Walks in the 9th with the bases empty Monday:

• Aaron Crow, up by 2 runs, 1 out.
• Craig Kimbrel, up by 2 runs, no outs.
• Mitchell Boggs, tied, no outs.
• J.J. Hoover, up by 9 runs, 2 outs. (Oy!)

Braves 2, @Marlins 0: While the nation was focused on Hotlanta hoops, the horsehide brigade rolled down I-75 and spoiled Miami’s home opener — not that the fans minded much.

• Paul Maholm‘s 7 one-hit frames had only 2 spots of bother, both featuring a walk to Giancarlo (get used to it). Maholm is the first Brave since Maddux ’01 to start off with consecutive scoreless wins in the opening month.
• Craig Kimbrel came in with a 2-run lead, got 0-and-2 on Giancarlo, then walked him. Monkey see, monkey do, I guess … But really, sometimes closers see every at-bat as a pissing contest. Dude, you walk him there, it’s the same as a 500-foot bomb: he beat you. Kimbrel had 2 more full counts, and Miami got the winning run to the plate, before he finally overwhelmed Adeiny Hechavarria.
• I’m surprised: Searching B-R for “the upton” still brings up B.J. — that might change soon. Through 7 games, big bro is 3 for 25, 1 RBI; “JUS10” is doing a tad better.
• The Marlins & Astros can both tie the searchable record of being blanked 4 times in the first 8 games; shared by the 1963 Mets (51-111) and 1947 Browns (59-95). Four is also the record for the first N games up to 13. The 1987 Royals suffered their 5th shutout in their 14th game (capping a 4-out-of-5 nightmare), but were in 1st place on July 5 and finished 83-79.

@Mariners 3, Astros 0: A home opener, an early lead and a struggling opponent. It was shaping up as a beautiful night for northwest baseball — but then….

• “Stop the show!” Eric Wedge just had to make the 8th-inning stroll, with a 3-run lead, 2 outs and none on, to fetch a LOOGY for Rick Ankiel. And you call yourself an action figure? If you can’t help yourself, at least do that junk in the 7th, when fans can still get a beer.
• Am I nuts, or is this a clean bunt hit? It was scored a sacrifice and fielder’s choice. How were they going to get him at first base? The first baseman, charging full throttle, called off the pitcher to go for the play at the plate; he could not have turned and thrown out Gutierrez. Could the pitcher have made the play? Look where the ball died, and the angle he would have had to throw. That’s a hit all the way. (BTW, the video clip was titled “perfect bunt single” last night, but has now been cleansed.)

@Giants 4, Rockies 2: The reigning MVP finally broke into the RBI column, but he still has more GDPs than [runs+ribbies].

• The Rox had just 6 hits as their win streak ended, but they still have a higher BA on the road than at home.
• Brandon Belt: the latest evidence that spring stats mean next to nothing.

Pirates 5, @Diamondbacks 3: Still just 5 hits for the Bucs, their 6th time in 7 games at or below that number. But they bunched ’em early, and exploited Trevor Cahill’s 2-out walks to Russell Martin (0 for 17) and Pedro Alvarez (2 for 25) when Travis Snider got his first hit of the year, good for a pair.

• Justifyin’ Justin Wilson (you’d get it if you were a Cajun) faced the minimum in his 3 innings after the Pirates edged ahead, and has gotten 13 outs from as many batters over 2 games. A starter by trade, he led the I.L. in H/9 and was 2nd in strikeouts last year; he might be in the rotation before long.

Reds 13, @Cardinals 4: Your basic 9-run 9th in a tied home opener, and it started with a you-know-what to the leadoff man. (Hint: It took 4 pitches.) 

• Maybe the game was already lost at 5-4, but after the balls Mitchell Boggs had thrown so far that inning, how can you intentionally walk the bases loaded and leave him in?

Brewers 7, @Cubs 4: Marco Estrada gives up a lot of home runs, and with his medium velocity and consistent strike-throwing, he probably always will. Here’s one I don’t mind: Up 5-0 in the 2nd, 1 on and 1 out, full count to Welington Castillo. Better to put the ball on a tee than walk him. So Welington got to trot, but Marco got the next two outs and avoided a big inning. He went to 3 balls 7 times in his 7 IP (all full counts), but gave no walks until his final frame.

@Red Sox 3, Orioles 1: Seeing them scoreless in the 7th prompted a search: The last time the O’s beat the BoSox 1-0 in extra innings was 1930, when the Browns’ Red Kress drove in Lu Blue in the 11th — a game that took one hour and 19 minutes. Sure enough, I couldn’t get the period on the sentence before Daniel Nava launched a 3-ball from outside the gym.

Yankees 11, @Indians 6: Before you could unwrap your first Cleveland Steak Sandwich, Ubaldo got Pronked on a 2-and-0 meatball. Thanks a bunch, Travis … from the team that paid you almost $1 million per HR over the past 5 years.

• Why Tribe fans feel cursed, chapter 1,001: Off to a blistering start, Carlos Santana got his thumb jammed on an apparent cross-up. Diagnosed as a bruise, thank goodness — but if it’s anything like the jammed finger this scribe suffered playing “running bases” with kids in the Shea parking lot on Opening Day, Carlos won’t be squeezing the bat well for a week or so.

@Royals 3, Twins 1: You’re thinking, Ervin Santana’s an unlucky draw for KC’s home opener — then he goes 8 strong, scattering 8 singles with just 1 walk. From 2006-12, only Bronson Arroyo gave up more gophers than Ervin. When he gives up none, he’s 50-17, 2.42. One HR, 38-32, 4.97. Two or more taters, 9-32, 7.22. Last year he served 2 or more a dozen times.

Mets 7, @Phillies 2: An expected mismatch. The Mets hadn’t beaten Halladay in 9 starts since 2001. But the good Doctor’s not in, and Matt Harvey‘s for real. This was a big-league lineup, not the Padres he toyed with last week, but Harvey dictated. The Phils threatened early, with a walk and steal by Revere, to 3rd on a groundout. But no ride home — Utley pop-up, Howard 3-point U-turn. The Mets struck quickly after Halladay hit Duda with his 3rd straight inside breaking ball. John Buck, the million-dollar throw-in, read a lazy 2-0 cutter away and drilled it into the RF seats. Doc passed 2 in the 3rd — hadn’t walked 2 in a game in those last 9 starts vs. NYM — and Duda cashed one with a 2-out hit. Harvey got away with one danger pitch to Ryan Howard, 2 on; the old Howard would’ve creamed it, but this year’s model just flied to right, bringing the only run Harvey would suffer. Three hits in the 5th chased the Doctor away, with no help from his relief. After the long inning, Harvey started his 5th with a 4-pitch walk, but fanned the next 3 on 11 pitches, and breezed through his last two stanzas.

• Harvey’s flummoxed the Phils in both chances: 14 IP, 16 Ks, 4 hits, 2 runs, combined.
• Other Mets to start a year with two 9-K games: Pedro, 2005 (3 games, 30 Ks, 22 IP, 8 hits, 4 walks), and David Cone, ’92.
• Best first-12-starts ERA by a Met: Jim McAndrew, 2.28 ERA, 1968; Matt Harvey, 2.33 ERA, 2012-13; Tom Seaver, 2.39 ERA, 1967. Most strikeouts in that span: Gooden, 93, 1984; Harvey, 89; Nolan Ryan, 85, 1966-68.