In the LA home opener, Orlando Hudson completes his cycle with a sixth-inning triple down the right-field line in the team’s 11-1 rout of the Giants. The second baseman becomes the first Dodger to hit for the cycle at Dodger Stadium, and the first franchise player to accomplish the feat in a nine-inning game since Gil Hodges did it in 1949.

Nick Swisher, who throws 22 pitches, allowing just one hit and one walk before retiring the next three consecutive batters, including a swinging strikeout of Gabe Kapler, becomes the first position player to pitch for the Yankees since Wade Boggs took the mound in 1997. During the 15-5 rout by the Rays at Tampa’s Tropicana Field, the fun-loving first baseman volunteered to pitch the eighth inning to help save the bullpen after starter Chien-Ming Wang lasts only one inning.

The White Sox top the Tigers, 10 – 6. Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko hit back-to-back homers in the 2nd for the Sox, each of them reaching 300 career home runs with their blows. No teammates had ever reached 300, 400 or 500 in the same game, let alone the same inning.

San Diego beats the Mets, 6 – 5, in the first game to be played at Citi Field in New York. The first batter of the game, Jody Gerut, hits a home run off Mike Pelfrey as the Padres jump to an early 5 – 1 lead. New York ties it on a three-run home run by David Wright, but the winning run scores when Luis Rodríguez reaches on a three-base error by RF Ryan Church and crosses the plate when Pedro Feliciano commits a balk.

In Los Angeles, Orlando Hudson hits for the cycle and Andre Ethier belts two home runs and drives in four runs as the Dodgers defeat the Giants, 11 – 1. Randy Johnson gives up 7 runs in 3 2/3 innings for the losers.