Wednesday, April 9, 2003

NL: Cubs win home opener



By The Associated Press

CHICAGO - Dusty Baker quickly warmed to Wrigley Field. With snow dusting the brown ivy on the outfield walls and the gametime temperature at 32, the Chicago Cubs won Baker's first home game as their manager by beating the Montreal Expos 6-1 Tuesday.

Matt Clement (1-1) allowed three hits in 7 1-3 innings, Moises Alou drove in three runs and Alex Gonzalez had three hits.

The game, played in a biting 14 mph wind that was blowing in, was a makeup of Monday's snowout. It was Baker's first at Wrigley since leaving the NL champion San Francisco Giants in the offseason to manage the Cubs.

The announced attendance was 29,138, and some in the crowd booed the Canadian national anthem before the game.

Vladimir Guerrero homered for Montreal. Zach Day (1-1) allowed five runs - three earned - in 4 1-3 innings.

Brewers 5, Pirates 3

PITTSBURGH - Glendon Rusch allowed one hit in seven shutout innings and Milwaukee gave new manager Ned Yost his first victory, spoiling Pittsburgh's home opener after it was delayed a night by rain.

Rusch (1-1), previously 0-6 against the Pirates, struck out seven to end a personal four-game losing streak dating to last season.

Jason Kendall hit a three-run homer in the eighth for Pittsburgh, which lost its home opener for the ninth time in 10 seasons. Kip Wells (0-1) walked seven in four-plus innings.

Scott Podsednik drove in two runs as the Brewers avoided the first 0-7 start in club history. Mike DeJean finished for his first save.

Mets 4, Marlins 2

MIAMI - Al Leiter (2-0) pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Ty Wigginton hit a three-run homer for New York.

Florida lost its third straight and is last in the NL East. Marlins catcher Ivan Rodriguez walked five times to tie an NL record for a nine-inning game since 1900.

The RBIs were the first this season for Wigginton, a rookie. He finished 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Armando Benitez got his third save, bouncing back from a blown chance Sunday against Montreal.

Mark Redman (1-1) allowed four runs, three earned, in seven innings.

Phillies 4, Braves 3, 10 innings

PHILADELPHIA - Tomas Perez's two-out RBI single off Kevin Gryboski (0-1) in the 10th inning won it for Philadelphia.

Jose Mesa (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 hitless innings for the win.

Atlanta's Gary Sheffield and manager Bobby Cox were ejected by plate umpire Kerwin Danley after Sheffield was called out on strikes in the fifth inning.

Phillies manager Larry Bowa also was absent, serving a one-game suspension for inciting the benches to clear during a spring training game against Toronto.

Padres 9, Giants 4

SAN FRANCISCO - Rondell White hit a tiebreaking home run off Scott Eyre (0-1) in the seventh inning and San Diego overcame another homer by Barry Bonds, ending San Francisco's season-opening seven-game winning streak.

Bonds' solo shot hit halfway up the right-field foul pole in the third inning, his 72nd career homer against the Padres - his most against any team. It was his third homer of the season.

Jake Peavy (2-0) didn't let Bonds do any more damage, intentionally walking him to load the bases in the fifth. Peavy gave up three runs on nine hits in six-plus innings.

The Padres broke it open with four runs in the ninth.

Jose Cruz Jr. hit his fifth homer of the season and third in two days for the NL champion Giants, who opened 7-0 for their best start since 1930.

Cardinals 15, Rockies 12, 13 innings

DENVER - Mike Matheny hit a three-run homer off Dan Miceli (0-1) in the 13th inning, lifting St. Louis to a wild win at Coors Field.

Cal Eldred (1-0), who entered with a 135.00 ERA, pitched two perfect innings for the win.

St. Louis' Jim Edmonds had a three-run homer and matched career highs with four hits and five RBIs.

Todd Helton's homer tied it at 12 in the seventh. He had four hits and three RBIs. With three walks, Helton reached base in all seven plate appearances. Jay Payton added four hits and two RBIs.

The teams traded five-run innings, combined for 36 hits and used 15 pitchers.

Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 3

LOS ANGELES - Paul Lo Duca hit a two-out double in the seventh inning to drive in the go-ahead run for Los Angeles.

Matt Williams and Luis Gonzalez homered to give Arizona a 3-2 lead entering the seventh.

Shawn Green's sacrifice fly off Miguel Batista (0-2) tied it, and Lo Duca came through with his second RBI double and third hit of the game.

Paul Shuey (1-1) pitched two shutout innings for the win, and Eric Gagne got his first save.



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