Game Recap

Derek Lowe lived up to every dollar the Braves spent on him this offseason.

After seeing guys like CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett sign huge contracts with the Yankees, Lowe seemed to many as only the third or fourth best option in the starting pitcher market this offseason.

The Braves, desperate to find starting pitching help, signed the starter to a four-year deal.  Braves' GM Frank Wren looked pretty smart on opening day, did he not?

Derek Lowe’s debut for the Braves was one to remember.

Lowe threw eight innings of shut out ball in Philadelphia’s Citizen Bank Ballpark. He only gave up two hits and struck out four Phillies batters. He was the highlight on defense for Atlanta.

Hitting was a completely different story. In the first, catcher Brian McCann hit a two-run home run off of starter Brett Myers to give the Braves an early 2-0 lead.

There won't be any beer served at Citizens Bank Park the rest of the season.

Why?

Because the Phillies lost the Opener.  (ba dum bum)

It's one of my father's favorite jokes.  And sadly, it comes out more often than not this time of year.

Whether it's a Punxatawny Phil-like projection of what's to come remains to be seen.  However, it should be noted that historically, Aprils have not been kind to the Fightin's. 

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto pitched well in the final warm up before the regular season begins. Cueto looked dominant as he pitched four innings giving up only one run and four hits while he walked one and struck out one.

Daniel Ray Hererra added yet another scoreless inning to end a very pleasant spring and surprising many.

Reds pitcher Pedro Viola gave the Futures team some hope as he gave up five runs on six hits including two dingers in the 8th.

The Phillies concluded their spring schedule the same way they started it: with a loss.

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Phillies this afternoon by a score of 9-7 in a game that was affected very much by strong winds.

Cole Hamels got the start for the Phils and struggled from the outset. He was charged with six earned runs on six hits in five innings of work.

In what was the last spring tune up for the New York Yankees, and only the second game played in the new Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers topped the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, 10-1.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the afternoon was the hitting show put on by the Yanks’ $180 million off-season acquisition Mark Teixeira.

The new first baseman had two home runs in today’s game, smacking a solo homer into the right-center field bleachers in the third inning and a three-run dinger into the upper deck in right field in the fourth.

As the Reds said goodbye to Ed Smith Stadium Pittsburgh sent the away with another loss to end their spring in Sarasota Florida.

All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez struggled as he gave up three runs (two earned runs) and walked three and gave up five hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Volquez had four K's.

All indications were that Brad Penny simply needed not to implode in his final spring training outing Thursday against Minnesota in order to secure the final rotation spot on the Red Sox. He did not disappoint, allowing three runs in five innings in the Sox's 7-3 loss.

Michael Cuddyer did most of the damage, driving in all three runs on a triple and a double. Penny struck out three and walked none, facing 19 batters and exiting with the game tied.

Roy tossed fpur innings in his last start before the season opener (woohoo!) and Chris Johnson isn’t going out without a fight…even though, in reality, he doesn’t have a chance.

'Stros at the Plate

“Michael Bourn led off the third with a double, stole third and scored on a base hit by Kazuo Matsui. Darin Erstad knocked a solo homer in the sixth. Chris Johnson drove in a run with a triple in the seventh and scored on a Reggie Abercrombie sacrifice fly.”

Josh Beckett was shaky in his final spring training start before the Red Sox's season opener against Tampa Bay this Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk with just one strikeout.

This start was mainly a final tune-up for Beckett, nothing major. But the Sox's opening day starter takes every start as seriously as he would during the regular season.