Hit & Run: Oh, Happy Day!

And just like that the Final Four is on the back-burner (for me – I obviously don’t speak for anyone else!). The 2008 season is now underway for the vast majority of baseball teams. I know other stuff happened today, but I’ve been waiting 6 months for this, so today we’ve got a full post of MLB! MLB! MLB!

First on the board, my Mets looked to wipe last year’s season-end debacle from their collective memory – and yesterday’s game was a good start. Johan Santana looked every bit the shiny, new pitcher acquired from Minnesota, and the offense put up 7 runs, to beat the Marlins 7-2. It’s a nice way to begin to take out the bad taste in our mouths left over from last year.

Elsewhere in the NL East, the Nationals scored 5 runs in the 9th inning to beat the Phillies 11-6. And that’s that.

The Brewers and the Cubs both scored 3 runs in the ninth inning, but the Brew Crew pushed one across in the 10th inning, and won 4-3. Who had March 31 in the “First Day Eric Gagne blows a save in 2008″ pool?

Here we have Alex Rios of the Toronto Blue Jays. Alex, let’s say NO to that striped shirt.

And here’s Chase Daniels, Mizzou’s QB, throwing out the first pitch of the St. Louis Cardinals. Silly Midwesterner – does he realize he’s throwing a football?