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.

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.

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.

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.

Bryce Harper, providing all of the offense the Nationals will need, becomes the youngest player to homer twice on Opening Day. The 20 year-old outfielder, playing in his first Opening Day as a major leaguer, hits solo shots in the first and fourth frame in Washington’s 2-0 victory over Miami.

Rockies reliever Adam Ottavino, who will end the day with an 0-1 record when he gives up a walk-off sac fly in an Opening Day loss to Milwaukee, becomes the first big league pitcher to wear the number 0, joining position players Oddibe McDowell (1985-88), Junior Ortiz (1989-2004), and Al Oliver (1978-85). Several players, including hurlers including Bobo Newsome (1943), Curtis Leskanic (2000-01), Rick White (2005-06), and Brian Wilson (2003-14), have donned a double-zero.

For the first time since the New York Mets started play in 1962, both New York teams open the season at home on the same day. The Mets improve their Opening Day record to a major league best 34-18 by crushing the Padres, 11 – 2, behind the pitching of Jon Niese and a double and grand slam from new CF Collin Cowgill. Things aren’t so good for the Yankees, who lose to the Red Sox, 8 – 2.

The legend of Bryce Harper keeps growing. He homers off Miami’s Ricky Nolasco in his first two at-bats of the season and accounts for all of the Nationals’ runs in a 2 – 0 Opening Day win at home. Harper, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, is the youngest player to homer twice on Opening Day. Stephen Strasburg gets the win, giving up three hits and no walks in seven innings.