NOTABLE
The Minnesota crowd cheered loudly during pregame introductions for longtime Twins center fielder Torii Hunter – who signed with the Angels in the offseason – while a brief thanks-for-the-memories video of his best catches was shown.
The Twins were the only major league team to start the season without a player on the disabled list.
Texas' Milton Bradley walked to first base after appearing to get hit on the top of the right foot by a pitch in the third inning against Seattle. But plate umpire Jim Joyce called back Bradley, ruling the pitch did not hit him. Bradley limped back and walked on the next pitch – and then flipped his bat halfway to the third-base coaching box. Joyce warned manager Ron Washington to settle Bradley, who stayed calm.
Chicago's Jim Thome hit two two-run homers off Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, making Thome the first White Sox player to homer twice on Opening Day since Sammy Sosa in 1991.
BY THE NUMBERS
7 Strikeouts in 11 at-bats for Thome against Sabathia before yesterday.
20 Consecutive Opening Day starts for Detroit's Gary Sheffield, who has the longest active streak.
20 Home runs Sheffield needs to become the 24th member of the 500-homer club.
WHO'S HOT
James Shields
Rays starter (two runs in 7 IP) beats Baltimore, ending Tampa Bay's streak of seven straight Opening Day losses.
WHO'S NOT
Mark Buerhle
White Sox starter allows seven hits – including two homers – and seven runs in 1 2/3 innings in loss to Cleveland.
QUOTABLE
“Just 100 yards away? That's not too far for the ghosts to go.”
– Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter,
on the team's new ballpark
that is set to open next season
