Brewers slugger Ryan Braun is greeted by boos in his first appearance in Philadelphia since serving a 65-game suspension for PED use, but he gets his revenge by hitting his first three homers of the year to lead his team to a 10 – 4 win. His first long ball, off Kyle Kendrick in the 3rd, is Braun’s first since May 22, 2013, ending the longest drought of his career, while his 7 RBIs tie a team record. He also makes a great catch in right field, robbing the Phillies of two runs when he snags Carlos Ruiz’s sinking line drive to end the 2nd inning.

The White Sox explode for 6 home runs, including the first two of Cuban defector Jose Abreu’s career, as they defeat Colorado, 15 – 3, in a game typical of Coors Field. Avisail Garciaalso hits two homers, and Tyler Flowers and Alexei Ramirez each go deep once as the White Sox score 11 times over the last three innings to break open what was a close game until then.

Joe Nathan picks up his 300th career save for the Rangers with a bit of assistance from umpire Marty Foster. With Texas up, 5 – 4, the tying run on third base and a full count on Ben Zobrist of Tampa Bay, Nathan throws a change-up that appears to be both low and outside. Zobrist tosses his bat and begins walking to first base when Foster makes a belated strikecall, ending the game, to the disbelief of both Nathan and Rays manager Joe Maddon. Foster later admits he blew the call.

The Reds spoil the Cardinals’ home opener by scoring 9 runs in the top of the 9th to break a 4 – 4 tie and win, 13 – 4. Stand-in closer Mitchell Boggs gives up the first seven runs while recording only a single out. Shin-Soo Choo, who committed a couple of errors on dropped fly balls earlier in the game, starts the ball rolling by drawing a lead-off walk off Boggs, then hits a three-run double when the Reds bat around. Before the game, the Cardinals unveil a huge number 6 on the outfield fence at Busch Stadium, in tribute to team great Stan Musialwho passed away during the winter.

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.

Jose Tabata doubles off Franklin Morales to end a 14-inning, 5 hour, 11 minute, marathon between the Rockies and Pirates. With the Pirates’ bench and bullpen both depleted, the score tied at 3-all with two outs and Josh Rodriguez on first, Rockies’ manager Jim Tracy declines to issue an intentional walk to Tabata, who hit a solo homer earlier in the game, in order to face P Garrett Olson, and pays the price. The Pirates bullpen puts together a stellar performance: 6 pitchers combine to keep Colorado off the scoreboard for 11 1/3 innings after relieving starter Ross Ohlendorf with a 3 – 0 deficit in the 3rd inning.

The Red Sox finally record their first win of the season after starting 0-6, defeating their arch-rivals the New York Yankees, 9 – 6, in their home opener. Dustin Pedroia hits a homer in his first at-bat with his team down 2 – 0 and finishes the day with 3 hits and as many RBI to lead the Boston attack. John Lackey is the winner in spite of giving up 6 runs over 5 innings.

Randy Wells, one of the National League’s top rookie pitchers in 2009, picks up where he left off, pitching six shutout innings in leading the Cubs to their first win of the season, a 2 – 0 blanking of the Braves and fellow sophomore Tommy Hanson. Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd hit solo homers for the game’s only runs.