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.

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.

The Red Sox are now 0-5 after another loss to the Indians at Progressive Field. Holding a 3 – 2 lead, the Indians load the bases with none out against Dennys Reyes in the 6th when an unusual play occurs. Michael Brantleyhits a soft line drive to third base. 3B Kevin Youkilis drops the ball, picks it up and scrambles to the base while the runners hesitate, unsure about what to do; Youkilis then guns the ball to C Jason Varitek, who steps on home plate and moves aside, thinking he has completed a double play, but forgetting that the force has been removed when Youkilis recorded the first out. Travis Buck is as surprised as anyone to learn he is not out and that his run counts. Asdrubal Cabrera then follows with a three-run homer that breaks the game open. Shin-Soo Choo had opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 1st, and Matt LaPorta makes the final score 8 – 4 with another solo homer in the 8th.

The Chicago Cubs place two-fifths of their starting rotation on the disabled list today as Andrew Cashner has a shoulder strain and Randy Wells is experiencing pain in his forearm. The Cubs call up Casey Coleman from the minors and will give James Russell his first major league start in the pair’s absence.

Another of the game’s top sluggers undergoes an emergency appendectomy. Less than a week after Matt Holliday, the White Sox’s Adam Dunn goes under the knife, but the progress in surgical procedures means that he may only miss a handful of games.

The Angels enter the Guinness Book of World Records by asking 43,510 fans to don free Hideki Matsui fleece blankets, shattering the record of 17,758 people wearing fleece blankets at an event (set during a NBA gimmick by the Cleveland Cavaliers).

The Padres’ Chris Young makes a successful comeback from shoulder surgery last year, pitching San Diego to 6 – 3 win over the Diamondbacks. Everth Cabrera drives in four runs for San Diego, as Edwin Jackson is charged with the loss in his first start for Arizona.

The Angels enter the Guinness Book of World Records by asking 43,510 fans to don free Hideki Matsui fleece blankets, shattering the record of 17,758 people wearing fleece blankets at an event (set during a NBA gimmick by the Cleveland Cavaliers).

The Tampa Bay Rays open their season with a walk-off win against the Baltimore Orioles. Trailing 3 – 2 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, the Rays rally against O’s closer Mike Gonzalez. Sean Rodriguez starts the frame with a single, pinch hitter Kelly Shoppach doubles, and Jason Bartlett is walked intentionally to load the bases. Carl Crawford then sends 36,973 fans home happy with a two-run double to right field. Solo homers by Adam Jones, Luke Scott and Matt Wieters off James Shields account for all the Orioles’ runs.

In Toronto, Adam Lind drives in 6 runs, including a three-run homer in the 4th, as the Blue Jays defeat Detroit, 12 – 5, on opening day. Rookie Travis Snider adds a home run off Justin Verlander for the Jays, while Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge, the latter with a three-run shot, go deep for the Tigers off winning pitcher Roy Halladay.