AROUND THE HORN | Thursday’s MLB season openers

Cubs 8, Marlins 4

MIAMI

Ian Happ homered on the first pitch of the major league season, and Anthony Rizzo made his emotional homecoming even more memorable with a home run, leading the Chicago Cubs past the Miami Marlins. Rizzo homered into the upper deck in the second inning. Kyle Schwarber also homered for Chicago, which overcame two errors and a rocky start by Jon Lester. Doubles by Kris Bryant and Wilson Contreras in the fourth put the Cubs ahead to stay. Newcomer Steve Cishek (1-0) stranded four runners in two scoreless innings.

Mets 9, Cardinals 4

NEW YORK

Yoenis Cespedes drove in three runs and newcomer Adrian Gonzalez hit a go-ahead double to lead Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets past the St. Louis Cardinals in their opener. Syndergaard (1-0) struck out 10 and walked none in six innings. The Mets chased a furious Carlos Martinez in the fifth inning. The 35-year-old Gonzalez reached base four times with two hits and two walks. Yadier Molina hit an early two-run homer for St. Louis that clanged off the left-field foul pole.

Brewers 2, Padres 1, 12 innings

SAN DIEGO

Orlando Arcia singled in Ji-Man Choi with two outs in the 12th inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers over the San Diego Padres on opening day. Arcia’s hit came off sidearmer Adam Cimber (0-1), who was making his big league debut. After getting Manny Pina to hit into a double play, Cimber allowed Choi’s pinch-hit double before Arcia’s go-ahead RBI. 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

ATLANTA

Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, capping the Atlanta Braves’ comeback from a five-run deficit that rocked the Philadelphia Phillies and ruined the managing debut of Gabe Kapler. Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies also homered for Atlanta. Hector Neris (0-1) gave up an infield hit to Charlie Culberson and an intentional walk to Freeman before Markakis drove a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall. Cesar Hernandez homered for the Phillies.

Giants 1, Dodgers 0

LOS ANGELES

Joe Panik homered off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, dealing 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, 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. Kershaw struck out seven and walked two in six innings. Andrew McCutchen, acquired from Pittsburgh during the offseason, was 1 for 4 with a double in his Giants debut. Evan Longoria, obtained by San Francisco from Tampa Bay, was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

Athletics 6, Angels 5, 11 innings

OAKLAND, CALIF.

Marcus Semien singled into an empty center field with one out in the 11th inning, beating Los Angeles’ five-man infield to lift the Oakland Athletics over the Angels on opening day. Boog Powell hit a one-out triple off Noe Ramirez (0-1) to start the winning rally. The Angels got consecutive two-out singles from Martin Maldonado and Zack Cozart in the 11th off Chris Hatcher (1-0) but didn’t capitalize. Khris Davis hit a three-run homer in the fifth and a tying single in the seventh. Albert Pujols homered leading off the sixth, while Shohei Ohtani connected on the first pitch he saw for a single.

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 1

TORONTO

Giancarlo Stanton began his Yankees career with the hardest-hit, opposite-field home run since Major League Baseball began tracking exit velocity in 2015. Stanton’s four RBIs led the Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays. Luis Severino (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees. Stanton took a strike from J.A. Happ (0-1) in the first inning, then hit a 426-foot, two-run drive to right measured at 117.3 mph. Toronto’s Kevin Pillar homered on Dellin Betances’ first pitch in the eighth.

Rays 6, Red Sox 4

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 inning that sent the Tampa Bay Rays over the Boston Red Sox. 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. The Red Sox wasted a superb start from Chris Sale, who fanned nine and walked three.

Orioles 3, Twins 2, 11 innings

BALTIMORE

Adam Jones homered on Fernando Rodney’s first pitch starting the bottom of the 11th inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Minnesota Twins for a opening day victory. Richard Bleier (1-0) worked one inning for the Orioles. Baltimore missed a chance win it in the 10th when Jonathan Schoop bounced into a double play against Rodney (0-1) with the bases loaded.

Astros 4, Rangers 1

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

World Series MVP George Springer hit a leadoff homer in the season opener for the second year in a row, Justin Verlander pitched six scoreless innings and the Houston Astros started their championship defense with a win over the Texas Rangers. Jake Marisnick also homered for the Astros. Springer hit a 2-0 pitch off lefty Cole Hamels (0-1) into the right-field seats. Elvis Andrus led off the ninth with a double. Andrus scored on a wild pitch.

White Sox 14, Royals 7

KANSAS CITY, MO.

Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, the White Sox went deep six times total and Chicago routed the Kansas City Royals to spoil their 50th anniversary celebration. Tim Anderson also homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox, who picked up James Shields (1-0) in a big way after the former Royals ace surrendered four runs in the first inning. Shields wound up lasting six innings, holding Kansas City without a hit after that shaky first. Of the four players with three-homer opening days, three have done it against the Royals, while the six homers by Chicago on opening day matched the big league record set by the Mets in 1988. Yolmer Sanchez added a three-run single and Yoan Moncada drove in a pair of runs for the White Sox, who forced Royals manager Ned Yost to burn through nine pitchers. Danny Duffy (0-1) breezed through three innings for Kansas City, but a trio of homers in a five-run fourth turned his day around.

Associated Press