At Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, the Nationals win their first game representing Washington, D.C. by beating the Phillies, 7-3. The historic win features the team’s center fielder Brad Wilkerson hitting for the cycle for the second time in his career.

In an on-line poll in which nearly 8,000 fans participate, Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie is selected as the title of a documentary about the 2003 season. Other choices offered by the team and the Boston Globe web sites included This Is the Year, The Ecstasy and the Agony and Always the Bridesmaid in addition to fan’s wry suggestion of I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Wish I Didn’t Know What You Did Last Fall.

The World Champion Florida Marlins open their season with a 4 – 3 win over the Montreal Expos. The game marks the first time that two World Series MVPs oppose each other on Opening Day‚ with 2003 winner Josh Beckett going for Florida and 1997 winner Livan Hernandez on the mound for Montreal. Like Beckett, Hernandez was a member of the Marlins when he was named World Series MVP.

The Mets open their season with a 7 – 2 win over the Braves. SS Kazuo Matsui, making his American baseball debut, opens the game with a home run on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz‚ becoming only the 20th player in baseball history to homer on the first major league pitch he sees. Matsui adds a pair of doubles and two walks in his debut. He is the third player in Met history to homer in his first at bat‚ joining Mike Fitzgerald and Benny Ayala.

The Giants down the Astros‚ 7 – 5‚ as rookie P David Aardsma gets the win in his first major league appearance. With his first pitch of the game, Aardsma also replaces Hank Aaron in the top spot in baseball’s all-time alphabetical listing.

Adrian Beltre becomes the 36th player in baseball history to hit 100 home runs before the age of 25. The Dodger third baseman joins Cal Ripken Jr. and Lou Gehrig to have exactly 100 homers on their 25th birthday.

On Opening Day at Bank One Ballpark, Diamondbacks’ outfielder Luis Gonzalez and Rockies’ second baseman Luis Gonzalez each homered, making it only the second time in major league history players with the same first and last names homered in the same game. The first occurrence happened when Ken Griffey Jr., and his dad, Ken Griffey, playing for the Mariners, hit back-to-back homers off Angels’ hurler Kirk McCaskill in 1990.

David Aardsma surpasses Hank Aaron in an unlikely category. ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ will no longer be the first player named alphabetically in baseball history books when the Giants hurler makes his major-league debut against the Astros.

The White Sox score 9 runs in the 8th inning to rally for a 10 – 2 win over the Tigers. Detroit becomes the first team since the 1962-1963 Mets to lose its first 6 games of the season in consecutive years.

The Pirates shut out the Phillies‚ 2 – 0‚ behind Kris Benson. Philadelphia’s Jim Thome goes 0 for 4‚ ending his streak of reaching base safely in 60 straight games‚ the longest streak in the majors since Mark McGwirereached base in 62 games in a row in 1995 and 1996.