The Red Sox and Tigers stage an epic battle on Easter Sunday. Detroit takes an early 5 – 0 lead off Clay Buchholz, but Boston roars back to chase Max Scherzer in the 3rd inning after he has coughed up 7 runs. Sox closer Alfredo Aceves takes the mound in the bottom of the 9th with a 10 – 7 lead, but gives up a pair of singles and a three-run homer to Miguel Cabrera without retiring anyone. Boston scores two runs off Joaquin Benoit in the top of the 11th, but this time it’s Mark Melancon who can’t close the game. After giving up a sacrifice fly to Delmon Young, he has two strikes on Alex Avila with two outs when the Tigers’ catcher hits a ball off the top of the railing of the right field fence for a game-winning two-run homer after 4 hours and 45 minutes of baseball.

For only the second time in the history of the American League, the Yankees and Red Sox are both 0-3. Tampa Bay completes a sweep of the Bronx Bombers at home as Jeremy Hellickson throws a three-hit shutout on his 25th birthday.

2012 – 49-year-old Jamie Moyer makes his return to the major leagues with the Colorado Rockies, a season-and-a-half after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He gives up a homer to the first Astros batter he faces, Jordan Schafer, and another to J.D. Martinez in the 4th, and leaves after 5 innings, saddled with the 7 – 3 loss. Lucas Harrell, who was barely one year old when Moyer made his debut back in 1986, pitches 7 shutout innings for the win.

Octavio Dotel, playing for his 13th team, breaks a major league record he previously shared with Mike Morgan, Matt Stairs, and Ron Villone. The 39 year-old Tiger reliever, who throws 1.1 scoreless innings against Boston, has also appeared with the Mets, Astros, A’s, Yankees, Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Rockies, Blue Jays, and Cardinals.

Texas starts its defense of its American League pennant with a 3 – 2 win over the White Sox at home. Colby Lewis strikes out 9 over 6 innings for the win, outpitching John Danks. Ian Kinsler homers for the Rangers, while Adam Dunn, coming off a year in which he hit only .159, hits his record-tying 8th Opening Day homer for the Sox.

Texas starts its defense of its American League pennant with a 3 – 2 win over the White Sox at home. Colby Lewis strikes out 9 over 6 innings for the win, outpitching John Danks. Ian Kinsler homers for the Rangers, while Adam Dunn, coming off a year in which he hit only .159, hits his record-tying 8th Opening Day homer for the Sox.

Carlos Pena is the hero as the Rays defeat the Yankees, 7 – 6, on Opening Day. Pena hits a grand slam off CC Sabathia in the 1st, and gets the game-winning hit, again with the bases loaded, off Mariano Rivera. Trailing 6 – 5 heading into the bottom of the 9th at Tropicana Field, the Rays stage a rally against the great “Mo”, when Desmond Jennings leads off with a single and Ben Zobrist triples him in; Rivera issues intentional passes to the next two batters to load the bases, but after striking out Sean Rodriguez, he gives up Pena’s game-ending hit to the base of the right field wall.

Adam Dunn ties a major league record, hitting his eighth Opening Day home run, a leadoff sixth-inning shot off Texas starter Colby Lewis in Chicago’s 3-2 loss in Arlington. The White Sox’ DH, who hit two homers in the first game of the season twice while with Cincinnati in 2005 and 2007, equals the mark established by Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only other players with eight round-trippers in openers.

Roy Halladay is his masterful self as he throws 8 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits, in leading the Phillies to a 1 – 0 Opening Day victory over the Pirates. Jonathan Papelbon records his first save in the National League, while Erik Bedard is the hard-luck loser in his debut for the Bucs. Carlos Ruiz drives in the only run with a sacrifice fly in the 7th.