A bench-clearing brawl in the Dodgers’ 3 – 2 win over the Padres proves costly, as prize free agent signee Zack Greinke breaks his left collarbone in the melee. Greinke plunks Carlos Quentin on the left shoulder with a 6th-inning pitch and the slugger charges the mound and tackles the pitcher to the ground; they end up at the bottom of a huge pile of players from both dugouts. Greinke’s left shoulder took the brunt of the impact as Quentin first ran into him. Three players are ejected, including Quentin, while Greinke will be out for a number of weeks because of the injury. The Dodgers win the game on Juan Uribe’s pinch homer in the 8th. Quentin will receive an eight-game suspension.

ByTom

A bench-clearing brawl in the Dodgers’ 3 – 2 win over the Padres proves costly, as prize free agent signee Zack Greinke breaks his left collarbone in the melee. Greinke plunks Carlos Quentin on the left shoulder with a 6th-inning pitch and the slugger charges the mound and tackles the pitcher to the ground; they end up at the bottom of a huge pile of players from both dugouts. Greinke’s left shoulder took the brunt of the impact as Quentin first ran into him. Three players are ejected, including Quentin, while Greinke will be out for a number of weeks because of the injury. The Dodgers win the game on Juan Uribe’s pinch homer in the 8th. Quentin will receive an eight-game suspension.

Cubs minor league prospect Jorge Soler is ejected from a game in the Florida State League for charging the opposite dugout with a bat in the 7th inning. Soler had been spiked while sliding at second base the previous inning. He will receive a five-game suspension for his outburst.

ByTom

Cubs minor league prospect Jorge Soler is ejected from a game in the Florida State League for charging the opposite dugout with a bat in the 7th inning. Soler had been spiked while sliding at second base the previous inning. He will receive a five-game suspension for his outburst.

The Boston Red Sox’s record streak of sell-outs at Fenway Park ends after 820 games as the attendance for today’s game against the Orioles is 30,862, well below the stadium’s capacity of 37,493. The streak had begun on May 15, 2003 and included 794 regular-season games and 26 postseason contests. It easily surpassed the previous record of 455, set by the Cleveland Indians between 1995 and 2001. The streak went on even though Fenway’s seating capacity was increased by 5000 over the period.

ByTom

The Boston Red Sox’s record streak of sell-outs at Fenway Park ends after 820 games as the attendance for today’s game against the Orioles is 30,862, well below the stadium’s capacity of 37,493. The streak had begun on May 15, 2003 and included 794 regular-season games and 26 postseason contests. It easily surpassed the previous record of 455, set by the Cleveland Indians between 1995 and 2001. The streak went on even though Fenway’s seating capacity was increased by 5000 over the period.

Alarmed at seeing a historically-low number of African-American players on major league rosters at the start of the season – just 7.7% of players – Commissioner Bud Selig creates a 17-person committee that will look at the issue of diversity in baseball.

ByBaseball

Alarmed at seeing a historically-low number of African-American players on major league rosters at the start of the season – just 7.7% of players – Commissioner Bud Selig creates a 17-person committee that will look at the issue of diversity in baseball.

The Yankees also use the long ball, as they bang out five homers of their own in crushing the Indians, 14 – 1. Indians starter Carlos Carrasco gives up seven runs before being ejectedby home plate umpire Jordan Baker for throwing at Kevin Youkilis in the 4th. Ironically, Carrasco had just finished serving a five-game suspension incurred in 2011, but only served at the start of the season as he has undergone Tommy John surgery and been out of the big leagues in the meantime. He claims that he slipped on the pitch to Youkilis, which comes just after a home run by Robinson Cano; he will receive an eight-game suspension this time. Andy Pettitte is the winner for the Yankees.

ByBaseball

The Yankees also use the long ball, as they bang out five homers of their own in crushing the Indians, 14 – 1. Indians starter Carlos Carrasco gives up seven runs before being ejectedby home plate umpire Jordan Baker for throwing at Kevin Youkilis in the 4th. Ironically, Carrasco had just finished serving a five-game suspension incurred in 2011, but only served at the start of the season as he has undergone Tommy John surgery and been out of the big leagues in the meantime. He claims that he slipped on the pitch to Youkilis, which comes just after a home run by Robinson Cano; he will receive an eight-game suspension this time. Andy Pettitte is the winner for the Yankees.

The Astros erase a week’s worth of offensive impotence by racking up 22 hits and 5 homers in defeating the Mariners, 16 – 9, snapping a six-game losing streak. Chris Carter has the first two-homer game of his career, and J.D. Martinez, Marwin Gonzalez and Jose Altuve each hit their first long ball of the year. Erik Bedard, making his first start of the year, leaves with a 13 – 0 lead after four innings, but does not earn the win as he fails to go 5 innings; Paul Clemens gets the “W” in spite of giving up 5 runs and three homers in 4 innings of relief in his major league debut.

ByBaseball

The Astros erase a week’s worth of offensive impotence by racking up 22 hits and 5 homers in defeating the Mariners, 16 – 9, snapping a six-game losing streak. Chris Carter has the first two-homer game of his career, and J.D. Martinez, Marwin Gonzalez and Jose Altuve each hit their first long ball of the year. Erik Bedard, making his first start of the year, leaves with a 13 – 0 lead after four innings, but does not earn the win as he fails to go 5 innings; Paul Clemens gets the “W” in spite of giving up 5 runs and three homers in 4 innings of relief in his major league debut.

The Reds spoil the Cardinals’ home opener by scoring 9 runs in the top of the 9th to break a 4 – 4 tie and win, 13 – 4. Stand-in closer Mitchell Boggs gives up the first seven runs while recording only a single out. Shin-Soo Choo, who committed a couple of errors on dropped fly balls earlier in the game, starts the ball rolling by drawing a lead-off walk off Boggs, then hits a three-run double when the Reds bat around. Before the game, the Cardinals unveil a huge number 6 on the outfield fence at Busch Stadium, in tribute to team great Stan Musialwho passed away during the winter.

ByBaseball

The Reds spoil the Cardinals’ home opener by scoring 9 runs in the top of the 9th to break a 4 – 4 tie and win, 13 – 4. Stand-in closer Mitchell Boggs gives up the first seven runs while recording only a single out. Shin-Soo Choo, who committed a couple of errors on dropped fly balls earlier in the game, starts the ball rolling by drawing a lead-off walk off Boggs, then hits a three-run double when the Reds bat around. Before the game, the Cardinals unveil a huge number 6 on the outfield fence at Busch Stadium, in tribute to team great Stan Musialwho passed away during the winter.

Joe Nathan picks up his 300th career save for the Rangers with a bit of assistance from umpire Marty Foster. With Texas up, 5 – 4, the tying run on third base and a full count on Ben Zobrist of Tampa Bay, Nathan throws a change-up that appears to be both low and outside. Zobrist tosses his bat and begins walking to first base when Foster makes a belated strikecall, ending the game, to the disbelief of both Nathan and Rays manager Joe Maddon. Foster later admits he blew the call.

ByBaseball

Joe Nathan picks up his 300th career save for the Rangers with a bit of assistance from umpire Marty Foster. With Texas up, 5 – 4, the tying run on third base and a full count on Ben Zobrist of Tampa Bay, Nathan throws a change-up that appears to be both low and outside. Zobrist tosses his bat and begins walking to first base when Foster makes a belated strikecall, ending the game, to the disbelief of both Nathan and Rays manager Joe Maddon. Foster later admits he blew the call.