Red Sox Lose Home Opener to Toronto

<br>Red Sox fans were disappointed when they returned to Fenway Park. In Boston's first home game since losing the AL championship series to the New York Yankees, the Red Sox wasted an eight-inning

Saturday, April 10th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Red Sox fans were disappointed when they returned to Fenway Park. In Boston's first home game since losing the AL championship series to the New York Yankees, the Red Sox wasted an eight-inning lead Friday in a 10-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Boston had little sleep before its opener, arriving at Fenway Park at 7:24 a.m. after its flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport was delayed by mechanical problems.

``We expect to win every day regardless of how tired we are,'' said Boston's Johnny Damon, who was asked if pain from his injured knee would keep him from sleeping.

``I sure hope not,'' he said.

Reed Johnson and Kevin Cash each drove in three runs for Toronto, which was swept in an opening three-game series at Detroit.

``We've got a lot of young guys and a couple of new guys,'' Toronto's Vernon Wells said. ``We may have taken Detroit a little too lightly.''

In other games it was Chicago 9, New York 3; Texas 12, Anaheim 4; Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 3 in 10 innings; Kansas City 3, Cleveland 1; and Oakland 8, Seattle 6.

At Boston, Mike Timlin (0-1) gave up three runs in the eighth inning. Justin Speier (1-0) got the win for the Blue Jays.

``I didn't make quality pitches,'' Timlin said. ``Sure, I was tired, but everybody else was, too. Our hitters were tired, but they went out and hit the ball.''

White Sox 9, Yankees 3

Magglio Ordonez homered and drove in five runs, while Jon Garland worked around bouts of wildness.

Joe Crede also homered for the visiting White Sox and made a key play at third base. After he nipped Derek Jeter with the bases loaded to end the fourth inning, the White Sox scored nine runs in the next two innings.

Earlier Friday, Yankees manager Joe Torre reached agreement on a three-year contract extension through the 2007 season.

Garland (1-0) won despite issuing a career-high seven walks, including four in the fourth inning. Backed by several fine defensive plays, he held down the Yankees on one run and four hits for eight innings.

Jose Contreras (0-1) allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Rangers 12, Angels 4

Michael Young, who moved from second base to shortstop when Alex Rodriguez was traded just before spring training, drove in three runs and scored twice. The visiting Angels were trying for their first 4-0 start since 1970.

Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench and Hank Blalock, who snapped an 0-for-13 stretch with three hits, all homered for the Rangers.

R.A. Dickey (1-0) pitched seven solid innings. The only three runs he allowed were unearned after throwing errors by Young on consecutive plays.

Ramon Ortiz (0-1) gave up seven runs and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings.

Devil Rays 4, Orioles 3, 10 innings

Pinch-hitter Eduardo Perez singled home the winning run in the 10th after Jose Cruz Jr.'s leadoff walk off John Parrish (0-1), Damian Rolls' sacrifice and Rocco Baldelli's intentional walk.

Tampa Bay tied it at 3 in the ninth when Robert Fick had his first career pinch-hit homer, a drive off Jorge Julio.

Danys Baez (1-0) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings, working out of a bases-loaded jam to get the final two outs in the ninth.

Javy Lopez hit a two-run homer for visiting Baltimore.

Athletics 8, Mariners 6

At Oakland, Calif., Scott Hatteberg doubled in the go-ahead run and Arthur Rhodes earned the save against his old team in Oakland's victory over winless Seattle.

At 0-4, the Mariners are the only team in the majors without a win.

Chris Hammond (1-0) struck out three in 1 1-3 inning for his first win for the A's, while Rafael Soriano (0-1) got just two outs.

The A's had eight doubles to tie a franchise record set Aug. 29, 1998, at Cleveland.

Royals 3, Indians 1

At Kansas City, Mo., Jimmy Gobble made history for Kansas City by just taking the mound, and Aaron Guiel's two-run double broke a scoreless tie in the seventh to lift the Royals past Cleveland.

Kansas City became the first major league team to start four different left-handers in its first four games. Gobble was preceded by Brian Anderson, Darrell May and Jeremy Affeldt.

Ken Harvey hit a two-out single in the seventh off Jack Cressend (0-1).

Jason Grimsley (1-0) pitched the seventh, and Curtis Leskanic allowed an RBI single to Casey Blake in the ninth before getting his first save.