It Would Be Irresponsible Not To Speculate:

Given the number of balls leaving various yards so far, I give it until next weekend before some hack begins "innocently" asking whether PEDs are once again a problem in baseball.

Royals 5, Angels 4

- another day, another implosion by an Anaheim reliever. Kevin Jepsen was the culprit this time, coughing up four hits and two runs in the bottom of the eighth to boost his ERA to a bouncy 20.25. It's still too early to get worried, but it's a sad state of affairs for a franchise that seemingly used to be able to pull guys in off the street and turn them into serviceable middle relievers.

- on the flip side, Aaron Crow picked up his first major league win, working 1.2 shutout frames. He gave up two hits and a walk and needed help from his defense to escape unscathed, but he also struck out two. Crow may be moving to the head of the line as the guy to replace Joakim Soria if he gets dealt.

- Alcides Escobar looked good in the leadoff spot for kansas City, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. The Royals don't have any great OBP guys to slot in at the top, so Escobar's speed makes him as good a candidate as any.

Jays 6, Twins 1

- the Jays are very intent on keeping their crown as MLB's home run champs, popping two more (from the unlikely duo of Jose Molina and Jayson Nix) after their four-dinger outburst in the opener.

- another unlikely hero: Mike McCoy, getting the start in center field after Rajai Davis was a last-minute scratch due to an ankle injury, went 2-for-4.

- Kyle Drabek was a monster in just his fourth big league start, surrendering only one hit and one run over seven innings while striking out seven. His control was shaky (just 54 of 101 pitches for strikes) but he minimized the damage and only walked three batters, and was otherwise untouchable. He'll have some rough starts this season but the Jays did a great job last season helping Brandon Morrow harness his own filthy stuff and helping him to a great second half, so they know the drill with Drabek.

- Francisco Liriano was even wilder than Drabek (just 44 strikes in 90 pitches) but was also very hittable, which is a bad combination for anyone. He was gone after just 4.1 innings, having allowed four runs on four hits and five walks. Liriano said he was fighting his mechanics, so chalk this one up to the calendar and not a health issue or anything with Liriano.

- two games in and defensive issues keep rearing their head with Tsuyoshi Nishioka, this time a miscommunication with Alexi Casilla that gifted Edwin Encarnacion with an infield hit instead of a fielder's choice or double play. Nishioka and the Twins should get it all straightened out before long, but it could cost Nishioka some playing time as Ron Gardenhire tends to have little patience for 'mental errors'.

Cubs 5, Pirates 3

- Evan Meek, battling a cold and fatigue after pitching Friday night, couldn't survive a Lyle Overbay error as well and ended up coughing up five runs (only two earned) in two-thirds of an inning. He got no help from Chris Resop, who allowed both runners he inherited from Meek to score and even managed to walk Tyler Colvin.

- the bullpen blowup spoiled a nice start from Paul Maholm, who shut out the Cubs over 6.2 innings.

- Carlos Zambrano made it through six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four, before leaving due to cramping in his hand. It's an issue he's had before and he isn't expected to miss a start.

- Carlos Marmol brought the hammer, striking out the side to lock down his first save. Kerry Wood is supposed to be Marmol's primary set-up man this season, yet Wood pitched the seventh (one walk, two K's) while Sean Marshall pitched the eighth (one strikeout) and got the win. If something happens to Marmol, it may not be a foregone conclusion that manager Mike Quade turns to Wood instead.

White Sox 8, Indians 3

- I can't quite bring myself to make a Hot in Cleveland joke here, but the White Sox offense certainly is. Carlos Quentin added two more doubles and RBI to his early season ledger, while Gordon Beckham also picked up two hits. Meanwhile Alexis Rios owners are already suffering from buyer's remorse, as for the second straight game (during which the Sox racked up 23 runs) Rios was the only starter to go hitless. He did manage to draw a walk and score a run though.

- of course, Chicago won't get to face Cleveland pitching any more once they leave town. Carlos Carrasco wasn't Fausto Carmona bad, but he was down five run before the second inning was over. He settled down after that though, and managed to make it through 6.2 innings having allowed seven runs on 10 hits. Don't write him off as a post-hype sleeper based on one game, but with the Indians showing early signs of competing for next year's number one draft pick, don't expect too much from anybody in a Cleveland uniform.

- case in point: Shin-Soo Choo, their best player, wore the golden sombrero and left five men on base.

- the lone bright spot may have been Jack Hannahan, aka "The Best $1 I Ever Spent In My Home AL-Only League", who picked up two more RBI. You've probably already missed his offensive peak this season, but if he stays semi-productive the Indians might not be so quick to hand third base off to Jason Donald when he comes back from his finger injury.

Nationals 6, Braves 3

- hello, closer confusion. Drew Storen started the eighth inning for the Nationals with a four run lead, got tapped for a solo shot by Alex Gonzalez, then gave way to Sean Burnett who got the final four outs for the save. Manager Jim Riggleman and the Nationals spent most of the spring talking up Burnett, so this isn't a huge surprise, but if Burnett continues to pitch well (the Braves didn't get a ball out of the infield on him) Riggleman might be more comfortable letting the veteran handle ninth inning duties rather than giving Storen on-the-job training.

- the game was delayed about half an hour by rain, then delayed again in the fourth inning for an hour, so neither starter lasted very long. Tommy Hanson struggled with his command during a rough 3.2 innings but Lannan took to the inclement weather like a duck to, well, inclement weather, allowing just one run over five.

- Jayson Werth went 3-for-4 with two doubles, but failed to get an RBI with Ian Desmond going 0-for-5 ahead of him. This could be an ongoing source of frustration for Werth owners; the Nats don't have anyone who can get on base consistently to hit leadoff, and Werth is going to see a lot fewer runners on base hitting second for Washington than he did hitting fifth for the Phillies.

- Wilson Ramos went 3-for-4 and served early notice that he may not be content just splitting starts with Ivan Rodriguez. Ramos figured to be the regular starter by the second half anyway, but the timetable could get moved up if he gets hot at the plate.

Giants 10, Dodgers 0

- Matt Cain toyed with the Dodgers patchwork lineup, tossing six shutout innings and allowing just five hits and no walks while striking out three. Patchwork might actually be generous: the top of the LA order featured Aaron Miles and Ivan DeJesus Jr., with Hector Gimenez, Xavier Paul and Jamey Carroll also getting starts. Ted Lilly wasn't so fortunate, getting banged around by real major league hitters for six hits and four runs over 4.2 innings.

- Freddy Sanchez has jumped out of the gate quickly, going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. If he stays healthy and regains his .300+ batting average form he'll put up nice counting stats hitting second for the Giants.

- Brandon Belt went 0-for-3, but drew two walks and stole a base. The steal shouldn't be a surprise, as he went 22-for-30 last year in the minors (a fact overshadowed by the rest of his offensive fireworks) and the walks are an encouraging early sign.

- Andre Ethier was the only Dodger hitter to really show up, going 3-for-4.

Padres 11, Cardinals 3

- last year, San Diego had Adrian Gonzalez entrenched as their number three hitter and main power source. This year, their number three hitter is Orlando Hudson, who elected to sac bunt with runners on first and second and nobody out in the fifth inning of a tie game against a struggling Jake Westbrook. It "worked", in the sense that Cards pitching fell apart and the Padres rallied for six runs, but you know the little ball champions will be singing Hudson's praises for handing Westbrook an out when he wasn't capable of getting one on his own.

- lest you think I'm exaggerating, Westbrook's final line: eight runs on six hits and five walks in 4.1 innings.

- Chase Headley swung the big bat for the Friars, going 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple, and four RBI.

- Cameron Maybin was back in center field, going 1-for-3 with a double.

- Albert Pujols hit his first home run, which is a big deal only if you really thought his contract situation was going to affect his numbers this year

- Ryan Theriot flashed his usual subpar range and committed his first error of the season. Of all their offseason moves and non-moves, the Cardinals are going to regret losing Brendan Ryan's glove (and replacing it with Theroit's) the most.

Yankees 10, Tigers 6

- I thought Mark Teixeira was supposed to suck in April? He cranked his second home run in as many days, matching his total for all of April last season.

- Alex Rodriguez and Russell Martin also popped their first homers, as the Yankees offense has enjoyed a White Sox-esque start to the season

- Mariano Rivera got the cheapest possible save, recording one out with two runners on and a four run lead (and thus, the tying run on deck). Seriously, Official Scorer Person, if anyone doesn't need help padding their career save total it's Mo.

- Brad Penny took the brunt of the damage for the Tigers, allowing eight runs in 4.1 innings on seven hits and four walks.

Phillies 9, Astros 4

- Cliff Lee celebrated his new contract, and return to Philadelphia, with 11 K's in seven innings. If you want to be the one to tell him he can't maintain that K/9 pace the rest of the year, be my guest. I ain't gonna do it.

- the only Astro he couldn't solve was Carlos Lee, who went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and all four Houston RBI.

- Wandy Rodriguez got off to his usual slow start, allowing seven runs in four innings. His 5:1 K:BB ratio is at least a little encouraging though

- Mark Melancon struck out two in a shutout inning of work. Given Brandon Lyon's ugly first outing this year, you may want to move Melancon near the top of your 'closers in waiting' free agent list.

Orioles 3, Rays 1

- Chris Tillman served notice that he doesn't intend to be a rotation temp, tossing six no-hit innings, striking out five and walking three. It doesn't look like his velocity is ever coming back - MLB.com shows him mostly in the 89-92 mph range with his fastball, although he occasionally muscled it up to 94 - but his arsenal is deep enough that he can get away with it if his command is good. He could end up being a prototypical post-hype sleeper this season.

- Kevin Gregg got the save for the Orioles, with Koji Uehara finishing off the eighth ahead of him. Despite the talk of Gregg and Uehara sharing closer duties I think Buck Showalter will be much happier leaving his bullpen pitchers in set roles, so if Gregg keeps getting the job done expect him to sponge up all the ninth inning work.

- in the other bullpen, all three main closer candidates for Tampa got work in the losing effort. Jake McGee got rocked for a Brian Roberts two-run homer, Kyle Farnsworth got one out and allowed one hit in a brief appearance, and Joel Peralta worked a perfect ninth, striking out one. Make of that what you will.

Reds 4, Brewers 2

- Shaun Marcum started off his Brewers career with a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced, and that proved to be an ill omen. He couldn't get out of the fifth inning, walking five batters and giving up four runs (three earned) and four hits. He did strike out seven, so it wasn't a total loss for his owners.

- Travis Wood had no such control problems, posting a faboo 7:0 K:BB ratio over seven strong innings, giving up just one run on four hits.

- the run came on a solo shot by Erick Almonte. Awesome statistical coincidence that you'll only see in baseball: Almonte came into the game with one career major league home run, hit eight years ago to the day.

Mets 6, Marlins 4

- this one went to 10 innings, and there was plenty of intrigue on both sides. Francisco Rodriguez blew the save in the ninth, and was lucky to only give up one run. Blaine Boyer ended up getting the save in the 10th (Bobby Parnell has struck out two in a perfect eighth), which is big because K-Rod has a vesting option in his contract. If he finishes 55 games this season, he's locked in for $17.5 million in 2012. If the Mets' bullpen usage starts getting 'creative', this will be the reason why.

- meanwhile, the Mets only had a lead to protect because Leo Nunez came on in a tie game and coughed up a run in the top of the ninth. Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez demonstrated last year he has a quick hook when it comes to Nunez, so it may not take more than one or two shaky outings to get Rodriguez to hand the ball to Clay Hansley, or maybe Mike Dunn (who struck out the side after relieving Ryan Webb in the 10th) instead.

- the two starters, Ricky Nolasco and Jon Niese, didn't deserve their no-decisions, each working seven innings and giving up two runs.

- Emilio Bonifacio had a fun night as the Marlins' Swiss army knife. He started the game in right field replacing Michael Stanton, moved in to third base when Donnie Murphy got plunked in the hand, then shifted out to center field in the 10th inning for defensive purposes. With Murphy and Stanton both day-to-day, Bonifacio could earn extra position eligibility in a hurry.

Rangers 12, Red Sox 5

- shockingly for a game in Arlington, there were a lot of home runs in this one. Nelson Ccruz and Ian Kinsler each hit their second home runs in as many games, and Kinsler became the first player in MLB history to lead off the first two games of the season with dingers. Adrian Beltre crushed a grand slam off the club that revived his career last season (there'd gratitude for ya). Even newest Ranger Yorvit Torrealba popped one. David Ortiz, also with his second in two games, and Jacoby Ellsbury answered for the Sawk, but obviously it wasn't answer enough.

- the guy serving up batting practice to Texas was John Lackey, who slunk off the mound after 3.2 innings having allowed nine runs on 10 hits.

- Julio Borbon was back in center field for the Rangers, going 2-for-4 with a triple and not committing any defensive gaffes big enough to get mentioned in the post-game wrap-up. The glovework is an issue, but he's still easily capable of hitting .300 or better with some steals and a solid runs scored total (even hitting ninth means he has Kinsler hitting 'behind' him).

Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 1

- Jorge De la Rosa stifled the D-backs through 5.1 shutout innings, giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out five, before leaving with a blister on his middle finger. He says he'll be fine for his next start, but don't be surprised if the Rox are cautious with him.

- if Arizona did one thing right, it was on the basepaths. They went 3-for-3 in steal attempts off the De La Rosa/Chris Iannetta battery (with Willie Bloomquist getting two of those SBs), and Bloomquist also swiped one in the opener. Iannetta threw out just 22|PERCENT| of runners last year, right around his career average, so while it's not likely to come up often in a deep daily transaction league you may want to think about plugging in your fringy speed guys (like, oh, Willie Bloomquist) when they get to run against Iannetta.

- Xavier Nady got the start at first base for the D-backs. This is quickly looking like an ugly three-way time share at first between Nady, Juan Miranda and Russell Branyan, which is going to make all three useless in anything but deeper NL-only leagues where anyone getting any at-bats at all has value. All this, while Brandon Allen gets sent down to beat up on Triple-A pitching some more. Allen is about a year away from becoming the new Nelson Cruz. Free Brandon Allen!

Mariners 5, A's 2

- on a day of huge offensive explosions, the M's scoring five with a lineup featuring Brandon Ryan and Jack Wilson as the six and seven hitters might have been the craziest result of all.

- their 'big bat' belonged to Ichiro Suzuki, who went 2-for-5 and became Seattle's all-time hit leader in the process, passing Edgar Martinez.

- Jason Vargas and Brett Anderson traded good starts, with Vargas lasting a little longer (6.2 innings to Anderson's 6.0) and striking out one more batter while each gave up a run on five hits and a walk.

- in the battle of temp closers, Brandon League pitched a perfect ninth to record his first save of the season while Brian Fuentes gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits to create the save situation for League.