On a day when Randy Johnson almost made pitching history at new Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Carlos Delgado was a big hit at the SkyDome.
Delgado launched a 450-foot drive off a window at the Hard Rock Cafe in right field, leading the Toronto Blue Jays over the Chicago White Sox 7-3 Monday on opening day."He was kind of protecting the plate with two strikes on him," teammate Paul Molitor joked. "Wait 'til he really gets a hold of one."
Johnson, meanwhile, almost got a hold of another no-hitter. He held Cleveland hitless for seven innings at its new ballpark before the Indians rallied to beat Seattle 4-3 in 11 innings.
Molitor, the World Series MVP, and the rest of the Blue Jays got their championship rings in a pregame ceremony. Then Toronto put on another quality show.
Roberto Alomar hit a three-run homer with two outs in the seventh off Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell for a 4-2 lead. In the eighth, Delgado and Ed Sprague hit consecutive home runs.
"There's no doubt Robbie's hit was the big one," Molitor said. "It gave us the lead. But the guys are still talking about the one Carlos hit."
Delgado, a converted catcher playing left field, joined shortstop Alex Gonzalez as rookie starters for the champions. Even with a new lineup, Toronto trounced McDowell.
McDowell (0-1) was 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA against the Blue Jays in last October's AL playoffs. He is 3-7 in regular-season games against Toronto.
"That exact team hasn't been together for my six years," McDowell said. "So it's nothing other than chance."
Juan Guzman (1-0) gave up two runs on seven hits in seven innings. Ron Karkovice homered in the ninth off reliever Greg Cadaret.
Frank Thomas, the AL MVP, went 2-for-4 and scored twice for Chicago. The White Sox, who won the AL West last season, lost their first game as members of the reconfigured AL Central.
Indians 4, Mariners 3
Randy Johnson lost his no-hit bid in the eighth inning, then Seattle lost the game in the 11th.
Johnson, who pitched a no-hitter in 1990, was trying to become the only pitcher besides Bob Feller to pitch a no-hitter on opening day. Feller did it in 1940 for the Indians in Chicago, and was in attendance at Jacobs Field.
Sandy Alomar Jr. singled after a leadoff walk in the eighth for Cleveland's first hit. Manny Ramirez tied it at 2 with a two-run double.
Both teams scored in the 10th, and the Indians won in the 11th when Eddie Murray doubled, advanced on a fly ball and scored on a two-out single off loser Kevin King.
Winning pitcher Eric Plunk retired all four batters he faced. Eric Anthony homered for the Mariners.
Yankees 5, Rangers 3
Jimmy Key ran his record to 5-0 in openers, pitching into the eighth inning and helping New York win at home.
Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio threw out the first ball, and then the Yankees hitters took over. Danny Tartabull and Mike Stanley homered and Wade Boggs had four singles.
Key held Texas to five hits before doubles by Will Clark and David Hulse finished him. Key became the first Yankees pitcher to win consecutive opening-day starts since Mel Stottlemyre won three straight in 1967-69. Xavier Hernandez, acquired from Houston in a winter trade, got three outs for a save.
Kevin Brown was the loser. He began the game with an 11-2 record against the Yankees, best among pitchers with 10 decisions versus New York.
Orioles 6, Royals 3
Rafael Palmeiro homered in his Baltimore debut and newcomer Lee Smith got the last out for a save as the Orioles won at home.
Mike Mussina was the winner, allowing one run on two hits in eight innings, before 47,549 fans, the largest crowd for a regular-season game at Camden Yards.
Mike Devereaux homered for the Orioles off loser Kevin Appier and ninth-place batter Jeffrey Hammonds added an RBI double.
Mike Macfarlane homered for Kansas City, which lost for the eighth time in nine openers. The Royals scored twice in the ninth and had two runners on base before Smith relieved and retired Dave Henderson on a grounder.
Red Sox 9, Tigers 8
Otis Nixon, signed by Boston to add some speed, scored on a passed ball in the eighth inning to beat Detroit at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox won despite Roger Clemens giving up eight runs in 4 2-3 innings. Clemens broke Cy Young's team record with his seventh opening-day start, but could not hold the Tigers in his first game since the worst season of his career.
Boston rallied for three runs in the eighth against loser Storm Davis. Nixon drew a two-out walk, loading the bases, and Billy Hatcher hit a two-run double that tied it at 8. With a 2-0 count, a high pitch went off catcher Mickey Tettleton's glove, allowing Nixon to score.
Scott Bankhead struck out two batetrs in the eighth and was the winner.