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.

ByBaseball

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.

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.

ByBaseball

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.

Tim Raines, recently elected to the Hall of Fame is honored before a huge crowd gathered for a pre-season exhibition game featuring the Blue Jays and Pirates at Stade Olympique. Stephen Bronfman, former Montreal Expos minority owner and spokesman for the “Montreal Baseball Group” tells the media the group has assembled the needed capital and has plans for building a ballpark in Montreal, QC, adding that when Commissioner Rob Manfred calls on them to ether relocate a team or proceed with expansion, the group will be ready.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Tim Raines, recently elected to the Hall of Fame is honored before a huge crowd gathered for a pre-season exhibition game featuring the Blue Jays and Pirates at Stade Olympique. Stephen Bronfman, former Montreal Expos minority owner and spokesman for the “Montreal Baseball Group” tells the media the group has assembled the needed capital and has plans for building a ballpark in Montreal, QC, adding that when Commissioner Rob Manfred calls on them to ether relocate a team or proceed with expansion, the group will be ready.

SunTrust Park, located in Cobb County, GA, is inaugurated with an exhibition game between the Braves and Yankees. The contest is held in spite of the collapse of a span of Interstate 85, which bisects downtown Atlanta, GA, creating huge traffic problems. The new suburban ballpark will get its official opening in two weeks.

ByTom

SunTrust Park, located in Cobb County, GA, is inaugurated with an exhibition game between the Braves and Yankees. The contest is held in spite of the collapse of a span of Interstate 85, which bisects downtown Atlanta, GA, creating huge traffic problems. The new suburban ballpark will get its official opening in two weeks.

2017 – The announcement that the Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas, NV puts an end to the last ballpark-sharing arrangement between a Major League Baseball team and an NFL franchise. The Oakland Athletics will now be the sole tenant at the O.co Coliseum, a situation that may make it easier to resolve the ballpark issues that have plagued the franchise for decades.

ByTom

2017 – The announcement that the Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas, NV puts an end to the last ballpark-sharing arrangement between a Major League Baseball team and an NFL franchise. The Oakland Athletics will now be the sole tenant at the O.co Coliseum, a situation that may make it easier to resolve the ballpark issues that have plagued the franchise for decades.

2017 – Eight Angels pitchers combine to no-hit the Mariners, 4 – 0, in a Grapefruit League game. They need three diving defensive stops in the 9th to complete the feat, as 1B C.J. Cron, RF Shane Robinson and 3B Sherman Johnson pull out all the stops to help Abel De Los Santos close out the win. The other hurlers who see action are Bud Norris, Jose Alvarez, Cam Bedrosian, Andrew Bailey, Austin Adams, Drew Gagnon and Justin Anderson.

ByTom

2017 – Eight Angels pitchers combine to no-hit the Mariners, 4 – 0, in a Grapefruit League game. They need three diving defensive stops in the 9th to complete the feat, as 1B C.J. Cron, RF Shane Robinson and 3B Sherman Johnson pull out all the stops to help Abel De Los Santos close out the win. The other hurlers who see action are Bud Norris, Jose Alvarez, Cam Bedrosian, Andrew Bailey, Austin Adams, Drew Gagnon and Justin Anderson.

2017 – In the second semi-final game of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, the United States defeats Japan, 2 – 1, to reach the finals for the first time, where they will face unbeaten Puerto Rico. In a game dominated by pitching, the U.S. goes ahead in the 4th as Andrew McCutchen singles in Christian Yelich, but that is all that they manage in six innings against Japanese starter Tomoyuki Sugano. Japan ties the score in the 6th on a homer by Ryosuke Kikuchi, but a bobble by 3B Nobuhiro Matsuda in the 8th allows Brandon Crawford to score the go-ahead run. Mark Melancon, Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson then get the final six outs to close out the win.

ByTom

2017 – In the second semi-final game of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, the United States defeats Japan, 2 – 1, to reach the finals for the first time, where they will face unbeaten Puerto Rico. In a game dominated by pitching, the U.S. goes ahead in the 4th as Andrew McCutchen singles in Christian Yelich, but that is all that they manage in six innings against Japanese starter Tomoyuki Sugano. Japan ties the score in the 6th on a homer by Ryosuke Kikuchi, but a bobble by 3B Nobuhiro Matsuda in the 8th allows Brandon Crawford to score the go-ahead run. Mark Melancon, Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson then get the final six outs to close out the win.

The Yankees no-hit the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game, 3 – 0. Masahiro Tanaka strikes out 6 in 4 1/3 innings, Chasen Shreve completes the 5th inning, and rookie Jordan Montgomery completes the feat with four perfect innings.

ByTom

The Yankees no-hit the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game, 3 – 0. Masahiro Tanaka strikes out 6 in 4 1/3 innings, Chasen Shreve completes the 5th inning, and rookie Jordan Montgomery completes the feat with four perfect innings.

Investigators into the fatal boat accident that killed young Marlins star P Jose Fernandez last September have determined that he was piloting the speeding vessel when it crashed into a jetty in Miami, FL harbor. He was also above the legal limit for alcohol and had trace amounts of cocaine in his system at the time of his death.

ByTom

Investigators into the fatal boat accident that killed young Marlins star P Jose Fernandez last September have determined that he was piloting the speeding vessel when it crashed into a jetty in Miami, FL harbor. He was also above the legal limit for alcohol and had trace amounts of cocaine in his system at the time of his death.

The Dominican Republic gets back to its winning ways in the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic as six pitchers combine to shut out Venezuela, 3 – 0. Edinson Volquez starts things off with 4 1/3 scoreless innings then in the 5th Gregory Polanco homers off Jhoulys Chacin to give the D.R. the only run it needs. The Dominicans add a couple of insurance runs, with Nelson Cruz also going deep in the 8th, off Arcenio Leon, before Jeurys Familia strikes out the side around a pair of singles in the 9th to close out the win.

ByTom

The Dominican Republic gets back to its winning ways in the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic as six pitchers combine to shut out Venezuela, 3 – 0. Edinson Volquez starts things off with 4 1/3 scoreless innings then in the 5th Gregory Polanco homers off Jhoulys Chacin to give the D.R. the only run it needs. The Dominicans add a couple of insurance runs, with Nelson Cruz also going deep in the 8th, off Arcenio Leon, before Jeurys Familia strikes out the side around a pair of singles in the 9th to close out the win.