The New York Yankees' Jorge Posada hits the first regular-season home run in the new Yankees Stadium during a loss to the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
NEW YORK – The Yankees opened baseball’s fanciest and priciest ballpark Thursday with a performance that would have embarrassed Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and other stars from their famous pinstriped past.
After an 85-year run in a stadium that produced 26 World Series titles, New York saw its hitters fizzle and its bullpen come apart on a sunny afternoon in a 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Jhonny Peralta broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-run double off Jose Veras, and Grady Sizemore hit a grand slam into the right-field seats off Damaso Marte.
“To come in here and do what we did is something we’ll always remember,” Sizemore said.
By the time Victor Martinez’s homer capped the nine-run burst, just as the shadow of the famous frieze was about to creep past home plate, angry fans who paid up to $2,625 list per ticket taunted the Yankees with chants of “We want Swisher!”
That was a reference to the Yankees right fielder who pitched during a blowout loss at Tampa Bay earlier in the week.
“It felt like we disappointed quite a few people today,” Johnny Damon said.
On April 18, 1923, Ruth homered as New York opened the original Yankee Stadium with a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox, and the ballpark quickly was dubbed “The House that Ruth Built.”
The opening of the $1.5 billion house for baseball’s most storied team wound up being much less memorable. Yankees batters stranded 10 runners in the first five innings, going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
The primary cheers were for Jorge Posada, who hit the first home run in the ballpark’s history, a fifth-inning drive off Cliff Lee that that landed in Monument Park behind center field.
“I’m going to remember the home run, no question about it, but right now it’s a little disappointing,” Posada said.
White Sox 3, Rays 2: At St. Petersburg, Fla., John Danks pitched six strong innings and Jermaine Dye hit a two-run homer to lead Chicago.
Danks (1-0) limited the AL champions to two hits and had a shutout until Carlos Peña homered with one out in the sixth.
Angels 5, Mariners 1: At Seattle, Joe Saunders stopped Seattle’s early season joyride by allowing three hits and a run in seven innings and Mike Napoli hit a go-ahead, two-run single in a five-run sixth for Los Angeles.
Blue Jays 9, Twins 2: At Minneapolis, Roy Halladay reared back and stifled the Twins again for seven dominant innings, and Toronto breezed past Minnesota.
Light-hitting leadoff man Marco Scutaro hustled home for a first-inning run off Francisco Liriano (0-3) and broke the game open with a two-run shot in a seven-run seventh highlighted by Kevin Millar’s fourth career grand slam. Halladay improved to 8-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his career against the Twins.
NL: Duncan leads Cards past Cubs
CHICAGO – Canyon del Oro High School grad Chris Duncan atoned for shoddy defense with a homer and three RBIs, and Yadier Molina drove in the go-ahead run that sent the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight and, perhaps more importantly, took the first of what will be 16 games against their longtime rivals.
Padres 6, Mets 5: At New York, Chase Headley tied a career high with four hits and San Diego beat New York to win the first regular-season series at New York’s Citi Field.
Nationals 8, Phillies 2: At Washington, Adam Dunn hit one of Washington’s four homers, Shairon Martis threw 6 1/3 solid innings, and the Nationals (1-7) avoided setting a club record for most consecutive losses to start a season.
Martis (1-0) gave up two runs and five hits in by the far the most effective performance by any member of Washington’s young starting rotation in 2009.
Marlins 6, Braves 2: At Atlanta, Cody Ross hit a three-run homer to snap out of an early slump, and Florida finished off its first three-game sweep in Atlanta.
Astros 6, Pirates 3: At Pittsburgh, Lance Berkman made up for an earlier missed opportunity with a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning, and Houston overcame an early two-run deficit.
Dodgers 7, Giants 2: At Los Angeles, Rafael Furcal hit a leadoff home run to back Eric Stutls (2-0), who allowed two runs.
Fighter jets fly over the new Yankee Stadium on Thursday during ceremonies before the first regular season baseball game there. Cleveland ruined the Yankees' debut, winning 10-2.