MLB Opening Day 2012: Game Times, TV Info and Guide for April 5th

There's a lot of confusion out there over exactly when MLB's Opening Day is taking place this year.

Let's keep it simple. Last week brought the opening series in Japan that was barely promoted, so it doesn't count. The baseball season will officially open in the states on Wednesday night when the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Miami Marlins, but that doesn't count since it's only one game.

So for all intents and purposes, Opening Day is on Thursday. There are seven games on the docket, and all of them are regular season games. It's the first full day of baseball, so I'm therefore referring to it as Opening Day.

Any questions?

No? Good. Now that we've established when Opening Day is, here's a complete rundown of everything you need to know to take it all in.

Schedule

Time	Away	Home	Away Pitcher	Home Pitcher	TV
1:05 p.m.	Boston Red Sox	Detroit Tigers	Jon Lester	Justin Verlander	NESN, FSD, ESPN2
1:10 p.m.	Atlanta Braves	New York Mets	Tommy Hanson	Johan Santana	SPSO, SNY
1:35 p.m.	Philadelphia Phillies	Pittsburgh Pirates	Roy Halladay	Erik Bedard	WPHL, ROOT
2:20 p.m.	Washington Nationals	Chicago Cubs	Stephen Strasburg	Ryan Dempster	MASN, WGN
3:05 p.m.	Toronto Blue Jays	Cleveland Indians	Ricky Romero	Justin Masterson	RSN, STO
4:05 p.m.	Miami Marlins	Cincinnati Reds	Mark Buehrle	Johnny Cueto	FSFL, FSO, ESPN2
7:05 p.m.	Los Angeles Dodgers	San Diego Padres	Clayton Kershaw	Edinson Volzquez	PRIM, FSSD

*Information via MLB.com

Top Pitching Matchups

Jon Lester vs. Justin Verlander

The first pitching matchup of the day is also the best pitching matchup of the day. Jon Lester is one of the top left-handed hurlers in baseball, and Justin Verlander is fresh off a dominant season that saw him take home both Cy Young and MVP honors.

The edge obviously has to go to Verlander. He could do little wrong last year, as he won 24 games with a 2.40 ERA and 250 total strikeouts. His stuff is absolutely electric on a good day, and it makes him a threat to spin a no-no every time he takes the mound. And indeed, he's already thrown two of them.

Lester is no slouch, though. He's thrown a no-no of his own, and he's won at least 15 games in four straight seasons. He's typically a slow starter, but he's heading into the 2012 season with plenty of positive buzz hanging over his head.

Roy Halladay vs. Erik Bedard

OK, fine; I'm singling this one out mainly because it features Roy Halladay, who I consider to be the best overall pitcher in baseball.

Why the heck not, right? He's won at least 16 games in six straight seasons, including a grand total of 40 in his first two seasons with the Phillies. He won the Cy Young in 2010, and he could have easily won it again last year had it not been for Clayton Kershaw.

As for Erik Bedard, well, maybe he'll make it through six innings. That would be a huge win for him given his recent history, and he might just be able to do it against Philly's downtrodden lineup.

Stephen Strasburg vs. Ryan Dempster

Never mind Ryan Dempster. This one's all about Stephen Strasburg.

Stuff-wise, nobody in the majors can contend with Strasburg. He's got one of the nastiest fastballs in baseball, and his secondary pitches are lethal. What's scary is that he knows how to command them.

If Strasburg stays healthy this season, don't be surprised if he wins 15 games and contends for the NL's ERA crown. It will all start on Thursday, and I don't recommend missing it.

Mark Buehrle vs. Johnny Cueto

If Mark Buehrle does his typical Mark Buehrle thing this season, he'll pitch well over 200 innings and win 13-15 games with a respectable ERA. That's what he does.

The Reds have high hopes for Johnny Cueto this year. They need him to make at least 30 starts, and they need him to be as effective as he was last year, when he had a 2.31 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He had the look of an ace.

Going against Miami's tough lineup is not the best way to start one's season. But then again, neither is going up against Cincinnati's tough lineup. Both Buehrle and Cueto will have to be on their game.

Clayton Kershaw vs. Edinson Volquez

Clayton Kershaw went from being a pitcher who might be dominant to a plain old dominant pitcher last season, winning 21 games with a 2.28 ERA.

Against the Padres and their feeble lineup, it's a good bet Kershaw will pick up right where he left off.

But don't sleep on Edinson Volquez. He's on the right team and in the right park for a much-needed bounce-back season, so maybe we'll see him recapture the form he showed when he broke out in 2008.

Same Faces, New Places

Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers swooped in out of nowhere and signed Prince Fielder to a massive contract worth over $200 million this offseason. He'll be slated right behind Miguel Cabrera in Detroit's lineup, giving the Tigers a very dangerous duo in the middle of their order.

Fielder will make his long-awaited debut on Thursday. Get excited. Especially you, people in Detroit.

For what it's worth, he has one hit in three career at-bats against Jon Lester.

Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins

Technically, Jose Reyes will be making his Marlins debut on Wednesday night when the Marlins host the Cardinals.

But whatever. He too signed a massive contract this offseason, so he deserves to be mentioned twice. 

Reyes will serve as Miami's leadoff hitter this season, and he should score a ton of runs with the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Giancarlo Stanton around the drive him in.

Of course, he has to stay healthy.

Heath Bell, Miami Marlins

Heath Bell saved over 40 games in three straight seasons with the San Diego Padres, but he also took his talents to South Beach this offseason.

We're obviously only going to see Bell make his debut if the Marlins have a lead for him to protect in the ninth inning, but I'm not ruling that out. 

I guess it's worth noting that the Reds won on a walk-off home run on Opening Day last year, so Bell better be on his toes if he does get the call.

Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies

Jonathan Papelbon didn't wait around the field offers this offseason, as he jumped ship from Boston to Philadelphia pretty much as soon as free agency got underway.

I'm banking on Pap making his Phillies debut on Thursday. The Phillies can handle the Pirates, and they should have the lead heading into the late innings.

The only thing standing in the way of Pap's debut is Halladay. He's been known to go the distance.

MVP Candidates in Action

Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox

He was tremendous in his first season with the Red Sox, and he'll be a legit Triple Crown threat this season if he ups his power numbers. The Sox need him to be a rock in their offense, especially given the general weakness of their pitching staff.

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Miguel Cabrera will also contend for the AL Triple Crown this year. He's always good for a high average and lots of homers and RBI, and this year, he has Prince Fielder protecting him in Detroit's lineup. Very scary.

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals

All Ryan Zimmerman has to do is stay healthy. If he plays in 150 or so games, he's going to hit .300 with 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBI, all while playing incredible defense at the hot corner. 

Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays

Jose Bautista has hit more home runs than anybody over the last two seasons, and he was on his way to a truly brilliant season last year before he fell apart in the second half. Even still, I'm not doubting his ability to bounce back.

Hanley Ramirez, Miami Marlins

He's happy, he's healthy and he's heading into the 2012 season off a great spring. If the old Hanley Ramirez shows up this season, the NL MVP could be his to lose.

Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Joey Votto just got paid. Now all he has to do is go earn it. Shouldn't be too hard. He's one of the best all-around first basemen in baseball, and he already has an MVP award in his trophy case.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

Matt Kemp could have won the MVP last year, as he put up astonishing numbers across the board and helped the Dodgers stay out of the cellar in the NL West. It will be hard for him to improve on what he did last year, but I'm not putting it past him.

Final Words of Wisdom

"You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen."

Joe DiMaggio said that, according to Baseball-Almanac.com. I presume he was talking about players, but I agree with him 100 percent anyway.

I also agree with Pete Rose, who said Opening Day is "like Christmas except it's warmer," according to ESPN.com.

Amen, fellas. Amen.