Two days after displaying their power potential against Cole Hamels in an Opening Day win, the Braves continued their early-season offensive assault against Roy Halladay and rolled toward a 9-2 victory over the Phillies at Turner Field on Wednesday night.

Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda was forced to leave Wednesday’s 7-4 loss against the Red Sox with a bruise to his right middle finger. Kuroda said that it was “tough to tell” if he’d be able to take his next turn in the rotation. He will throw a bullpen session on Friday in Detroit and should have a better idea then.

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez used his arm and his bat to help the Nationals blank the Marlins, 3-0, at Nationals Park on Wednesday night. Washington has now held Miami scoreless in its last 19 innings, extending back to last season.

As uplifting as a 2-0 start against the Yankees is, the performances of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz led the way in providing real encouragement for the Red Sox.

Matt Joyce homered to lead off the ninth to give the Rays an 8-7 win over the Orioles on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

Reds manager Dusty Baker believes in the sac bunt through thick and thin, for better or worse. Twice in two games this season during key situations, he has used it. It backfired on Monday but worked to perfection in the ninth inning just ahead of Joey Votto’s RBI single, his first hit of the season, in Wednesday’s 5-4 walk-off win over the Angels.

Starter Matt Harvey logged seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, while Lucas Duda, John Buck and Ike Davis all smacked two-run homers in the Mets’ 8-4 win over the Padres on Wednesday at frigid Citi Field.

Fernando Rodney didn’t get to break out the familiar bow-and-arrow routine Wednesday night, instead making his 2013 debut with a rather unfamiliar sight: a blown save.

Lucas Duda, fresh off an impressive power display in the Mets’ 8-4 victory over San Diego on Wednesday night, preferred to shun the spotlight and to talk about his accomplishments in the scope of the team theme.

It was a night pitchers should have had to pay their way into the park, for the privilege of throwing the rock at hitters swinging bats with iced hands. Making the most of that privilege, Pirates lefty Wandy Rodriguez fired 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball Wednesday night to defeat the Cubs, 3-0, in front of 27,667 at PNC Park.

Concerns about third baseman Pablo Sandoval’s ailing right elbow have dwindled significantly, Giants manager Bruce Bochy indicated Wednesday.

Kevin Correia was solid in his Minnesota debut against the Tigers, and the Twins won their first game of the 2013 season, 3-2, in walk-off fashion with a game-winning two-run double from Eduardo Escobar on Wednesday at Target Field.

With his back continuing to respond well to strength exercises, mobility tests and batting cage work, David Freese will head to Triple-A Memphis to begin a Minor League rehab assignment.

Every White Sox run this season has come via the long ball, with Adam Dunn, Tyler Flowers, Dayan Viciedo and Alexei Ramirez all going deep in Wednesday’s 5-2 win against the Royals.

In his first and second plate appearances against starting pitchers in 2012, Bryce Harper hit .282 and .278, respectively. In his third and fourth times against the same pitcher, he hit .321 and .375.

Texas Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan has thrown more no-hitters (seven) than anyone else in history. He also has had more potential no-hitters ruined in the ninth inning (five) than anyone else in history — and he thought Yu Darvish was going to finish off a perfect game against the Astros on Tuesday night.

The Rangers received a second straight stellar performance from their starter as Alexi Ogando pitched them to a 4-0 victory over the Astros on Wednesday afternoon.