The Tigers lost Max Scherzer to free agency, Rick Porcello to a trade and Justin Verlander to the disabled list. It took them three games to surrender a run.

On Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain’s first incredible catch, in which he crashed hard into the center field fence to rob White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche of extra bases, Cain lay stretched out on the Kauffman Stadium field for several moments. But Royals manager Ned Yost has seen it before, through numerous breath-taking and physically-demanding grabs by Cain, so he didn’t really panic that Cain was hurt.

Who needs to stand on two feet to hit home runs these days? Not Adrian Beltre. Throughout his career, Beltre has delivered several highlight homers with powerful swings that dropped him to one knee. In the seventh inning of Thursday’s 10-1 win over the A’s, Beltre did it again, belting one of his team’s four home runs on the day.

A few miles and half a century away from where Dene Hofheinz sat next to President Lyndon Johnson for the opening of the magical Astrodome, the daughter of Astrodome visionary Judge Roy Hofheinz had a hard time believing Thursday the “Eighth Wonder of the World” had turned 50 years old.

At the dawn of Opening Day, not many would have predicted that the Reds would open the season with a sweep, nor that the Pirates would start out winless. Well, that’s exactly what happened as Cincinnati completed a three-game series sweep on Thursday with a 3-2 victory on an error by right fielder Gregory Polanco for a walk-off ending.

After right-hander Trevor Bauer went six no-hit innings against the Astros on Thursday, the Indians’ bullpen took over, but closer Nick Hagadone could not complete the feat after allowing a one-out homer to Jed Lowrie in the ninth inning of the Tribe’s 5-1 win.

In the first week of the 2015 season, the Kansas City Royals are not in mid-season form. They are in postseason form. The Royals completed a sweep of the Chicago White Sox in the opening series of the season with a 4-1 victory Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

Right-hander Edinson Volquez, making his Royals debut, pitched eight strong innings and benefited from tremendous defense as the Royals completed a three-game sweep of the White Sox on Thursday with a 4-1 victory.

Bryce Harper and the Nationals came away impressed with Mets right-hander Matt Harvey, who pitched in his first game since Aug. 24, 2013, in a 6-3 loss to New York on Thursday afternoon.

Right-hander Matt Harvey struck out nine over six shutout innings in the Mets’ 6-3 win over the Nationals on Thursday, reaching 97 mph with his fastball and utterly overwhelming the Nats for most of a cold, rainy afternoon.

Javier Baez’s sister, Noely, passed away Wednesday, and the infielder will take an indefinite leave of absence from the Cubs’ Triple-A Iowa team. Noely, who was born with spina bifida, was 21.

The Astrodome, the longtime home of the Astros known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” turned 50 years old Thursday, and the team celebrated at Minute Maid Park, with first-pitch honors handled by Dene Hofheinz — the daughter of Astrodome visionary Judge Roy Hofheinz — and former pitcher Larry Dierker.

What once was a curse for Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas might wind up being a blessing. As Moustakas has diligently worked to find ways to beat the shift, he is finding something refreshing. He is becoming more of a complete hitter, one who can drive the ball to all fields.

If Justin Verlander felt good long-tossing on the damp left-field grass at Comerica Park on Thursday, he could try some deliveries off flat ground. He did bot, but that does not set up a simulated game as the next step.

The Nationals had multiple reasons for shifting Bryce Harper from left to right field this year, but one was Harper’s powerful right arm. The ultra-confident 22-year-old certainly doesn’t mind if opponents want to test him, even if they haven’t so far this season.

Center fielder Denard Span (right core muscle surgery) felt good on Thursday, following two days of batting in simulated games. Span and Jayson Werth (right shoulder AC joint surgery) took several at-bats per day vs. Minor League pitchers.

On Thursday, Michael Brantley remained out of the starting lineup for the second straight game due to a back issue that has flared up intermittently since early in Spring Training.