Athletics 10, @Angels 9 (11 inn.) — Oakland blew a late 3-run lead even without Jim Johnson’s involvement, but they still came out smiling. Josh Donaldson yanked a tie-breaking double inside third base, and the deposed $10-million closer made that enough for the win. Mike Trout had tied the game in the 9th, then got himself halfway home in the 11th with his first stolen base. Johnson used the open sack to pass the lately-potent Pujols and pursue a personal demon named Raul Ibanez; this time, the pitcher prevailed.

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Going free-form this time, starting with Sunday:

Miami’s 7-game skid is the first more than four this year. Chase Utley’s game-winning homer raised his BA to .500, with a hit in all 10 games played. He had a 35-gamer back in 2006; the longest in one season since 1987 is 36 by his DP mate Jimmy Rollins, whose HR won the game Saturday.

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Bidding “adieu” to the early season’s day-heavy slates; all 15 Friday games are under the lights.

@White Sox 7, Cleveland 3 — In his 12th big-league game, Danny Salazar set a peculiar and thoroughly modern record: 10 strikeouts in 3.2 innings, the shortest 10-K stint in searchable history. Yet it was still a disaster start, as he surrendered 5 runs on 6 hits, including home runs by Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez. Abreu stroked another off Josh Outman; the big-ticket Cuban rookie has 4 HRs, 13 RBI in 10 games.

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Bad habits are hard to break, while ligaments are easily torn. There’s a mood of change in the game right now; why not just ban sliding into first base? Meanwhile, a night of heroic home runs and unsung long relief. But first … “Enough of your borax, Poindexter; we need action!“

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Happy 40th to #715 by #44. More on that later.

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Brewers 10, @Phillies 4 — Ryan Braun quit his all-singles diet and snapped a career-long 25-game tater famine, ripping three HRs for 7 RBI in the Phils’ first game at home. The cheers must have been deafening.

• Braun brought to The Bank a .392/1.189 mark, and now has 10 HRs in 20 games there.

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Lots of dueling on Sunday, but first….

Diamondbacks 5, @Rockies 3 — Mark Trumbo homered in a 4th straight game, for a share of the club record and a personal milestone — and this time, the Snakes actually won. They’d lost his first four HR games by a combined 20 runs. Wade Miley went 8 strong for his (and his team’s) 2nd win, and had his first 3-hit game, the first by a hurler this year.

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Mariners 3, @A’s 1 / @Marlins 5, Padres 0 — Right now, for this one season, would you take Felix Hernandez, or Jose Fernandez? The choice might turn on quality of bullpen backing; Felix can go a little deeper into games. Miami’s 5-1 start ties the franchise record; 4 runs or more each game already matches last year’s best such streak. Seattle’s 4-1, their best git-go since 2001.

• Jose has yielded 16 runs in 110.2 IP at home, a 1.14 ERA.
• Felix has won his first two starts for just the 2nd time in 10 seasons.

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For the second straight year, no team has started 0-4. Each of the prior 12 seasons had at least one such stumble from the gate. Friday’s three 10-run margins were the first of the young campaign.

@Marlins 8, Padres 2 — One of Giancarlo’s trademark rockets gave Miami an early 2-0 lead, and they never looked back. Salty shook things loose with a 2-out, 2-run double in the 3rd for his first Marlins RBI, after pouncing on this high-hop bunt and turning two in the top half.

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Games Notes just wants to stay within itself this year. It’s a long season, and we do this every day….

Mariners 8, @Angels 3 — Seattle’s Joe Beimel earned the year’s first no-pitch Hold. Summoned for Raul Ibanez, Beimel instead picked off David Freese to end the 8th with a 3-run lead. (If only Freese had ever been eyewitness to such basepath blundering….)

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Right on time, late as always…

Phillies 14, @Rangers 10 — Tanner Scheppers (7 runs in 4 IP) didn’t take the loss in his starting debut, but he did match the Texas Opening Day low with a 17 Game Score. At least he’s in good company: Fergie Jenkins and Charlie Hough beat him to that mark. And Scheppers scored better than winning pitcher Cliff Lee (8 R, 5 IP, 13 GSc). Lee’s ERA is 13.50 in two openers, both at Texas, and 8.35 in eight visiting starts there.

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