The reaction to anything that happens on opening day is usually overblown. We've waited five months for real baseball and then gorge on all that occurs, perhaps briefly forgetting that �there are 161 more games to be played.
Perhaps no one lost the day more than Pete Rose for his opening day ensemble. (And I also lose for not realizing that it was Rose when 'Duk showed me the photo.) But let's look at a few players who had a rough start to their 2011 season on the field.
John Axford blows three-run lead: Does "blown save" really cover what Axford did on Thursday versus the Cincinnati Reds? Regardless, Axford was handed a three-run lead in his 2011 debut as the Milwaukee Brewers closer. The first three hitters he faced reached base (thanks partly to a poor fielder's choice by Casey McGehee), but Axford still had two outs when Ramon Hernandez stepped to the plate. Unfortunately, Axford left a fastball up and out over the plate and Hernandez crushed it up and out over the right-field wall for a three-run, walk-off homer.
Edinson Volquez serves up three home runs: The beneficiary of Axford's meltdown was probably Volquez, whose awful performance was overshadowed by Hernandez's walk-off heroics. The Reds starter gave up home runs to the first two Brewers batters he faced, including an upper-deck shot by noted slugger Carlos Gomez (17 career homers coming into 2011).
Albert Pujols goes 0 for 5: Jeff Passan already covered this in full, calling Thursday the worst game of Pujols' career. The St. Louis Cardinals first baseman said it was "just a bad game," and he's right. But Pujols has thrived on opening day, hitting .472� in season debuts (including a 4-for-5, two-homer performance last year). On Thursday, he grounded into three double plays, something he's never done before.
Miguel Tejada confirms Giants fans' worst fears: Maybe going 0 for 4 could be excused when Clayton Kershaw allowed only four hits in seven innings. But Tim Lincecum was keeping pace with Kershaw until his defense let him down. Tejada threw wide of second base on a sixth-inning force play, and the error led to the Los Angeles Dodgers' first run.
One, two, three strikeouts for Alex Avila: Starting the left-handed Avila against lefty CC Sabathia was a curious choice by Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland. Most days, Avila will sit versus lefties while Victor Martinez gets the start. But Leyland apparently wanted his third-year catcher to get an opening day start. Avila struck out twice versus New York's Sabathia, and though the box score says Tigers pitchers threw three wild pitches, at least two of those could've been scored as passed balls.
Michael Morse and Nationals get shut out: Livan Hernandez gave up only two runs for the Washington Nationals. Could he get a little help from his lineup? One of the primary culprits was Morse, who twice batted with runners in scoring position but couldn't come through. He went 0 for 4 on the day with two strikeouts, stranding four baserunners.
Alex Gordon almost redeems himself, but doesn't: After hitting .343 in spring training, Gordon looked ready to have a turnaround season for the Kansas City Royals. He still might, but an 0-for-5 batting line -- including three strikeouts and five men left on base -- makes it an uphill climb. Gordon had a chance to be a ninth-inning hero, batting with two runners on. He even hit a long drive down the left-field line that looked like the game-winner. But it went foul, and Gordon eventually struck out.
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