MLB: New York Yankees register first win of new season; Washington Capitals 3-0

The New York Yankees avoided suffering a series sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros with a 4-2 victory at Minute Maid Park in Texas.

Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and third baseman Yangervis Solarte, making his first major league start, combined for all four runs scored for the Yankees.
Pitcher Ivan Nova forced the Astros into four double plays and eight groundouts before leaving in the sixth inning with his team 3-2 ahead. New closer David Robertson sealed the win, and his first save, with a perfect ninth.
The Boston Red Sox secured a 4-3 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles, David Ortiz driving in one run to help give the reiging champions an early 3-0 lead.
The Red Sox had 14 hits in total, 12 of them singles. Their pitching was also impressive again - in the three-match series against the Orioles which they won 2-1, they have given up just seven runs.
Right-hander Chris Archer celebrated signing a new contract with Tampa Bay Rays by leading the Rays to a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, meaning the two franchises split the season-opening series at 2-2.
Archer gave up two runs on four hits and struck out seven over six innings, while Evan Longoria put the game away in the seventh when he launched a towering three-run home run to left field.

Peralta blast

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer to help lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Third baseman Todd Frazier hit two homers, his second a three-run bomb that dragged his team within one, and right fielder Jay Bruce also cleared the fence for Cincinnati in a losing cause.
The Washington Nationals completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets with an 8-2 win, Ryan Zimmerman the star as he tied a career high with four hits.
Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia hit a two-out triple in the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins rallied for a thrilling 10-9 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The Twins scored two runs with two outs in the ninth off White Sox closer Matt Lindstrom, Arcia's triple scoring Plouffe for the winning run.
The White Sox had the tying run on third base in the bottom of the ninth, but Twins closer Glen Perkins got pinch-hitter Paul Konerko to ground out for his first save of the season.
Center fielder Angel Pagan hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run eighth inning and lift the San Francisco Giants to an 8-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Right-hander Jason Hammel took a shut-out into the seventh inning in his Cubs' debut to lead Chicago to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Florida Marlins saw off the Colorado Rockies 8-5.