Defending champs fall in opener
<p>Los Angeles' Rod Barajas, left, throws out San Francisco's Miguel Tejada at first during the ninth inning Thursday at Los Angeles.</p>
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Clayton Kershaw struck out nine in seven dominant innings and Matt Kemp scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by catcher Buster Posey in the sixth, sending the host Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants in their season opener Thursday night.
Kershaw allowed four hits and walked one in his first opening-day start. The 23-year-old left-hander struck out three of the four batters he faced in the first, giving him 500 strikeouts in his career.
Jonathan Broxton, back in the closer's role after losing it in the second half of last season, gave up a one-out homer to Pat Burrell in the ninth but hung on for the save after a scoreless eighth by Hong-Chih Kuo.
Braves 2, Nationals 0: Returning from major knee surgery, Chipper Jones doubled before scoring the 2011 season's first run on a chilly, damp opening day, and Derek Lowe allowed three singles in 5 2/3 innings, helping the Braves win at Washington to make Fredi Gonzalez a winner in his debut as Atlanta's manager.
Reds 7, Brewers 6: Ramon Hernandez hit a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, rallying Cincinnati past visiting Milwaukee.
Padres 5, Cardinals 3, 11 inn.: Cameron Maybin tied it with a two-out homer in the ninth inning and grounded a single that led to the go-ahead run in the 11th as San Diego won at St. Louis.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Angels 4, Royals 2: Torii Hunter and Jeff Mathis homered, helping Jered Weaver and Los Angeles win at Kansas City.
Yankees 6, Tigers 3: Curtis Granderson hit a go-ahead homer leading off the seventh inning and Mark Teixeira had a three-run shot off Justin Verlander, lifting New York over visiting Detroit in the first regular-season game played in the Bronx in March.
Mariano Rivera earned the 560th save of his career.