The Pirates pull out a couple of brilliant defensive plays in beating the Giants, 6 – 5. With Pittsburgh leading 3 – 1 and a runner on first base, Aubrey Huff knocks a ball that appears headed past the mound for an infield single. But pitcher Paul Maholm dives to the ground, stops the ball, and in one motion flips it with his glove to 1B Jeff Clement to retire Huff while completing a backwards somersault. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Garrett Jones, now playing 1B, makes a lunging grab of Pablo Sandoval’s line drive to end the game.

The Yankees receive their 2009 World Series rings in a ceremony before their home opener at New Yankee Stadium. Hideki Matsui, the Series MVP, gets to join his former teammates for the ceremony, as he now plays for todays’ visitors, the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees bang out 13 hits for a 7 – 5 win. Andy Pettitte picks up the victory with six scoreless innings.

Two star second basemen go on the disabled list today. The Orioles’ Brian Roberts is the victim of a strained abdominal muscle and will be spelled by Julio Lugo. For their part, the Blue Jays have to do without Aaron Hill, who goes on the DL with an injured hamstring. They lose their home opener to the Chicago White Sox, 8 – 7, in 11 innings, even though Hill’s replacement, John McDonald, turns four double plays. Five homers are hit in the game, including Andruw Jones’s first two in a White Sox uniform.

New Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, describing himself as a former “Wrigley bleacher bum” in his days in university, attends the team’s first home opener since his purchase of the club. He is witness to a 9 – 5 win over the Brewers; Xavier Nady, Jeff Baker and Aramis Ramirez all homer for the Cubs.

Three much-heralded pitching prospects make their debut in organized baseball today. Mike Leake, the least known of the three, makes the biggest jump, giving up a single run in 6 2/3 innings as the Reds’ starter against the Cubs, in a game the Reds eventually win, 3 – 1. He is the 21st player to reach the majors without playing in a single minor league game since the amateur draft was instituted in 1965; his last pitching stop was with Arizona State University. Fellow Reds prospect Aroldis Chapman, who defected from Cuba last year, throws several pitches over 100 miles per hour in his debut with the Louisville Bats of the International League. He strikes out 9 batters in 4 2/3 innings, only giving up an unearned run to Toledo. Finally, Stephen Strasburg, the top pick of last year’s draft, picks up the win as the Harrisburg Senators defeat Altoona, 6 – 4, in an Eastern League contest. Both Chapman and Strasburg will pitch in the major leagues before the season is over.

It’s a homer fest at Miller Park ! The Brewers take an early 7 – 2 lead over the Cardinals as Rickie Weeks hits a home run leading off the game, and Corey Hart and Ryan Braun also go deep against Chris Carpenter. The Cards mount a comeback as Albert Pujols hits a two-run shot to chase Randy Wolf, then in the 9th, Phat Albert does it again as Trevor Hoffman tries to close the ballgame. Hoffman gives up another long ball to Matt Holliday to tie the score at 7, but Casey McGehee ends the game in the bottom of the 9th with a walk-off blast off Kyle McClellan, for a wild 8 – 7 Milwaukee win.

Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth drive in three runs each as the Phillies hand the Astros their fifth straight loss since the start of the season, 9 – 6. Jamie Moyer picks up his first win of the year for Philadelphia.

The Yankees’ CC Sabathia flirts with a no-hit bid, before giving up a two-out single to the Rays’ Kelly Shoppach in the 8th inning. Having reached his pitch count limit, he then exits the game, but is credited with the Yanks’ 10 – 0 win.

Jose Reyes returns to the line-up for the first time since May of last year as the Mets lose to the Nationals, 4 – 3. His injury was one of those that torpedoed the Mets’ 2009 season after a good start.