April 9

Joining Roy Oswalt, Barry Zito becomes only the second opposing pitcher to whitewash the Rockies at Coors Field, posting a 7-0 victory. The shutout is the Giants left-hander’s first in 274 starts, the longest span in major league history without one.

Prize Japanese signee Yu Darvish, making his major league debut for the Texas Rangers, gives up 4 runs to the Mariners in the 1st inning before settling down. The Rangers’ offense bails him out with four homers, though, and Darvish pitches into the 6th inning to earn his first win, 11 – 5.

The catchers did it: Carlos Ruiz hits a pinch grand slam off Scott Linebrink in the 7th inning as the Phillies defeat the Braves, 10 – 2. The Phils’ other catcher, Brian Schneider, starting in place of Ruiz, also homers in the game, good for two runs. Ruiz stays in the game and adds a run-scoring double in the 8th, giving him a personal high of 5 RBI in the game. Roy Oswalt records his first career win over Atlanta.

Hiroki Kuroda gets two decisions as the Dodgers sweep a rare southern California doubleheader. In the completion of a suspended game necessitated by four rain delays in San Diego the previous day, Tony Gwynn drives in the winning run in the top of the 11th and Kuroda pitches the bottom of the frame to save the 4 – 2 win. He then starts and wins the regularly-scheduled game, pitching into the 9th inning in a 4 – 0 shutout of the Padres. Jonathan Broxton relieves Kuroda with two out and two on in the 9th; he proceeds to walk Chris Denorfiato load the bases, but the game ends on a rare interference call against baserunner Chase Headley, who collides with 3B Casey Blake as he is attempting to field Cameron Maybin’s ground ball. Broxton has five saves in five outings this season but will soon be lost for the season with an elbow injury.

In his first plate appearance of the season, the Cardinals’ Nick Stavinoha hits a two-run pinch homer off all-time save leader Trevor Hoffman of the Brewers for a 5 – 4 win.

Colby Lewis, who spent the last two seasons in Japan, picks up his first major league win since 2004, when he holds the Seattle Mariners to one run over seven innings in a 6 – 2 Rangers victory.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart is killed in the early hours of the morning in Fullerton, California, hours after making his first start of the season, when the car he is riding in is hit by a van that ran a red light. Two fellow passengers are also killed in the hit-and-run collision. The Angels’ game today is cancelled in mourning.

The Blue Jays beat the Tigers, 6 – 2, as Ricky Romero outduels Rick Porcello. It is only the 19th time since 1901 that opposing starters both make their major league debuts together and it is the first time that two former first-round draft picks debut against one another.

Just hours after pitching six shutout innings against Oakland, Nick Adenhart is killed in a hit-and-run car accident. In memory of the 22 year-old right-handed rookie, the Angels postpone tonight’s game with the A’s.

Cory Sullivan becomes the 11th player in big league history to hit two triples in the same inning, and the first since Gil Coan of the Senators accomplished the feat in 1951. The Colorado leadoff hitter’s two seventh-inning three-baggers contribute to the Rockies’ 10-4 win over the Padres.