MIAMI (AP) — Jose Fernandez looked just as good as he did last year in the season opener, and the Miami Marlins’ batting order looked much improved.
Fernandez struck out nine and allowed one run in six innings Monday, and Marlins newcomer Casey McGehee drove in four runs with two doubles to help Miami beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1.
The sellout crowd of 37,116 was the largest yet at Marlins Park, which opened two years ago.
The 21-year-old Fernandez earned the victory while becoming the youngest NL opening-day starter since Dwight Gooden in 1986, according to STATS. And he picked up where he left off last season, when he went 12-6 and was voted NL Rookie of the Year.
The right-hander’s strikeout total matched Josh Beckett’s team record for an opener. Fernandez threw 73 strikes and only 21 balls to 23 batters.
MIAMI (AP) — Colorado Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood will be placed on the disabled list Tuesday and will miss his scheduled start Wednesday at Miami because of a strained left hamstring, manager Walt Weiss said.
Right-hander Jordan Lyles will be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take Chatwood’s turn, Weiss said before Monday’s opener.
Chatwood was hurt running out a triple in a spring training game Friday. He threw fine in a bullpen session Sunday, Weiss said, but is having trouble covering first base.
Colorado already is without right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, expected to be sidelined until early May because of a shoulder injury.
The move involving Chatwood might be retroactive, meaning he would be out less than 15 days, Weiss said.
This year’s Final Four will be filled with contrasts.
One of the biggest will be in the second national semifinal between Kentucky and Wisconsin in North Texas on Saturday.
The Wildcats are athletic, play fast and run past opponents. The Badgers are much more deliberate, hounding teams defensively, then working for the perfect shot.
Kentucky also relies on seven freshmen. On the other side of the bracket is Florida, which has four seniors who had played 400 games before one of the young Wildcats had ever played one.
Wisconsin has a unique big man in long-range-shooting 7-footer Frank Kaminsky, who plays a different game than Florida’s powerful Patric Young.
There also are two coaches who are Final Four regulars and two who will be there for the first time.
(AP) — Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has signed a bill into law that will allow voters to register and update their registrations online.
Heineman made the announcement on Monday along with the state’s top elections official, Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale.
Nebraska will join 17 other states that have allowed voters to register online. Supporters say the bill will improve the accuracy of the state’s voter registration database. The system is expected to be finished by 2017.
The new online system will link voter registrations to signatures provided to the Department of Motor Vehicles for driver’s licenses or state identification cards.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Bob Krist, of Omaha.
(AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman and Secretary of State John Gale are voicing opposition to a bill that could change how Nebraska awards its electoral votes.
Heineman and Gale said during a press conference Monday that the measure could eliminate Nebraska’s voice in presidential elections.
The bill would add Nebraska to the National Popular Vote compact. Once in place, the system would require Nebraska to award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes nationally.
The compact would go into effect when it has been adopted by states with at least 270 combined electoral votes.
Sen. Tyson Larson, who prioritized the bill, says the decision to pick a president should be made by the nation and not just a few swing states.
(AP) — A 24-year-old man has died and another man has been injured in an accident involving their motorcycles in Lincoln.
Lincoln police say the accident occurred about 4 p.m. Sunday on the west side of Lincoln.
Police Capt. Danny Reitan says the two men lost control of their motorcycles as they drove north on Folsom Bypass. One of the motorcycles crashed into a stream. The 24-year-old driver’s body was found there. The 25-year-old injured motorcyclist landed in a grassy area nearby.
Their names haven’t been released. The accident is being investigated.
(AP) — A May trial has been scheduled for a 46-year-old Genoa man charged with manslaughter in the crash death of his mother.
Michael Logan pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday in Platte County District Court. Logan’s trial is scheduled to begin on May 28.
Logan is accused of driving drunk when he turned in front of oncoming traffic northwest of Columbus the morning of Dec. 10. Authorities say Logan was driving south toward Columbus on U.S. Highway 81 when he tried to turn left. His vehicle was struck on the passenger side by a northbound car driven by 42-year-old Jeannine Velazquez, of Norfolk.
Logan’s mother, 63-year-old Lois Reynolds, of Genoa, died later at a hospital. Logan and Velazquez also were injured.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — An umpire’s call has been overturned for the first time under Major League Baseball’s expanded replay system, with Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun ruled out instead of safe.
Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the sixth-inning play at Miller Park on Monday. Braun was originally called safe at first base by umpire Greg Gibson on an infield single.
The call was reversed to out after a review that lasted 58 seconds.
Minutes later, another call on opening day was overturned in Pittsburgh when a Chicago Cubs runner was eventually ruled out at first base on a pickoff.
Earlier in the day, expanded replay was used for the first time in the majors in the Cubs-Pirates game at PNC Park. That umpire’s call at first base was confirmed.
KEARNEY, Neb. – At 30 years young, former Storm forward Mark Van Guilder made his National Hockey League debuton Sunday night with the Nashville Predators and helped the team to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals.
Van Guilder, who donned a Storm sweater for two seasons from 2002-04, became the ninth Tri-City player to make it all the way to the NHL.
Wearing No. 29, Van Guilder earned eight minutes and 27 seconds of ice time in his Preds opener.
The Roseville, Minn. native also becomes the sixth player from the Storm’s 2003-04 Anderson Cup winning team to suit up with an NHL squad.
Tri-City will honor the 10-year anniversary of that Anderson Cup championship team on Saturday night in the regular season finale with Lincoln.
Van Guilder is in his sixth season of professional hockey after playing four years at Notre Dame following his junior hockey career with Tri-City.
The center played in 387 professional games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and Hamilton Bulldogs, as well as the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones before getting the call to Nashville.
During two full seasons in Kearney in which he played 119 regular season games, Van Guilder had 28 goals and 30 assists, totaling 58 points. He also had three goals and two assists in 11 postseason contests during the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs.
Tri-City will head to Des Moines and drop the puck with the Buccaneers at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night before returning home to close the season in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center.
The Storm will look for a win over the Lincoln Stars in their final home game of the season at 7:05 p.m. on Saturdaynight.
MIAMI (AP) — Jose Fernandez looked just as good as he did last year in the season opener, and the Miami Marlins’ batting order looked much improved.
