Major League Baseball Roundup : Winfield, Rhoden Get Yankees Off Right, 8-0

Obviously, just about the only person in New York who wants to see Dave Winfield depart is Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

After the slugging outfielder rejected a propsed trade to the Houston Astros, Winfield received a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium before helping the Yankees open the season on a happy note Tuesday.

Rick Rhoden pitched a three-hitter, and Winfield singled in the only run the veteran right-hander needed in an 8-0 victory over the World Series champion Minnesota Twins before 55,802 fans.

It was a successful return for Manager Billy Martin, fired four times previously by Steinbrenner. Martin said he was tired of hearing of trade rumors involving his right fielder.

Steinbrenner has been trying to trade Winfield since the middle of spring training when Winfield’s book, critical of Steinbrenner, came out. The Astros were going to give up Kevin Bass in the proposed deal.

Winfield singled home Willie Randolph to trigger a four-run fourth against Frank Viola. Mike Pagliarulo’s three-run home run was the big blow.

“It was good to have the fans on the team’s side and my side,” Winfield told United Press International. “I could sense it in batting practice.

“All spring I’ve been looking forward to opening day. I didn’t sleep much, I was tossing and turning. I got here early. I was loose and confident.”

An outstanding opener was unusual for Rhoden, even though he was facing a team that had the worst road record in the majors last season (29-52). Previously, he was 0-3 in openers with an earned-run average of 6.75.

“It was the first good opener I’ve had,” Rhoden said. “But I expected to pitch a good game.”

About the only consolation for Viola, who gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings, was that he continued his mastery of Don Mattingly, a lifetime .331 hitter. Mattingly was 0 for 3 and is 6 for 30 lifetime against the majors’ winningest left-hander over the last four seasons.

The Twins pulled the eighth triple play in their history in the eighth inning. Rafael Santana, making his Yankee debut, came up with the bases loaded and grounded to third baseman Gary Gaetti, who stepped on third to start the round-the-horn play. It was the fourth time Gaetti figured in a triple play.

Houston 6, San Diego 3--When Dave Winfield vetoed the trade that would have sent him to the Astros for Kevin Bass, he might have done the Astros a favor.

Bass hit a two-run pinch single in the seventh inning to tie the score, then Billy Hatcher followed with a tiebreaking double.

Ed Whitson held the Astros to a run and four hits in seven innings but had to leave the game when Terry Puhl’s hot smash to open the eighth hit him on the pitching hand.

Pittsburgh 5, Philadelphia 3--Darnell Coles drove in four runs with a three-run home run and a triple at Philadelphia. Mike Schmidt hit his 531st home run for the Phillies. But he also made an error that contributed to three unearned runs.

Chicago Cubs 10, Atlanta 9--Manny Trillo hit a sacrifice fly in the 13th inning at Atlanta to win a game that featured seven home runs.

The Braves had a 9-7 lead going into the ninth, but Bruce Sutter, in his first appearance in almost two years, gave up the tying runs and sent the game into extra innings.

Vance Law opened the 13th with a double, was bunted to third and came home on Trillo’s medium-range fly to center.