Boston is just 6-13, and a real bad series at Tropicana Field could

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:EARLY TESTOff to the best start in baseball http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-bell-jersey , Kevin Kiermaier and the Tampa Bay Rays host the wobbling Red Sox. drop the defending World Series champions into a double-digit deficit.Rays manager Kevin Cash will use an opener for the third straight game. Tampa Bay is again employing a reliever to start because ace Blake Snell is out with a broken toe — the reigning AL Cy Young Award winnermight have a bullpen session this weekend.Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 7.98 ERA) starts for the Red Sox, who will play Tampa Bay six times in 10 days. Boston has placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia back on the injured list because of left knee irritation.A HITTING SABBATICALCC Sabathia takes a unique streak into this matchup vs. Kansas City: The Yankees lefty is the only pitcher in big league history to have back-to-back starts in the regular season of at least five innings while allowing no walks and no more than one hit.The 38-year-old Sabathia pitched five innings of one-hit ball against the White Sox last week in his season debut. He did the same thing last September against the Rays before being ejected for hitting a batter.Johnny Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters for Cincinnati in 1938, walking a total of 11 in those two games.LATELYDiamondbacks rookie Christian Walker is showing a knack for late knocks. He has hit six home runs this season, all of them in the seventh inning or beyond.Walker struck out in his first three at-bats Thursday, but hit a two-run homer in the seventh that helped Arizona beat Atlanta 4-1. He then added a double Corey Dickerson Jersey , and is batting .619 (13 for 21) after the sixth inning.GET GOING!The Giants are 8-12 and part of the problem is they’re getting off to slow starts. San Francisco is the only team in the majors that hasn’t yet scored in the first inning. Overall, Buster Posey and the Giants are hitting only 6 for 63 (.095) in the opening frame.They’ll try to break that early hex when they face Pittsburgh righty Jordan Lyles (0.82 ERA in two starts) at PNC Park. Madison Bumgarner (1-2, 3.12) pitches for the Giants.QUICK LONE STAR REPRISEThe Houston Astros are already making their second trip to rival Texas. The Astros, two-time defending AL West champs, surged to the division lead on a 10-game winning streak that ended Wednesday with a loss in Oakland. The Rangers, who are supposed to be rebuilding, have won a season-best four straight and took two of three from the Astros in Arlington in the second series of the season. Houston ace Justin Verlander faces Drew Smyly Austin Meadows Jersey , one of several reclamation projects in the Texas rotation. The teams play again in three weeks in Houston. Baseball is officially back for the Dbacks."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Diamondbacks Farm TeamsGameday ThreadsDiamondbacks NewsDiamondbacks Game ReportsFang FoodSnake EDT@az_brute_squadShareTweetShareShareSnake ace. He has all the tools, and at last, the opportunity. (Plus, Zack Greinke might be traded by then.)Padres claim Socrates Brito. San Diego has now announced the waiver claim. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster, they’ve transferred Jankowski to the 60-day injured list. Purple Row interviews azsnakepit.com’s James Attwood. “We asked James Attwood of AZ SnakePit to answer a few questions for us about the upcoming Arizona Diamondbacks season. You’ll find his answers below, edited for length and clarity.”Opening Day game Diamondbacks vs Dodger - 1:10 p.m. Grienke vs Ryu on ESPN, FSAZ Colin Moran Jersey , and radio. Around Baseball:America’s pastime looks to the future by reaching new audiences. Some good bar-graphs and other charts in this one. Lots of numbers that can be crunched in this Nielson article. Bryce Harper responds to be voted most over-rated baseball player in MLB poll. That is a clown poll, bro. “I knew ESPN did (a similar poll) a couple years back, and I won MVP the next year. So I don’t know. Maybe we’ll do that again this year. We’ll see.”