1. Nick Adenhart will be missed.
What’s most tragic about Nick Adenhart’s death early Thursday morning is that because of the stupidity of another driver, the Adenhart family, the Angels and the baseball world all lost someone very important. This wasn’t a case of another athlete staying out all night and making a bad decision. Nick was a passenger in a friend’s vehicle that was struck by a minivan of a driver that was under the influence of alcohol and driving on a suspended license. It was senseless and my thoughts and prayers go out to Nick’s family. At 22 years old, Nick should have been enjoying the bright lights of the big leagues and getting ready for his next start. Instead, his family is left to grieve for a young man’s life that was cut incredibly too short.

2. Here’s hoping Joe Martinez is okay.
Giants’ reliever Joe Martinez needed just one more out in the ninth inning to wrap up San Francisco’s (eventual) 7-1 victory over the Brewers Thursday night, but Mike Cameron laced a line drive back up the middle and struck Martinez right in the side of the head. Martinez stood up after the ball hit him, but then sat down immediately as trainers rushed to his aid. He eventually left the field under his own power (holding a towel to his bloody face and nose), but he was rushed to the hospital for a CAT scan and so far there is no update. I watched the game live and it was as scary of a moment as I’ve ever witnessed. Players on both sides were visibly shaken, including Cameron, who showed incredible sensitivity to the situation and looked deeply saddened by what had just happened. Hopefully Martinez didn’t suffer any permanent damage and he can return to the field in due time.

3. Joey Votto is a beast.
In the Reds’ 8-6 victory over the Mets on Thursday night, Joey Votto hit his second home run of the season and drove in four runs on three hits. Votto is hitting .538 to start the season and it already looks like he’s ready to carry a young Cincinnati team (which also features young, emerging stars in Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce) at the age of 25. Young players like Votto are great for the game and it looks like baseball is quickly breeding another star.

4. Carl Pavano is running out of chances.
Carl Pavano was absolutely shelled by the Rangers on Thursday, allowing nine earned runs on six hits in just one inning of work (Texas won 12-8). Only two pitchers in the history of baseball have allowed more than nine runs in their debuts with a team and they were Bill F. Baily (Tigers) in 1918 and Ernie Shore (New York Giants) in 1912, each of whom gave up 10 earned runs in only one inning. Pavano had a horrible spring and he’s off to an even worse start. One has to wonder how much patience Cleveland is going to show with him. Then again, considering Texas rocked Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona each of the previous two days, maybe Pavano will get a free pass for a while. Either way, the Tribe’s 0-3 start is staggering.

5. Yankees’ offseason additions finally come through.
A.J. Burnett was solid in his debut with the Yankees, allowing just two runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings of work. He also struck out six as New York beat Baltimore 11-2 for their first win of the season. Mark Teixeira also hit his first home run as a Yankee, blasting a solo shot off O’s starter Alfredo Simon in the fourth inning. What’s funny is that most of the attention so far is being paid to all the new Yankee offseason acquisitions, and yet long-time captain Derek Jeter is quietly going about his business, hitting .385 at the top of the Bombers’ lineup. (Although he did go 0-4 yesterday.)

6. Rays get to Dice-K.
Although it was far from a Carl Pavano-type debut, Boston starter Dice-K Matsuzaka was pounded a bit by the Rays, who hit three dingers off him in their 4-3 victory at Fenway on Thursday. Matusaka yielded four runs on nine hits and while he did strike out five, he clearly didn’t have his best stuff. Tampa’s 2-1 start has been impressive, as they knocked around good Boston pitching (Matsuzaka and Jon Lester) the past two days.