San Diego Padres' Jody Gerut touches home plate after hitting the first home run in the first regular season baseball game at Citi Field, against the New York Mets.
NEW YORK – The place looked gorgeous. The Mets looked lost.
Jody Gerut christened Citi Field with a leadoff homer – the only time that’s happened in major league history – and the San Diego Padres spoiled New York’s first game in its glittering new ballpark with a 6-5 victory Monday night.
Pedro Feliciano balked in the go-ahead run and the Mets made several costly mistakes, opening Citi Field the same way they closed Shea Stadium: with a dud.
“It’s bittersweet,” David Wright said. “Winning will do a lot more than the park.”
Gerut’s shot off Mike Pelfrey marked the first time that the first batter homered in the opening game at a big league ballpark, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“Very cool,” Gerut said. “Maybe at the end of the season when I look back on this, I’ll have a greater sense of what happened here. But at the time, all I’m thinking is that it put us ahead.”
Wright rallied New York from an early four-run hole with a three-run homer that tied it, but it wasn’t enough. Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell, former Mets relievers, closed out the fifth straight win for surprising San Diego, expected to be one of baseball’s worst teams.
Dodgers 11, Giants 1: At Los Angeles, Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle, Andre Ethier drove in four runs with a pair of homers and Los Angeles won its home opener.
Randy Johnson lost at Dodger Stadium for the first time in his 22-year career, falling to 7-1 in just his second start in Los Angeles since 2004.
Phillies 9, Nationals 8: At Washington, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino homered to lead the Phillies to the victory.
Cubs 4, Rockies 0: At Chicago, Ted Lilly held Colorado hitless for 6 1/2 innings on a raw day at Wrigley Field and Chicago won its home opener by holding the Rockies to one hit.
Pirates 7, Astros 0: At Pittsburgh, Zach Duke limited the struggling Astros to four hits in his third career shutout and Adam LaRoche homered during a five-run third inning.
Reds 7, Brewers 6: At Milwaukee, Edwin Encarnacion hit a towering grand slam to cap a six-run rally with two outs in the third inning.
AL: Rays pound Yankees 15-5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays raised the first division and league championship banners in franchise history, then went out and played like a team capable of getting back to the postseason.
Carlos Pena hit a second-inning grand slam and drove in six runs Monday night, helping Scott Kazmir beat Chien-Ming Wang and the New York Yankees 15-5 in the home opener for the AL champions.
It got so bad for the Yankees that first baseman Nick Swisher pitched a scoreless eighth inning, becoming the first New York position player to take the mound since Wade Boggs used his knuckleball in 1997.
White Sox 10, Tigers 6: At Detroit, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko reached 300 career homers with consecutive drives in the second inning in the White Sox’s third straight win.
Blue Jays 8, Twins 6: At Minneapolis, Travis Snider hit two home runs, including a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning, and Toronto rallied to beat the Twins.
Orioles 10, Rangers 9: At Arlington, Texas, Aubrey Huff went 4 for 5 with three of Baltimore’s seven RBI singles.
Royals 4, Indians 2: At Kansas City, Mo., Zack Greinke extended his scoreless inning streak to 25 innings and the Royals held on to defeat the Indians.
Athletics 8, Red Sox 2: At Oakland, Calif., Jason Giambi drove in two runs, Jack Cust and Nomar Garciaparra each homered and the Athletics won.