IN THE NEWS: Bill Singer of the Dodgers is credited with the first official save, as Los Angeles defeats Cincinnati 32, scoring once in the 2nd and twice in the 3rd off Gary Nolan. All the Cincy scoring came in the opening inning when Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan hit Don Drysdale's first two pitches for home runs. They'll hit leadoff homers again in August.
St. Louis drops their home opener to the Pirates 62 in 14 innings.
The Expos get SS Bobby Wine from the Phils as a replacement for P Larry Jackson, who retired instead of going to Montreal in the expansion draft. Wine will play regularly for three years.
At RFK Stadium, 45,000 fans, including President Richard Nixon, look on as Ted Williams makes his managerial debut for the Senators. The Yanks spoil it, winning 84, pinning the loss on Camilo Pascual, and routing him in the third inning with back-to-back homers by Jerry Kenney and Bobby Murcer. Playing for the old Senators, Pascual lost the '56 opener to New York, and the '57 opener to the Orioles. He won the 1960 opener against the Red Sox and, for the new Washington Senators, lost last year's opener to the Twins. Mel Stottlemyre wins his 3rd straight opening complete game, despite giving up 14 hits.
IN THE NEWS: Expansion teams Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Pilots make things look easy by winning their first regular-season games. The Expos win by scoring 11 runs against the Mets to win 1110. Pitcher Dan McGinn cracks the Expos first homer to help keep the Mets winless for openers. The host Royals edge the Twins in 12 innings, 43.
In the Padres victory over Houston, the leadoff batter at Jack Murphy Stadium is Astro outfielder Jesus Alou. Brother Matty Alou, with the Pirates, was the first batter up at the opening of Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium on April 12, 1966, and Brother Felipe, playing for Atlanta, was the first batter up when Busch Stadium opened in St. Louis a month later.
In a move to resolve the aborted Rusty StaubDonn Clendenon trade, Montreal keeps Clendenon and completes the deal by sending pitchers Jack Billingham and Skip Guinn, and an estimated $100,000 to compensate the Astros. Montreal will finally peddle Clendenon on the trade deadline date.
After a long recovery following a August 1967 beaning, Tony Conigliaro starts his first game for Boston. His dramatic 2-run 10th-inning home run gives the Red Sox a brief lead, and his 12th-inning run wins it, 54 over the O's at Baltimore.
In the opener at Wrigley Field, the Cubs trail the Phillies 65 with one on in the 11th when Willie Smith hits a pinch homer into the RF bleachers to give Chicago the win. The Cubs will not drop out of first place for 155 days. Ernie Banks has a pair of homers for Chicago and is matched by Don Money's pair.
IN THE NEWS: Billy Williams ties the major-league record for doubles in a game with four straight in Chicago's 113 win against the Phillies.
The Royals, who debuted with a 43 win over the Twins in 12 innings, travel further to win by the same score in 17 frames. The Twins final run comes with the score tied 22 in the 5th inning, when with Roger Nelson pitching, Rod Carew steals home for the first time in his career. Billy Martin and Carew had worked on the play in spring training, where Carew had twice swiped home. Carew will be 66 on attempts before being caught at home.
Johnny Podres, out of baseball in 1968, makes a brilliant start for San Diego, allowing 2 hits in 7 innings in a 20 win over Houston. Sisk finishes the shutout as Larry Dierker takes the loss.
IN THE NEWS: Bill Freehan smashes two homersone with the sacks fullto lead the Tigers to a 123 win over the Indians. Mickey Lolich beats Sam McDowell.
Frank Howard bangs a pair of homers, giving him four in three games, in the Senators 96 win over the Yankees. Fritz Peterson gives 10 hits and six runs in taking the loss. For the Yanks, Fernandez hits a pair of homers, one a grand slam.
IN THE NEWS: Before 14,993, Seattle successfully inaugurates ML baseball at Sicks Stadium, as Gary Bell defeats Chicago 70. The Pilots will draw just 678,000 for the season.
Paul Flesner is baseball's first DH, going to bat in a Texas League game between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Amarillo. He is 2-for-4 with four RBIs as the visiting Amarillo Sonics win 85 in 11 innings.
IN THE NEWS: With the temperature at 39 degrees at Cleveland, the Red Sox down the Indians, 53. Allowing one hit in four innings of relief, Bill Landis wins his 3rd of the season.
At Detroit, the Yanks Mel Stottlemyre allows just one hit - a 4th inning double by Bill Northrup - in beating Denny McLain and the Tigers, 40. For the 3rd time in two years, Northrup saves the Tigers from being the victims of a no hitter.
IN THE NEWS: After two years of arm trouble, the O's Jim Palmer shuts out the Senators, 20, on a four-hitter. It is Palmer's first appearance for the Orioles since September 19, 1967.
IN THE NEWS: At Cincinnati, the Reds and Giants battle for 12 innings before the Reds win, 1110. The game is 55 at the end of eight innings, and teams score three in the 9th and two runs in the 10th. Johnny Bench's bases-loaded single off Gaylord Perry ends it in the 12th.
IN THE NEWS: The Orioles take first place in the American League East with an 118 win at Boston, in a game stopped in the last half of the 8th because of rain. Baltimore will remain in 1st place the rest of the season. Billy Conigliaro, playing in place of his brother, smashes a pair of homers for his first ML hits, but Don Buford, Paul Blair and Brooks Robinson answer for the O's.
Sal Bando hits the first grand slam in Oakland's history to lead the A's to a 61 victory over the Angels.
IN THE NEWS: Bill Stoneman's first win as a starter is a no-hitter for Montreal at Philadelphia. Rusty Staub's home run, three doubles, and three RBI pace a 50 win.
IN THE NEWS: The American Association opens the season using the DPH rule, which the major leagues dropped near the end of spring training. The DPH will also be used in International League (AAA), the Eastern League (AA), and the Arizona Instructional League. Larry Osborne (Omaha; 0-4,1 BB, one run) and John Brandt (0-4) are the ones in Oklahoma City. Denver's Charles Weatherspoon (1-4) and William Wolff (1-3, one BB) are the DPHers in Tulsa. Tulsa manager Warren Spahn calls the DPH rule "terrible." (as noted by John Lewis).
IN THE NEWS: Harmon Killebrew beats the Angels defensive shift by hitting an opposite field 9th inning single through the open right side of the infield to give the Twins a 65 win. Rod Carew ties the score in the 7th with a steal of home. The Twins have won five straight.
IN THE NEWS: After belting homers his first two at bats, Reggie Jackson is decked twice by pitches from Dick Woodsen and charges the mound. Reggie gets tossed but the A's win, 64, over the Twins.
IN THE NEWS: Giants C Jack Hiatt hits a 2-run first-inning home run and a 13th-inning grand slam to pace a 128 victory over Houston. Hiatt has seven RBIs in the game.
The Sox rally for two runs in the 9th to beat the Twins, 65, at Comiskey Park. Minnesota goes ahead in the 8th on a 3-run pinch homer by Graig Nettles. Buddy Bradford hits a tremendous home run for Chicago, the ball landing on the roof of the LF stands, just the 10th player to do it.
IN THE NEWS: The Baseball Records Committee says Babe Ruth should be credited with 715 home runs, because a hit on July 8, 1918 recognized as a triple should have been ruled a home run. The recommendation is ignored.
The Red Sox beat the Tigers, 74, with Carl Yastrzemski hitting a pair of homersone a grand slam. Yaz's blows give the Sox a record for most homers in 10 straight games with 26.
IN THE NEWS: Harmon Killebrew hits his 400th home run, and the Twins take first place in the American League West by beating Chicago 43.
The Giants sweep Houston 85 and 43 as Willie McCovey hits three home runs in each game. McCovey has eight home runs for the month.
Led by Frank Robinson's eight RBIs, the first place Orioles sweep a pair from the Yankees, 60 and 105. Robby has two homers and four singles. Mike Cuellar shuts out the Yanks, beating Stan Bahnsen (0-5).
Sal Bando drives in seven runs with two homers and a single as the A's beat the Pilots, 135. Starter and winner Rollie Fingers needs relief help with two out in the 9th.
IN THE NEWS: San Francisco's hit-by-pitch specialist Ron Hunt ties the major-league record when nailed three times by Cincinnati pitchers. A Bobby Bonds home run in the 13th seals it for San Francisco 43.
IN THE NEWS: The Reds Jim Maloney hurls his first 9-inning no-hitter, and 3rd overall. He has 13 strikeouts and Bobby Tolan drives in four runs as Cincinnati romps over Houston 100.
Against the Seattle Pilots, the Twins score three in the 5th to go ahead 40. Then with the bases loaded, they pull off a triple steal with Rod Carew swiping home for the 3rd time this month en route to a 64 win. The Twins will pull off two more triple steals in 1969.
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