Vince Velasquez struck out a career-high nine over six innings in his Philadelphia debut and Ryan Howard homered off Bartolo Colon as the Phillies got their first win this season, 1-0 over the New York Mets.
Velasquez (1-0), a 23-year-old right-hander acquired in the seven-player offseason deal that sent closer Ken Giles to Houston, struggled through a 26-pitch first inning, but retired Neil Walker on an inning-ending flyout with two on. New York did not put two runners on in an inning after that.
Velasquez made seven starts and 12 relief appearances as a rookie last year. Helping the rebuilding Phillies avoid what would have been their first 0-5 start since 1934, he gave up three hits and three walks.
Photo: AFP
Hector Neris, Daniel Stumpf, David Hernandez and Jeanmar Gomez combined for hitless relief, sealing just the second win for the Phillies in their last 12 games at Citi Field. Gomez got three outs for his second career save, his first since July 2014 with Pittsburgh.
YANKEES 8, TIGERS 4
In Detroit, Michigan, C.C. Sabathia pitched into the seventh inning in his return for New York as Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran homered in the cold to lift the Yankees past Detroit.
Sabathia (1-0) allowed three runs and four hits in six-plus innings in his first start since missing the post-season last year while undergoing alcohol rehabilitation. He retired the first nine batters he faced and had only one really messy stretch, in the fourth. Rodriguez gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first with his 688th career homer, and Beltran hit a two-run shot in the fifth.
Mike Pelfrey (0-1) allowed six runs and eight hits in 3-2/3 innings in his first start for the Tigers after signing with Detroit in the offseason.
The temperature at game time was minus-0.5oC, the coldest in Comerica Park history, according to STATS.
DODGERS 3, GIANTS 2
In San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner hit another home run off Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw, but both aces were done by the time Charlie Culberson hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning to lift Los Angeles over San Francisco.
Chris Hatcher (1-0) retired pinch hitter Joe Panik on a called third strike to send the game into extras, then Kenley Jansen finished for his second save. The Dodgers were on the other side of a 3-2 result in 10 innings a night earlier.
Bumgarner struck out eight and Kershaw had five Ks in his eight innings for another impressive duel between the ace left handers.
Bumgarner hit a solo homer off Kershaw in the second inning, his second in two seasons against his National League West rival.
George Kontos (0-1) gave up a one-out double to Corey Seager before Culberson’s extra-base hit.
In other MLB action, it was:
‧ Astros 6, Brewers 4
‧ Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 4
‧ Reds 5, Pirates 1
‧ White Sox 7, Indians 3
‧ Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Cardinals 12, Braves 2
‧ Athletics 6, Mariners 1
‧ Padres 16, Rockies 3
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