The Ramgers got one hit...and won. The Cubs beat the Angels. The White Sox beat the A's.
*Quick note: We set up a Go Fund Me campaign to purchase a one-year SoundCloud subscription for the new Lima Time Time podcast. All we need is $135. Help out.
*So Luke Gregerson beat out Ken Giles to become the Astros primary closer but, as we mentioned on Twitter yesterday, it's not as though that means Giles has to die in order for Gregerson to pitch in the 9th inning. Both will pitch. It's going to be okay. Hinch:
Ken Giles will be used in a more versatile role. The titles and the distinction and the status are secondary to the goal of the night, which is to win the game.
*Mike Axisa says Ken Giles has more value as a set-up man than Luke Gregerson - statistically and financially.
You want your best reliever to get the most important outs, and those don't always come in the ninth inning. Letting Gregerson start the ninth inning fresh with the bases empty while Giles puts out fires earlier in the game gives the club a better chance to win than vice versa.'
*Sports on Earth's Tim Healey makes virtually the same argument.
*Lance McCullers will participate in Opening Day at New York and then head to Kissimmee for Extended Spring Training in order to get back on track to rejoin the club.
*Marwin Gonzalez will be your Opening Day 1B today while Preston Tucker serves as your DH. This is incredibly anti-climactic as the love affair with Tyler White progressed throughout the Spring, but he'll start Wednesday.
*"The game of baseball is beautiful, classic, traditional and...stuck in the past." So writes Carlos Correa on the game's unwritten rules for Sole Collector.
*The Astros aren't interested in adding James Loney.
*FanGraphs' Matthew Kory: What we can learn from the first game of the season.
*Dave Cameron: Five things I believe about the 2016 season.
*David Wright's failures clouded by nostalgia and $87m.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
