McDowell Finds the Grass Isn’t Greener

Jack McDowell left the New York Yankees to pitch for a team that would get him some runs.

A team that starts eight .300 hitters.

One that won the American League pennant last season.

So, in the season’s second game, McDowell found himself pitching against New York and getting only one run from those eight .300 hitters.

He also found himself the losing pitcher at Cleveland. New York got three hits from rookie shortstop Derek Jeter--who had homered on opening day--in beating the Indians, 5-1, Wednesday night.

It was Cleveland’s second home loss in as many games. The Indians went into August last season without losing two in a row at home.

“Sure, I’d rather be 2-0, but I’m not concerned about anything negative coming out of this,” Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove said. “We still have 160 to play.

“I think it was Sparky Anderson who used to say, ‘Come talk to me after 40 games and I can give you a better read on the team.’ I think that’s pretty accurate.”

New York’s Andy Pettitte gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Jeff Nelson finished for a save in his Yankee debut.

McDowell yielded four runs, two of them earned, on six hits in 6 1/3 innings and left with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Toronto 10, Oakland 4--Carlos Delgado and Ed Sprague hit three-run homers and the Blue Jays took advantage of 11 walks to win at cozy Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

Joe Carter added three singles for the Blue Jays, who won both games in the season-opening series. The A’s moved their first six home games to the minor-league park because of renovations at the Oakland Coliseum.

Texas 7, Boston 2--Juan Gonzalez and Mickey Tettleton drove in two runs each for the Rangers, who won at home.

Gonzalez hit a two-run triple and drew three walks. Tettleton hit three singles and also stole his first base in three years. Ivan Rodriguez had an RBI double and three singles.

Tom Gordon, signed as a free agent in December, lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his Boston debut, giving up seven hits and six runs.

Baltimore 7, Kansas City 1--Roberto Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro hit consecutive home runs and David Wells won his Orioles’ debut, despite his teammates bouncing into a triple play.

Bobby Bonilla had two hits and drove in two runs. But his double-play grounder in the sixth inning turned into a triple play when Alomar was caught trying to score.

With runners on first and third bases, Bonilla hit a hard grounder that third baseman Joe Randa backhanded. Randa threw to second baseman Bip Roberts for a force, and Roberts relayed to first baseman Bob Hamelin.

Alomar broke from third during the relay, and Hamelin threw to catcher Sal Fasano for the triple play.

Chicago 4, Seattle 2--Tony Phillips led off the game in Seattle with a home run and Joe Magrane won his first game in almost two years.

Phillips hit the 22nd leadoff homer of his career and also doubled and singled. He went three for five after opening the season 0 for 7 in two games. He homered on the fourth pitch by rookie Bob Wolcott.

Magrane, the third of five White Sox pitchers, pitched the fifth and sixth innings and got two outs in the seventh for the win, his first victory since June 5, 1994, when he pitched for the Angels against Milwaukee.

Minnesota 16, Detroit 7--Ron Coomer, Roberto Kelly and Mike Durant, three Twins playing their first games of the season, combined for seven hits and seven RBIs in a victory at Minneapolis, made easier by three Tiger errors that led to six unearned runs.