Ray, D-backs spoil Cardinals' home opener with 2-hitter  —  ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robbie Ray worked around five walks over six innings and the bullpen closed out a two-hitter, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks spoil the St. Louis Cardinals' home opener 3-1 on Thursday night.

Baltimore Orioles try to make it two straight vs. New York Yankees  —  NEW YORK — Manny Machado stood at his locker and saw the crowd of reporters from New York awaiting him Thursday afternoon.  —  He knew members of the New York media were waiting to ask him about his pending free agency …

Mariners' James Paxton unfazed by eagle encounter, but other players were terrified  —  Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher James Paxton and opposing Twins players had different instincts when a bald eagle landed on Paxton on Thursday in Minneapolis, instead of soaring to the mound to reach its handlers.

Nick Williams on Phillies, Gabe Kapler's lineups: ‘I guess the computers are making it’  —  The sixth Phillies lineup of the season was posted Thursday morning and Nick Williams' name was left off yet again.  The outfielder has started just twice this season and will likely sit again Saturday against Miami lefthander Dillon Peters.

Column: Dealing with raised expectations also part of White Sox learning process  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Hours before the bullpen implosion on Snow Day at White Sox Park, general manager Rick Hahn was discussing the need to balance the long-term goal of developing prospects with the daily goal of winning ballgames.

History!  Iowa Cubs among first minor league teams to experience new extra innings rule  —  Iowa Cubs first baseman Efren Navarro didn't know what was happening when he saw Oklahoma City Dodgers relief pitcher Edward Paredes jogging out to second base to start the first extra inning of the season between the two teams.

Next Slide  —  A second consecutive ugly-across-the-board loss was the least of the Milwaukee Brewers' concerns late Thursday night.  —  When your bullpen closer, one of the best in the business, collapses on the mound and has to be helped off the field, you've got far bigger problems than consecutive shutout defeats.

How should fantasy managers replace Corey Knebel?  —  Sign up for free fantasy baseball … Tristan H. Cockcroft: Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader seems like the guy to get if you had Knebel rostered, but I'd be just as apt to take a chance on Nate Jones of the Chicago White Sox …

Polanco's two-run homer lifts Pirates over Reds, 5-2  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gregory Polanco hit a two-run home run during a four-run fifth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Thursday night.  —  Polanco broke a 1-1 tie when he drove a ball into the shrubbery in center field off Homer Bailey (0-2).

Tim Tebow hits homer in first Double-A at-bat … Tim Tebow is off to a great start in Double-A ball this year, after starting off the season with a home run in his first at-bat.  —  The long ball came in the bottom of the first inning of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies' 6- win …

Detroit Tigers' Cabrera is better, expects to be in lineup Saturday  —  CHICAGO — Miguel Cabrera was nervous.  —  But Cabrera, the Tigers' first baseman who left Thursday afternoon's comeback win over the White Sox in the second inning, wasn't concerned with the injury that forced him out.

Rockies top Padres, take 3 of 4 in opening series … San Diego Padres shortstop Freddy Galvis tags out Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon on an attempted steal on the pitcher during the first inning of a baseball game in San Diego, Thursday, April 5, 2018.  (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)  — ALEX GALLARDO

Fire Frogs coach Mike Maroth embraces lessons from long-lost season with Detroit Tigers  —  As Mike Maroth approached baseball infamy, Detroit Tigers manager Alan Trammell called the pitcher into the office.  —  It was time to talk.  —  It was mid-August in 2003, and Maroth was not far removed …

Knizner, Adolis Garcia and Schrock all sock homers as Cardinals' farm teams open  —  Max Schrock had two days.  —  Both took the swings they flashed during spring training into their openers Thursday as Cardinals' affiliates and minor-league baseball began their seasons around the country.

Baseball roundup: Conforto leaves DL to star in Mets' win  —  Conforto leaves DL to star in Mets' win  —  Michael Conforto came off the disabled list to hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Stephen Strasburg, Yoenis Cespedes also went deep, and Jay Bruce tacked on an insurance grand slam …

Media Views: Two Cardinals games will be only on Facebook, not on TV  —  The countdown to “telegate” for some Cardinals fans is five days, and Round 2 now has been added.  —  The recent news that a Cards game next week won't be shown on conventional television, instead streamed only on Facebook …

SEE IT: Denver Post publishes guide to Rockies' Coors Field using photo of Phillies' Citizens Bank Park  —  The Denver Post has been charged with an error.  —  The Colorado newspaper is apologizing after it published a guide to the Rockies' Coors Field on Friday that featured a cover photo …