Cardinals C Yadier Molina loses a ball when it bounces in the dirt and then gets stuck to his chest protector, allowing Cubs PH Matt Szczur to reach base on a dropped third strike in the 7th inning while Molina is frantically looking around to find the disappeared spheroid. The bizarre play turns out to be instrumental, as Brett Cecil walks the next batter, Jon Jay, and Kyle Schwarber follows with a three-run homer and Chicago wins, 6 – 4.

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Cardinals C Yadier Molina loses a ball when it bounces in the dirt and then gets stuck to his chest protector, allowing Cubs PH Matt Szczur to reach base on a dropped third strike in the 7th inning while Molina is frantically looking around to find the disappeared spheroid. The bizarre play turns out to be instrumental, as Brett Cecil walks the next batter, Jon Jay, and Kyle Schwarber follows with a three-run homer and Chicago wins, 6 – 4.

Reds relief pitcher Michael Lorenzen blasts a 420-foot home run to centerfield as a pinch-hitter against the Phillies’ Adam Morgan. The 6th-inning homer breaks a 4 -4 tie and Cincinnati goes on to win, 7 – 4. Micah Owingshad been the last pitcher to hit a pinch homer, back on May 10, 2009.

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Reds relief pitcher Michael Lorenzen blasts a 420-foot home run to centerfield as a pinch-hitter against the Phillies’ Adam Morgan. The 6th-inning homer breaks a 4 -4 tie and Cincinnati goes on to win, 7 – 4. Micah Owingshad been the last pitcher to hit a pinch homer, back on May 10, 2009.

Stephen Piscotty has a painful run around the bases

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2017 – OF Stephen Piscotty has a painful run around the bases in the 5th inning of the Cardinals’ game against the Cubs. First, he reaches base when plunked of the left elbow by Jake Arrieta, then gets hit on the other elbow by C Willson Contreras when he advances to second on a wild pitch. He comes in to score when the Cubs misplay a ground ball near first base, but in the process is whacked in the head by 2B Javier Baez’s throw home and has to leave the game with a possible concussion. His is the only run in a 2 – 1 loss by the Cards.

2017 – Christian Bethancourt’s bid to become the first two-way player in the majors in over a decade does not get off to a good start. The former catcher pitching for the Padres on opening day relieves Jhoulys Chacin in the 4th with his team trailing the Dodgers, 7 – 1, and immediately uncorks wild pitches on his first two deliveries to the plate, both times scoring a run. He gets out of the inning when a couple of long fly balls are caught just shy of clearing the fence, but in the 5th, Corey Seager touches him for a three-run homer as Los Angeles goes on to win a 14 – 3 rout. For L.A., Joc Pederson hits a grand slam and drives in 5 runs and Yasmani Grandal homers from both sides of the plate, as the team wins its opening game for the seventh straight season – every time behind the pitching of ace Clayton Kershaw.

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2017 – Christian Bethancourt’s bid to become the first two-way player in the majors in over a decade does not get off to a good start. The former catcher pitching for the Padres on opening day relieves Jhoulys Chacin in the 4th with his team trailing the Dodgers, 7 – 1, and immediately uncorks wild pitches on his first two deliveries to the plate, both times scoring a run. He gets out of the inning when a couple of long fly balls are caught just shy of clearing the fence, but in the 5th, Corey Seager touches him for a three-run homer as Los Angeles goes on to win a 14 – 3 rout. For L.A., Joc Pederson hits a grand slam and drives in 5 runs and Yasmani Grandal homers from both sides of the plate, as the team wins its opening game for the seventh straight season – every time behind the pitching of ace Clayton Kershaw.

Madison Bumgarner becomes the first pitcher to homer twice on opening day as he connects off Zack Greinke in the 5th and Andrew Chafin in the 7th. The Giants have a 5 – 4 lead over the Diamondbacks entering the bottom of the 9th, but with two outs and nobody on, newly signed closer Mark Melancon chokes, allowing a double to Jeff Mathis and three consecutive singles, the last by Chris Owings, as Arizona rallies for a 6 – 5 win.

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Madison Bumgarner becomes the first pitcher to homer twice on opening day as he connects off Zack Greinke in the 5th and Andrew Chafin in the 7th. The Giants have a 5 – 4 lead over the Diamondbacks entering the bottom of the 9th, but with two outs and nobody on, newly signed closer Mark Melancon chokes, allowing a double to Jeff Mathis and three consecutive singles, the last by Chris Owings, as Arizona rallies for a 6 – 5 win.

The 2017 Major League Baseball season opens with three games. In the first of those, the Rays jump on Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka for 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings, including homers by Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison to cruise to a 7-3 win. Chris Archer, who led the major in losses in 2016 with 19, starts off the year with a win.

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The 2017 Major League Baseball season opens with three games. In the first of those, the Rays jump on Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka for 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings, including homers by Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison to cruise to a 7-3 win. Chris Archer, who led the major in losses in 2016 with 19, starts off the year with a win.