Giants slump to opening defeat

World Series champions the San Francisco Giants drew a blank in their opening game of the new season as they slumped 4-0 on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw played the starring role with a four-hit shutout and the tie-breaking homer in the four-run eighth inning.

A pair of home runs from 20-year-old Bryce Harper led the reigning NL East champions theWashington Nationals to a 2-0 home success over the Miami Marlins.

Freddie Freeman, Justin Upton and Dan Uggla all homered as the Atlanta Braves toppled thePhiladelphia Phillies 7-5, while a grand slam from Collin Cowgill in the seventh inning helped theNew York Mets to their 11-2 trouncing of the San Diego Padres.

The Chicago Cubs edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1, with a two-run homer from Anthony Rizzo.

Elsewhere in National League action, the Milwaukee Brewers sneaked a 5-4 home win after 10 innings against the Colorado Rockies, courtesy of Jonathan Lucroy's sacrifice fly, while theArizona Diamondbacks beat the St Louis Cardinals 6-2.

For the first time, the opening day featured an interleague fixture, and after 13 innings it went the way of the Los Angeles Angels who toppled the Cincinnati Reds 3-1. Chris Iannetta, who homered in the third inning, also hit the two-run single to clinch victory.

American League champions the Detroit Tigers were 4-2 winners against the Minnesota Twins, while the Boston Red Sox romped home 8-2 against the New York Yankees, and the Kansas City Royals went down 1-0 in Chicago to the White Sox.

Franklin Gutierrez's two-run single in the fifth inning delivered a 2-0 win for the Seattle Marinersagainst the Oakland Athletics.