The Miller Park seats filled up pretty quickly in the 15 minutes before gametime as fans hurried in to see CC Sabathia's first pitch for the Brewers. (It was a fastball down the middle for a strike.)

As the newly traded left-hander made his way to the dugout from the bullpen, he got a standing ovation from the fans down the right field line. It was interrupted only by the start of the national anthem.

Sabathia heard a cheer that, in volume, was about as loud as the other eight Brewers starters combined, when he was announced as the ninth batter.

He heard another loud cheer and got a standing ovation when he climbed the steps and took the field. His first pitch to Colorado's Willy Tavares was met with flashbulbs and another roar when it was called a strike.

Then the crowd sounded nervous when Tavares walked, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a groundout, then got company on the basepaths with a four-pitch walk to Garrett Atkins. But Sabathia got out of it, getting Ryan Spilborghs to strike out to end the inning.

And it's under way.