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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – After all the offseason hype, Alex
Rodriguez put on quite a show in his debut with the Texas Rangers.
|  | | Alex Rodriguez reaches safely in each of his first two at-bats for the Rangers. |
It just wasn't all good.
The $252 million shortstop made a throwing error on his first
fielding chance of the season and tripped to the turf twice as the
Rangers lost 8-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday in the major
league opener in Puerto Rico.
Rodriguez's best moments came without his glove as he got the
season's first hit and scored the first run. He also had another
hit in his second at-bat, but then struck out looking on a pitch he
thought was a ball and popped out.
"You have to start somewhere," said Rodriguez, whose
record-shattering deal averages $129,630 per game this season.
"There was a little bit of everything: an error, a slip, hits. But
it's only one game. There's 161 more. You just move on."
Everything Rodriguez does this season will be scrutinized
because of the attention his salary commands. The spotlight was
even brighter for the opener because it was the first game for all
of baseball.
"We have to write this one off," Rangers manager Johnny Oates
said.
The problems for Rodriguez began in the bottom of the second
inning when he fielded a grounder by local hero Carlos Delgado and
threw poorly to first base.
On the next play, Rodriguez stumbled on the seam of the turf
around second base while trying to turn a double play. The next
inning, the seam around third base took down teammate Ken Caminiti
while throwing to first.
"It wasn't the field," said Rodriguez, who also said his
throwing error had nothing to do with being on the second base side
of the bag because of a shift for Delgado.
Instead, the problem was the plastic spikes he and Caminiti were
wearing. Both switched to metal cleats after the inning.
Then those took down Rodriguez, too.
While charging a grounder hit right at him in the seventh,
Rodriguez stepped on his loose left shoelace and fell again. No
error was called and the Blue Jays scored four times in the inning.
"I've never had that happen once and it happened twice in a
matter of a few innings," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez's hits were grounders through the left side of the
infield. After his strikeout, he walked to the dugout shaking his
head and muttering after umpire John Hirschbeck called him out on a
wide strike. Andres Galarraga later had the same complaint – high
strikes, however, did not seem to be a factor.
Toronto, though, wasn't affected by any of it in the first game
marking the 100th anniversary of the American League.
Shannon Stewart went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and an RBI double
and scored twice, and Tony Batista hit a two-run homer on a fly
that took advantage of the short dimensions at Hiram Bithorn
Stadium. It's 313 down the line in right and 315 in left, where
Batista's ball went.
Esteban Loaiza (1-0) rewarded rookie manager Buck Martinez for
making him the opening day starter by throwing six shutout innings
after giving up Rafael Palmeiro's RBI double in the first.
Loaiza, who has a 49-52 career record and lost rotation spots in
Pittsburgh and Texas, allowed eight hits over seven innings. He
struck out nine, the most ever by a Blue Jays pitcher on opening
day.
"I was throwing all my pitches for strikes," he said. "I had
a couple of strikeouts in big situations."
After the last out, Loaiza and Billy Koch presented Martinez
with the game ball, which he in turn gave to his wife, along with
the lineup card.
"I feel like I'm back where I belong, on a baseball field,"
said Martinez, a broadcaster since retiring from the Blue Jays in
1986.
Rick Helling (0-1) sailed through the first three innings but
ended up allowing four runs on six hits in six innings.
Other than A-Rod's odyssey, the game lacked the salsa many of
the local fans hoped for, especially those who began waiting in
line at 5 a.m. – 11 hours before the first pitch.
The crowd of 19,891 was treated to nearly an hour-long pregame
show that included music, dancing, costumed figures, three national
anthems and the unveiling of signs honoring Roberto Clemente and
Orlando Cepeda, the only Puerto Ricans in the Hall of Fame.
Yet the lack of early scoring seemed to lull them to sleep. They
might've been expecting more action after seeing eight homers in
the first four innings of a 14-8 exhibition game Saturday night.
Drum beats and the chant "Ole! Ole, ole, ole! Ole!" finally
erupted in the bottom of the sixth. Flashbulbs popped when Ivan
Rodriguez and Delgado batted in the late innings, after night fell.
Rodriguez and Delgado were the stars of the pregame player
introductions, but weren't heard from much during the game. After
combining for three homers in the exhibition, Rodriguez went
0-for-4 and Delgado 1-for-4 with an RBI. The pair shared a hug at
home plate a few minutes after the game ended, drawing the last big
cheer of the night.
Although Rodriguez, known as Ivan, not "Pudge" to the locals,
was drained from a weekend's worth of activities surrounding the
game, he said it was all worth it.
"I had a great time," said Rodriguez, whose lone highlight in
the game was throwing out a runner stealing second. "I'm the
happiest I've ever been because the fans did OK."
Game notes
This was the third straight year the season opened in a
nontraditional site. The Cubs and Mets began 2000 in Tokyo last
season and the Rockies and Padres were in Monterrey, Mexico, to
start 1999. ... Toronto opened at a non-majors park in 1996,
playing Oakland in Las Vegas. ... The Blue Jays are wearing a patch
commemorating their 25th season. ... Both teams are off Monday,
then play Tuesday. Texas is at home against Anaheim and Toronto at
Tampa.
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Stark: A-Rod, Rangers show rust
Stark: MLB train will roll on
Opening Day huge hit in Puerto Rico
RECAPS
Toronto 8
Texas 1
San Francisco 6
Oakland 3
Anaheim 6
Arizona 5
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Manager Buck Martinez talks with ESPN's Alvaro Martin after the Blue Jays' victory in the season opener.
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