Jeter starts home portion of retirement tour with win
New York Yankees beat Baltimore Orioles 4-2
NEW YORK (AP) — Feted by fans and celebrated by teammates throughout his final opening day in the Bronx, Derek Jeter hardly felt as if he was starting his 20th big league season at home.
Jeter gave Yangervis Solarte some assistance with Yankee Stadium tradition, then the rookie helped make the captain a winner Monday as New York beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2.
“I don’t want to jinx anything but it felt really good,” Jeter said. “It felt like maybe my first home opener. It was a fun time for me.”
Missing from the win was new Yankees closer David Robertson. He strained his groin and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Jeter doubled high off the left- field wall, nearly getting thrown out at second after he started out in a home run trot before turning up the speed, and scored on Jacoby Ellsbury’s first hit in pinstripes in the fifth. Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) pitched 6 13 sharp innings in the Yankees’ 112th opener in New York. Teammates in the dugout teased Jeter for his near blunder. ANGELS 9, ASTROS 1 HOUSTON ( AP) — C. J. Wilson pitched eight solid innings, Howie Kendrick and Raul Ibanez each drove in three runs and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Houston Astros.
The Angels took three of four from Houston after starting the season 0-3. Kole Calhoun homered off Houston starter Jarred Cosart (1-1). Wilson (1-1) yielded four hits and a run while fanning seven.
ATHLETICS 8, TWINS 3
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes proved he can play through a hurting right heel, giving Scott Kazmir and the Oakland Athletics a spark with a pair of RBIs that helped spoil Minnesota’s home opener.
Cespedes has been hobbling around the last few days with the injury, but the team wasn’t worried enough about it to hold him out of the lineup. The Cuban slugger hit a double in the second inning for the first run against Kevin Correia (0-1) and later had a sacrifice fly.
Moss added a two-run single in the third and Derek Norris homered in the sixth. Kazmir (20) allowed three runs and six hits.
CARDINALS CARDINALS 5, 5, REDS REDS 3 3
ST. ST. LOUIS LOUIS (AP) — Michael Wacha outdid Tony Cingrani in a rematch of young power arms and the St. Louis Cardinals got a three- run double from Yadier Molina in the first inning, beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in their home opener on Monday.
Standing room attendance of 47,492, the largest crowd at 9year-old Busch Stadium, braved day-long rain and temperatures in the 40s to greet the NL champions and visit the new Ballpark Village.
Hundreds milled about the attached complex, which features five sports bars and rooftop seating.
RED SOX 5, RANGERS 1
BOSTON ( AP) — John Lackey pitched seven strong innings, Jackie Bradley Jr. singled in two runs and the Boston Red Sox snapped a three- game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.
The Red Sox never lost more than three straight last year when they won the World Series.
They avoided dropping their first four home games for the first time since 1984.
Lackey ( 2- 0) allowed an unearned run and five hits in seven innings five days after giving up two runs over six innings in a 6-2 win at Baltimore. Chris Capuano pitched the eighth and Koji Uehara escaped a secondand-third jam in the ninth in a non-save situation.