony Rizzo homered and dished out hand sanitizer, and the Chicago Cubs started the season by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Friday night.
Ian Happ also had a two-run drive and Ross got his first victory as a big league manager as the Cubs opened this pandemic-shortened 60-game season without fans at Wrigley Field.
Hendricks struck out nine and walked none in his first career opening-day start and fourth career shutout.
Orlando Arcia had each of Milwaukee's hits off Hendricks (1-0). After he singled with two out in the third for the Brewers' first baserunner, he accepted a splash of sanitizer from a smiling Rizzo at first and cleaned off his hands.
Ross came out to check on Hendricks with two out and a runner on first in the ninth. He decided to leave him in, and Keston Hiura bounced into a game-ending fielder's choice on Hendricks' 103rd pitch.
Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff allowed four hits in five innings in his first career opening-day start. Woodruff (0-1) struck out five and walked one.
INDIANS 2
ROYALS 0
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Shane Bieber struck out 14 over six scoreless innings as the Indians, making a statement for minorities by wearing their road jerseys with "Cleveland" on the front, beat Kansas City.
Bieber's 14 strikeouts set a club record for opening day and are the most in the majors in an opener since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson also fanned 14 on March 31, 1996.
Oscar Mercado and Cesar Hernandez drove in runs in the fifth for Cleveland, which was blanked over the first four innings by Royals starter Danny Duffy (0-1).
Duffy was pulled in the fifth by first-year Royals manager Mike Matheny after 65 pitches. R
Brad Hand worked around hitting the leadoff hitter in the ninth for a save.
The Royals struck out 18 times.
BLUE JAYS 6
RAYS 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Cavan Biggio hit a three-run homer and Toronto began its still-in-progress odyssey by topping Tampa Bay.
Earlier the Blue Jays announced they will play the majority of their home games at the stadium of their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, though it's not yet certain when the park will be ready.
Biggio singled to begin a three-run fourth inning off 36-year-old Charlie Morton (0-1), who made his first career start on opening day. Randal Grichuk, Rowdy Tellez and Teoscar Hernandez drove in the runs. Biggio also homered in the fifth for a 6-1 lead.
Japanese slugger Yoshi Tsutsugo homered in his major league debut for the Rays.
Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu allowed three runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three, but also walked three before being replaced after throwing 97 pitches.
Jordan Romano (1-0) finished fifth and got the first two outs of the sixth to get the win. Ken Giles worked a scoreless ninth for the save.
REDS 7
TIGERS 1
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Free agent pickup Mike Moustakas drove in four runs, teaming with fellow newcomers Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos, in Cincinnati's win over Detroit.
Free agents Moustakas and Castellanos each got $64 million as cornerstones of the Reds' rebuild. They combined to produce Cincinnati's first three runs, and Moustakas added a two-run homer to get the Reds off and running.
Akiyama, signed as a free agent, singled home a run in his first at-bat as a pinch hitter. Joey Votto added a solo homer.
Sonny Gray (1-0) fanned nine and gave up three hits in six innings. He extended his major league record to 34 consecutive starts without allowing more than six hits.
Matthew Boyd (0-1) needed 26 pitches to get the first out and 30 overall in the first inning. He lasted five innings and gave up four runs on six hits. C.J. Cron homered for Detroit.
METS 1, BRAVES 0
NEW YORK (AP) -- Yoenis Cespedes took advantage of the new designated hitter rule in the National League, launching a home run that sent Jacob deGrom and New York past Atlanta.
Cespedes connected in the seventh off reliever Chris Martin (0-1) for his first long ball since his previous major league game on July 20, 2018.
Seth Lugo (1-0) tossed two innings. Edwin Diaz struck out two in a hitless ninth for the save.
Braves starter Mike Soroka allowed four hits in six innings. Marcell Ozuna doubled and went 1 for 4 in his Atlanta debut.
Coming off consecutive Cy Young Awards, deGrom fanned eight and permitted only a broken-bat single and a walk. He was pulled after 72 pitches.
MARLINS 5
PHILLIES 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run homer off Aaron Nola, Sandy Alcantara pitched into the seventh and Miami spoiled manager Joe Girardi's first game in Philadelphia.
Alcantara (1-0) allowed two runs -- one earned -- and three hits, striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings.
Nola (0-1) gave up four runs and five hits, striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings. The Phillies have lost his last eight starts since a 3-2 victory at Boston last Aug. 20.
Didi Gregorius lined a solo shot out to right in the fifth in his first game since signing a $14 million, one-year deal with the Phillies to reunite with Girardi.
The Phillies cut it to 5-2 in the seventh when center fielder Jonathan Villar dropped Jay Bruce's fly ball for a two-base error, allowing Gregorius to score.
RANGERS 1
ROCKIES 0
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Lance Lynn struck out nine in six sharp innings and the Texas Rangers inaugurated their new retractable-roof stadium with a win over the Colorado Rockies.
After 48 seasons of playing home games outside in the Texas heat, the Rangers had the roof closed for their first game at $1.2 billion Globe Life Field. It was a pleasant 72 degrees at first pitch inside the air-conditioned building -- and 94 outside.
The Rangers didn't get their first hit off Rockies starter German Marquez until after Lynn (1-0) had thrown the last of his 108 pitches in his first opening day start.
Danny Santana had a one-out double in the sixth, and scored on a two-out double by Rougned Odor that chased Marquez (0-1). The Rockies right-hander, who retired the first 12 batters, struck out six and walked three.
Even with no fans allowed in the sparkling new 40,000-seat park, longtime PA guy Chuck Morgan gave his emphatic "It's Baseball Time in Texas!" that echoed through the stadium before introducing the Rangers starting lineup. Music was played throughout, along with the piped-in crowd noise and cheers -- those cardboard cutouts of fans behind home plate didn't make any noise.
Colorado's Matt Kemp was the only player who knelt during the national anthem that was performed live by Charley Pride. The County Music Hall of Fame singer, a two-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues in the 1950s who is part of the Rangers' ownership group, sang from a platform beyond the center field wall.
Many, but not all players, from both teams knelt before the anthem when holding a long black ribbon in a show of unity that was part of season-opening games across baseball.
Lynn, 16-11 with 246 strikeouts last year in his first season in Texas walked four while becoming only the fourth Rangers pitcher with nine strikeouts on opening day, and only third with six scoreless innings in an opener.
Jesse Chavez and Jonathan Hernandez both pitched a scoreless innings. Jose Leclerc struck out two in the ninth for the save in the Rangers' first 1-0 win in a home opener since 1980.
People could be seen outside through the ground-to-ceiling windows in left field -- the same windows that offer a view of the old ballpark across the street. Many fans watched the TV broadcast of the game on huge video boards inside the adjacent entertainment complex, but those outside had no clear view to the new field that is below street level.