1974 OPENING DAY
Squeakers, Routs, and Shutouts!
UL Lifts the Curtain Coast to Coast
SAN FRANCISCO (Apr. 1) - Los Angeles, Washington, and Dallas won in routs, and St. Louis, Cleveland, and Atlanta pulled out one-run wins, but the best game on the UL's 24th Opening Day was its first.  In a noontime season opener at Seals Stadium in San Francisco, a pair of Cy Young winners, Bob Moose and Bill Singer, battled for nine scoreless innings before the Spiders ultimately prevailed in the 11th inning.  Moose had the performance of the day, allowing just two hits over 9.1 shutout innings, but Don Wilson struck out 13 in Washington's 8-2 win over debutantes Montréal and Atlanta's Dave Parker led all hitter with seven total bases.  Complete coverage below:
 

San Francisco 1, Chicago 0, 11 inn. In the first league opener on the West Coast, Bob Moose battled Bill Singer through nine scoreless innings in a noontime start.  No one scored until the bottom of the 11th, when Gene Garber gave up a walk and two singles, with the winning hit delivered by John Mayberry.  Moose allowed just two hits and fanned seven in 9.1 innings.  Singer tossed nine shutout innings and suffered the first hard-luck loss of the season.  Toby Harrah had both Chicago hits and shortstop Mark Belanger hit 2-for-3 for the Spiders. Cleveland 3, Manhattan 2 Jim Gentile ripped a two-out double off Steve Rogers in the bottom of the eighth to score Zoilo Versalles and snap a 2-2 tie in front of 46,000 at Municipal Stadium.  Jorge Orta hit a two-run homer in the fifth and Gorman Thomas returned the favor two innings later.  J.R. Richard got the win, and Rogers went the distance in a six-hit loss.  Barons center fielder Elliott Maddux suffered a shoulder separation on a diving catch at the fence and will be out three weeks. Dallas 8, Brooklyn 1 Chris Chambliss and Rod Carew launched three run homers and Bob Bailey added a solo shot as the Texans scored eight runs in two innings to rout Brooklyn in front of nearly 35,000 at Turnpike Stadium.  Elias Sosa allowed two runs in 5.2 innings, but the wheels came off for the Bas as soon as the bullpen appeared.  Tom Griffin got the win for Dallas, allowing seven runs and one hit in seven innings.  Gene Clines was 3-for-5 for the visitors and Bob Bailey had three hits for the Texans.

St. Louis 3, Boston 2 Joe Hague and Boog Powell hit back to back homers off Frank Reberger in the fourth inning, setting the Maroons on course for a 3-2 win at Fenway Park.  Jon Matlack allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings and closer Jim Barr notched his first save.  Frank Robinson homered in his first at bat as a Federal. Washington 8, Montréal 2 Don Wilson struck out 13, and three Monuments homered as Washington rolled to an 8-2 win at Griffith Stadium.  Bernie Carbo and Al Oliver each had three hits, including a homer, and Richie Hebner homered also, as the Mons scored five runs off Mike Nagy and tacked three more on Mike Garman.  Jerry Hairston had the first hit in Voyageurs history, and Mike Hegan hit the first home run, a two-run blast in the fifth. Atlanta 3, Denver 2 Dave Parker had three hits, including a home run, and Ron Reed held Denver to two runs despite allowing 12 hits, as the Toppers edged the expansion 14ers at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.  Mickey Rivers singled to lead off the game for the first hit in Denver history, Tim Foli collected three hits, and Curt Flood drove in both 14ers runs with a single and a double.  Randy Moffitt got the save with a perfect ninth, and Steve Kline went the distance for the visitors, allowing eight hits. Los Angeles 12, Detroit 3 A seven-run outburst in the fifth inning sent Dock Ellis packing, and Larry Dierker struck out nine, allowing just four hits, in a 12-3 'Laws rout at Arroyo Seco.  Ken Henderson and D.W. Roberts each drove in three runs and Chris Speier had three hits as the home side decisively turned back a 3-2 deficit.  Dick Allen and Otto Velez each homered for the Griffins, supplying all their runs.