PITTSBURGH (AP) - Francisco Liriano tied a Pirates opening day record by striking out 10 and singled home the first run of the 2016 Major League Baseball season for good measure, sending Pittsburgh past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Sunday.
It was 39 degrees when Liriano threw the first pitch of the year. He allowed just three hits and walked five in six shutout innings. His RBI hit in the second came off Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright.
David Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP for the Cardinals, had two hits against his former club in his debut with Pittsburgh.
Wainwright gave up three runs in six innings in his first regular season start since tearing his Achilles last April.
Matt Carpenter hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth off Mark Melancon but Matt Adams, representing the tying run, flied out to end it.
BLUE JAYS 5, RAYS 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Marcus Stroman outpitched Chris Archer in his first opening day start, helping the Toronto Blue Jays begin defense of their first AL East title in 22 years by beating Tampa Bay.
Stroman allowed three runs and six hits over eight-plus innings. Roberto Osuna got three outs for a save.
Archer struck out a Rays opening-day record 12 in five innings.
Troy Tulowitzki hit the first home run of the 2016 MLB season, a two-run shot for Toronto. Edwin Encarnacion had two hits and drove in two runs after not batting in a major league exhibition all spring training because of injuries.