Garrett Whitlock got his second win since replacing Corey Kluber in the Red Sox rotation, Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernández homered, and Boston beat the New York Yankees 3-1 in the first meeting this year of a rivalry cut to 13 games by the new balanced schedule.

José Ramírez homered in his first three at-bats to power the Cleveland Guardians to a 10-3 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez homered in his first three at-bats against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.

The Texas Rangers aren't wasting any time in seeing what they have in Jacob deGrom.

The Boston Red Sox and right-hander Corey Kluber have agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract.

Rookie Oscar Gonzalez broke up the longest scoreless postseason game in major league history with a leadoff home run off Corey Kluber in the 15th inning, giving the Cleveland Guardians a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays and a two-game Wild Card Series sweep.

The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays have set a record for the longest scoreless postseason game in major league history.

The young Cleveland Guardians finished what they started.

Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan was pulled in the fifth inning with neck tightness during a 5-0 loss to the Houston Astros.

Leadoff man Aaron Judge singled twice during a six-run first inning off Corey Kluber as the New York Yankees started with seven straight hits for the first time since 1990 and routed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-3.

Jeffrey Springs pitched neatly into the sixth inning, Christian Bethancourt hit a seventh-inning two-run homer, and the Tampa Bay Rays moved within five games of the AL East-leading New York Yankees with a 9-0 victory.

Randy Arozarena hit a three-run homer off Nestor Cortes in the first inning and the Tampa Bay staff made it stand up, leading the Rays over the skidding New York Yankees 3-1.

Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz homered as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-4.

Ron Guidry, Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez highlight the Yankees alumni set to appear at Old-Timers’ Day in the Bronx prior to a matchup with the Kansas City Royals.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 37th home run, fellow All-Star Nestor Cortes pitched six sharp innings and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-0.

Red Sox lefty Chris Sale is set to make his season debut when he starts against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani takes a scoreless streak of 21 2/3 innings to the mound when he starts at Miami on Wednesday night.

Matt Carpenter homered twice and tied his career high with seven RBIs, powering the New York Yankees to complete a weekend sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 18-4 rout for their 11th win in 12 games.

Free falling toward a dreadful bit of team history, the Angels fired manager Joe Maddon on Tuesday and appointed third base coach Phil Nevin to the role on an interim basis.

Corey Kluber and Gerrit Cole dueled evenly for six impressive innings before the Tampa Bay Rays scored a pair of late runs to beat the Yankees 3-1, ending New York’s four-game winning streak.

Randy Arozarena hit a pair of homers, Jeffrey Springs threw shutout ball into the sixth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays spoiled the debut of Baltimore Orioles top prospect Adley Rutschman with a 6-1 victory.

Harold Castro hit his first home run of the year with two outs in the ninth inning, a tiebreaking shot that sent the Detroit Tigers past the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 for their season-best fourth straight victory.

Shohei Ohtani hit his first grand slam in professional baseball on a two-homer night, and the surging Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 11-3.

Kevin Gausman took a shutout into the ninth inning and Jordan Romano escaped with a save as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber looked good in his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching into the fifth inning to help the defending AL East champions beat Baltimore 8-0 and complete a season-opening sweep of the Orioles.

Reds right-hander Hunter Greene will make his much-anticipated major league debut when he faces the World Series champion Braves in Atlanta.

Joe West has made it official, retiring from Major League Baseball after umpiring a record 5,460 regular-season games.

Major League Baseball teams committed to an unprecedented $1.4 billion in salaries Wednesday, hours before the league locked out players following the 11:59 p.m. expiration of the sport's collective bargaining agreement.

Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves might have represented a historic moment for Major League Baseball.

Yankees reliever Clay Holmes threw a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth inning that let the tying run score, then Austin Hays chopped an RBI single in the 10th that lifted the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 win and dropped New York back in the AL wild-card race.

Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes combined with reliever Josh Hader to pitch baseball’s record ninth no-hitter this season, breaking a mark set when pitchers began throwing overhand in 1884 as the Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0.

Minnesota Twins rookie Joe Ryan is pitching a perfect game through six innings against the Cleveland Indians in just his second major league start.

Gary Sánchez hit a grand slam and a two-run homer, but the New York Yankees blew a late lead and lost to the last-place Baltimore Orioles 8-7.

Rookie Frank Schwindel is hitting.

Aroldis Chapman gave up Pedro Severino’s tiebreaking sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees lost to Baltimore 4-3 after the last-place Orioles took a no-hitter into the seventh.

The Baltimore Orioles are nine outs away from finishing a record ninth no-hitter in the majors this season in a game at Yankee Stadium.

Blake Snell threw seven hitless innings before being pulled for a reliever, and San Diego lost its bid for a combined no-hitter in the eighth inning when Arizona’s David Peralta dropped a bloop single into shallow left field in the Padres' 3-0 win.

San Diego’s Blake Snell has thrown seven hitless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Shohei Ohtani hit his major-league leading 42nd home run, Jack Mayfield connected for his first grand slam and the Los Angeles Angels were able to defeat the New York Yankees 8-7.

Javier Báez and his New York Mets teammates get a day to cool off after the derogatory gestures they directed toward frustrated fans at Citi Field angered club management.

Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the ninth inning, Giancarlo Stanton homered for the third consecutive game and the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 for their 12th straight victory and longest winning streak in nearly 60 years.

Wandy Peralta retired Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded for the final out, and the New York Yankees held off the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in a thriller to extend their longest winning streak in 36 years to 11 games.

Joey Gallo hit a two-run shot in the 10th inning for his second homer of the game, Aaron Judge went deep again and had four RBIs, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Chicago White Sox 7-5 in another back-and-forth thriller.

Diamondbacks rookie Tyler Gilbert has thrown seven hitless innings in his first big league start against the San Diego Padres.

The Philadelphia Phillies are six outs from completing the eighth no-hitter in the majors this year, which would be the most in a season since 1900.

In a game delayed for several minutes while a bevy of groundskeepers tried to corral a scaredy cat in the outfield, the Baltimore Orioles hit four solo homers off Yankees newcomer Andrew Heaney to beat New York 7-1.

Framber Valdez and the Houston bullpen took a no-hit try into the eighth inning and Astros beat Texas 4-1, sending the Rangers to their season-worst 11th straight loss.

San Francisco right-hander Kevin Gausman hasn’t allowed a hit through six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, closing in on what would be the record-tying eighth no-hitter in the majors this season.

Kevin Kiermaier broke up a combined no-hit bid by the Boston Red Sox with a one-out double in the eighth inning and Manuel Margot scored on a wild pitch in the ninth to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 victory.

Maikel Franco hit a two-run homer with one out in the eighth inning, denying the Houston Astros in their attempt to throw a combined no-hitter at Baltimore.

Walker Buehler has pitched seven hitless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks.

Braves starter Charlie Morton has not allowed a hit through six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Padres left-hander Blake Snell has thrown six no-hit innings against the New York Mets.

Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Michael King, Marwin González added a two-run double and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 5-2 in the first of the rivals’ 19 meetings this season.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta is celebrating his 25th birthday with a no-hit bid through six innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ryan Yarbrough ended a 24-start winless skid with Tampa Bay’s first complete game in more than five years, Austin Meadows homered off shaky Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and drove in five and the Rays beat New York 9-2.

The major league batting average rose slightly in May, though it remained at its lowest level in 53 years.

The finale of an entertaining four-game series between longtime rivals features an excellent pitching matchup Sunday at Dodger Stadium between Giants right-hander Kevin Gausman and Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw.

St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez has a no-hitter through six innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Both the Yankees and Mets are set to host doubleheaders in New York on Thursday after their games were postponed by lousy weather Wednesday night.

Noah Syndergaard was pulled from his minor league rehabilitation outing because of soreness in his pitching elbow Tuesday night, the latest setback for a New York Mets team ravaged by injuries.

Francisco Mejía hit a tiebreaking, two-run single during a seven-run burst in the 11th inning and the Tampa Bay Rays won their 11th straight game, outlasting the Toronto Blue Jays 14-8.

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa will see plenty of familiar faces when his AL Central leaders host his longtime team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jameson Taillon tries to extend a streak of dominant starting pitching by the New York Yankees when he opposes Dallas Keuchel and the White Sox in the Bronx.

After no-hitters on consecutive nights by Detroit right-hander Spencer Turnbull and Yankees newcomer Corey Kluber, is there a pitcher on the docket who can make it three days in a row.

Corey Kluber threw the major leagues’ sixth no-hitter this season and second in two nights, leading the New York Yankees over the Texas Rangers 2-0.

New York Yankees right-hander Corey Kluber has not allowed a hit through eight innings against the Texas Rangers.

Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the valid one: The number of hits per game in the major leagues has plummeted, so no-hitters are on the rise.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani makes his sixth pitching start of the season Wednesday when the Angels face Aaron Civale and the Indians.

Angels star Mike Trout could be out past the All-Star break after straining his right calf on the bases Monday night.

Gleyber Torres’ tying single in the ninth inning and a winning infield single in the 11th helped the New York Yankees overcame Max Scherzer’s commanding 14-strikeout performance to beat the Washington Nationals 4-3.

Corey Kluber handcuffed Detroit batters to gain his 100th career win with his most dominant performance since 2018, and the New York Yankees beat the Tigers 2-0 to complete their first series sweep this season and get back to.

Corey Kluber goes for his 100th career victory when he starts for the Yankees at home against Detroit.

Jameson Taillon earned his first win in exactly two years, Aaron Judge had three hits and three RBIs, and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4.

Giancarlo Stanton busted out of his slump with two rocketed home runs — one with the highest exit velocity this season — and New York connected four times, sending the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Rich Hill pitched six strong innings, Austin Meadows led a hit parade against Corey Kluber and New York’s bullpen, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees 10-5 to snap a four-game skid.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will raise the World Series flag for the first time since 1988 and will hand out championship rings before Friday’s home opener against Washington, the first time fans are allowed into Dodger Stadium since the Game 5 loss in the 2019 NL Division Series.

He was 2-1 with a 6.35 ERA in three spring starts, including allowing six earned runs against Cincinnati on Friday. Alec Bohm had two hits, including his fourth double. AdFreddie Freeman had two hits, including a double and his first homer — a two-run shot in the sixth. Victor Robles had three hits, including his sixth double, with an RBI, and Kyle Schwarber doubled and walked three times. Adalberto Mondesi singled and homered and Jorge Soler had two hits, including a double.

The Padres said Tatis had discomfort in his non-throwing left shoulder and would be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Corbin Burnes turned in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six while allowing two runs on three hits. Jon Lester allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the spring for Washington. He gave up five hits, hit two batters and struck out three. PADRES 5, REDS 4MacKenzie Gore worked 3 2/3 innings in his third start for San Diego, allowing two runs on three hits.

Tarik Skubal #87 of the Detroit Tigers in action against the Houston Astros during a spring training baseball game at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on March 9, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. DETROIT – Tuesday’s Detroit Tigers spring training game against the New York Yankees will be on TV as prospect Tarik Skubal takes the mound. It will be televised on FOX Sports Detroit, as well as streamed live on MLB Network and MLB TV. Skubal will look to build on what’s been a strong spring training thus far. pic.twitter.com/kHH87UFHzJ — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) March 23, 2021New York will counter with former Cleveland Indians star Corey Kluber, who used to terrorize the Tigers in the American League Central Division.

Starter Zach Eflin pitched four shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out four without a walk. ROCKIES 2, MARINERS 1Kyle Freeland allowed three hits in four shutout innings in his second start for Colorado, striking out four. Seattle's Marco Gonzales threw four shutout innings in his second start, allowing two hits while striking out four. Martín Pérez made his second start, allowing two hits and a walk in four scoreless innings. ATHLETICS 5, REDS 2 (7)Oakland lefty Sean Manaea struck out four in three innings, allowing one run and three hits.

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2019, file photo, New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German throws to first in a pickoff-attempt during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in New York. German has started the process of talking to teammates about his domestic violence suspension that has kept him off the mound since September 2019. “Exciting to be back on the field, be back with my teammates,” Germán said. Germán missed the final nine games of the regular season and all nine of New York’s playoff games. AdBack with the Yankees for the start of spring training, Germán spoke with his New York teammates last week and issued a public apology the next day.

I look forward to getting back to work in the next several days.”LESTER SURGERYWashington Nationals left-hander Jon Lester is leaving spring training camp to have surgery for the removal of his thyroid gland. He underwent chemotherapy treatments and returned to the Red Sox at spring training before the following season. Soto’s spring training start was delayed because he fouled a ball off his right foot in live batting practice Sunday. Martinez had two hits for a second straight game, driving in his first two runs of spring training. Jarred Kelenic, Seattle’s top prospect, hit a two-run homer and Taylor Trammell hit a solo homer.

He returned to the Yankees last week for the start of spring training. Germán was 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 2019 when he was put on leave. Manager Aaron Boone said Germán is competing with Deivi García, Michael King, Asher Wojciechowski, Jhoulys Chacín and Nick Nelson. It is clear that I must improve on that.”Germán would not discuss the events that led to his suspension. Germán said he learned “the biggest thing is about how do you react to certain things?

FILE - In this July 9, 2020, file photo, Texas Rangers pitcher Corey Kluber throws during an intrasquad game in Arlington, Texas. The New York Yankees reached a deal with Kluber worth $11 million for one year, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Happ to become free agents, signed Kluber to an $11 million, one-year contract and acquired Taillon from Pittsburgh for four prospects. To drop payroll below the $210 million luxury tax threshold, Cashman traded right-hander Adam Ottavino to rival Boston, saving $7.15 million. New York enters spring training with a projected rotation of Gerrit Cole, Deivi García, left-hander Jordan Montgomery, Kluber and Taillon.

FILE - New York Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka, of Japan, delivers a pitch during the second inning of the team's baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in New York, in this Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, file photo. Former New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has signed a two-year contract with the Rakuten Eagles in Japanese baseball, the club said Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)TOKYO – Masahiro Tanaka is returning to pitch for his former team in Japan after seven seasons with the New York Yankees. The Rakuten Eagles of the Pacific League said Thursday the 32-year-old free agent had signed a two-year contract. “I have decided to return to Japan and play for the Rakuten Eagles for the 2021 season,” Tanaka wrote on Twitter.

Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. Bellinger and Seager got big raises after helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988. He asked for a raise from $8 million to $12.5 million, and the Astros offered $9.75 million. Ace pitcher Walker Buehler asked for $4.15 million and was offered $3.3 million, and catcher Austin Barnes asked for $2 million and was offered $1.5 million. Also exchanging were New York Mets third baseman-outfielder J.D.

FILE - New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu celebrates at second base after hitting a two-run double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium in New York, in this Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, file photo. The New York Yankees and AL batting champion DJ LeMahieu worked Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, to put in place a six-year contract worth about $90 million, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. LeMahieu, who turns 33 in July, became the first player to win undisputed batting titles in both leagues. He won his first AL batting title last year at .364, the highest average for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009, after winning the NL championship with Colorado in 2016. A three-time All-Star, LeMahieu signed a $24 million, two-year contract with the Yankees in January 2019.

The Chicago White Sox acquired a big workhorse for their starting rotation. Lance Lynn was traded from the Texas Rangers to the White Sox on Tuesday for right-hander Dane Dunning and lefty Avery Weems. The on-the-rise White Sox are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2008, going 35-25 and finishing tied for second in the AL Central before losing to Oakland in their wild-card series. While the Rangers didn't move Lynn at the Aug. 31 trade deadline, they did send All-Star lefty Mike Minor to Oakland. Weems, 23, was 5-4 with a 2.09 ERA over 14 starts in the White Sox minor league system in 2019 after he was selected on the sixth round of the amateur draft.

Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal. Lester gets a $10 million buyout from the Chicago Cubs that completes a $155 million, six-year contract rather than a $25 million mutual option. Milwaukee turned down Gyorko and Sogard, a day after declining a $15 million option on 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun. The White Sox declined a $12 million option for Encarnación and a $7 million option for González, who will receive a $500,000. Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:___NOT JUSTIN, SHANEIt hasn’t taken Shane Bieber long to become Cleveland’s ace — and maybe the best pitcher in baseball this season. Bieber, who is 7-0 with a 1.25 ERA and leads the majors in numerous categories, is already 2-0 against the Twins this year. “We should know more then.”SO LONG, FAREWELLA pair of NL West teams said goodbye Thursday to familiar faces and former All-Stars at third base. FIRST PLACE AND FIRED UPOakland right-hander Mike Fiers (4-2, 4.93 ERA) starts for the AL West leaders when they begin a series at Texas. Fiers has gone 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA over his last four starts and the A’s are 6-2 in his outings.

Bieber, who is 7-0 with a 1.25 ERA and leads the majors in numerous categories, is already 2-0 against the Twins this year. Bieber began last season as Cleveland’s No. Atlanta's beleaguered rotation took another hit when left-hander Tommy Milone was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with elbow inflammation. FIRST PLACE AND FIRED UPOakland right-hander Mike Fiers (4-2, 4.93 ERA) starts for the AL West leaders when they begin a series at Texas. Oakland took a 6½-game lead on second-place Houston after beating the Astros in four of five at the Coliseum.

Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout waves to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)ARLINGTON, Texas Mike Trout homered again on his birthday, but Robinson Chirinos drove in two runs without a hit and the Texas Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. Trout turned 29, and homered for the fifth time in the seven big league games he has played on his birthday. The three-time AL MVP put the Angels up 2-0 in the first with his 444-foot drive over their bullpen in left-center. Castro was upset after striking out on a check swing in the second inning and got tossed by Edwin Moscoso, the rookie fill-in umpire who made the call from third base.

Yelich also has struck out 12 times going into the series opener at home against Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals. Former World Series MVP George Springer (.048), two-time batting champ Jose Altuve (.174) and former All-Star Game MVP Alex Bregman (.174) will look to break loose when the Astros visit the Angels. TORONTOS TRAVELSVladimir Guerrero Jr. and the wandering Blue Jays will figure out where to spend this weekend after a three-game series in Philadelphia was called off because two Phillies staffers tested positive for the virus. Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and the Jays will stay in DC and work out at Nationals Park. The Blue Jays eventually will play home games in Buffalo at the stadium of their Triple-A affiliate.

The Milwaukee Brewers star is 1 for 27 to start the season, an .037 average that's worst among qualified hitters. Coming off a condensed preseason camp for a 60-game season truncated by the coronavirus pandemic, hitters are stumbling out of the batter's box. The league-wide batting average after Wednesday's games is .229, down from .252 last season even though the National League adopted the designated hitter for this season. And although hitters often start slowly in March and April, this collective slump is far worse than anything seen in recent years. Many indicators of the offensive struggles, including a rise in strikeouts and drop in batting average, are continuations of trends already underway.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said the soonest the Marlins could resume their schedule is Wednesday, when they are set to play in Baltimore. And we think we can keep people safe and continue to play.The Yankees and Phillies also postponed their game Monday after the Marlins played in Philadelphia over the weekend. Word of multiple positive tests among the Marlins and Reds rosters shook many around the game. Mondays scheduled opener of a three-game series against the Indians was postponed by rain and will be made up Tuesday as part of a traditional doubleheader. The right-hander was acquired from Milwaukee in November after going 10-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 31 starts last year.

Miami Marlins' manager Don Mattingly looks out from the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Philadelphia. Commissioner Rob Manfred said the soonest the Marlins could resume their schedule is Wednesday, when they are set to play in Baltimore. And we think we can keep people safe and continue to play.The Yankees and Phillies also postponed their game Monday after the Marlins played in Philadelphia over the weekend. Word of multiple positive tests among players on the Marlins and Reds rosters shook many around the game. The right-hander was acquired from Milwaukee in November after going 10-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 31 starts last year.

Miami Marlins' Brian Anderson, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Francisco Cervelli, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)The Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds are waiting to see how COVID-19 affects them heading into the second series of the season. The Marlins planned to arrive in Miami hours before their home opener against Baltimore, unsure how many players might remain quarantined in Philadelphia. The Reds were without second baseman Mike Moustakas and center fielder Nick Senzel for a 3-2 loss to the Tigers in Cincinnati. Both felt sick a day after teammate Matt Davidson went on the injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The 60-game sprint started with a bang thunder, actually, along with a torrential downpour in the rain-shortened opener between the Yankees and Nationals. Now is when people will finally listen, explained Stanton, a Black slugger with the New York Yankees who plans to kneel throughout the season. Made it interesting.Lastly, MLB unveiled another modification hours before first pitch, expanding the postseason from 10 teams to 16. The news Sunday of potential outbreaks with the Reds and Marlins was a reminder of how fragile the season could be. If 10 or 15 or 25 guys do it and the rest are messing around, it can mess everything up.

Bard had not pitched in the major leagues since 2013, and after his control and confidence deserted him, his playing career appeared over before he attempted a comeback this year. He was back in the bullpen for Cleveland in September and took the mound Sunday as a starter, beating Kansas City. TRIVIA TIMEThis season's opener between the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees on Thursday night was baseball's most-watched regular-season game in nine years. MILESTONESAlbert Pujols of the Angels became the fifth player to start a season opener in 20 straight years, joining Pete Rose, Carl Yastrzemski, Eddie Murray and Frank Robinson. TRIVIA ANSWERBrett Gardner had three hits and two steals for the Yankees in the 2011 game.