The Yankees record their first win of the season by turning to their storied past. Andy Pettitte picks up the win and Mariano Rivera gets the save in his first appearance following a serious knee injury that almost ended his career as they defeat the Red Sox, 4 – 2. It is Rivera’s record 19th season as a Yankee, although Derek Jeter will join him when he is activated form the disabled list later this season.

The Rangers sign SS Elvis Andrus to an eight-year contract extension thast will pay him $120 million through 2022, continuing a recent trend of teams signing their star players over the long term in order to ensure cost certainty.

The Red Sox start a season 2-0 for the first time since 1999 when they defeat the Yankees, 7 – 4, behind the pitching of Clay Buchholz, who allows one run in 6 innings. Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda isn’t so lucky, having to leave the game in the 2nd inning after being struck on a finger by a line drive off the bat of Shane Victorino. For the second straight game, New Yankee Stadium is virtually empty by the end of the game, as the home side falls behind early and never threatens the Sox’s lead.

The Rays win for the first time this year in dramatic fashion, as Matt Joyce hits a walk-off homer off the Orioles’ Tommy Hunter for a 7 – 6 win. His heroics are necessitated by a rare blown save by Fernando Rodney, who had not allowed a run over his last 20 appearances for the Rays, dating back to last season, in addition to his perfect run in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Marwin Gonzalez’s two-out, ninth inning single, a hit that goes through the box between the pitcher’s legs, spoils Yu Darvish’s bid for a perfect game. The 26 year-old Ranger starter is removed from the Minute Maid Park contest after giving up the most extended hit and watches reliever Michael Kirkman close the Texas 7-0 victory over Houston.

The Indians spoil Opening Day for the much-heralded revamped Blue Jays, scoring two runs off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey in the 2nd inning, thanks to a pair of passed balls by C J.P. Arencibia, who has all kinds of trouble handling his new batterymate’s dancing pitches. Asdrubal Cabrera adds a two-run homer in the 5th for a 4 – 1 win at the Rogers Centre. Justin Masterson gets the win and Chris Perez the save.

Madison Bumgarner of the Giants turns the table on the Dodgers, avenging the Opening Day shutout by Clayton Kershaw by pitching 8 scoreless innings of his own, giving up only two hits, as the Giants win, 3 – 0. Sergio Romo pitches a perfect 9th inning for the save, while South Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is a loser in his major league debut.

Yu Darvish flirts with perfection in his first start of the season for the Rangers, retiring the first 26 Astros batters he faces in succession before Marwin Gonzalez singles through the middle with two outs in the 9th. Having struck out 14 batters and with his pitch count at 111, Darvish is then removed from the game and reliever Michael Kirkman gets the game’s final out after allowing another single, to Jose Altuve. Texas wins, 7 – 0.

For the first time in major league history, an interleague contest is played on Opening Day, as the American League’s Angels visit the National League Reds. The Angels win, 3 – 1, in 13 innings, after both starters, Jered Weaver and Johnny Cueto are dominant in the early going. Worse than the loss for the Reds is the dislocated shoulder suffered by LF Ryan Ludwick, sustained when he dives for a ball in the 3rd inning. With the Houston Astros moving to the AL this season, there is a necessity to play at least one interleague series at all times, as both leagues now number an odd 15 teams.