Let's Go Out to the Ballgame; It's Opening Day at Petco Park

1. The San Diego Padres are set to open up their 20-11 home schedule with the first of two games against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:35 Tuesday afternoon at Petco Park but festivities begin with a block party at 11:30 a.m. along J Street in the East Village.

2. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa thanked sailors and Marines aboard the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan Monday for their help after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Navy reported. The Reagan and other ships based in San Diego, the cruiser USS Chancellorsville and destroyer USS Preble, were on their way to deployment when ordered to the waters off Japan to aid in recovery efforts.

3. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Monday for the 12th time in 13 days, increasing four-tenths of a cent to $4.064, the highest since Aug. 10, 2008. The average price is 3.4 cents higher than a week ago, 19.5 cents above what it was one month ago and 96.1 cents greater than it was one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.