Only Rain Dampens Yankees’ Home Opener

The old New York Yankees and the new.

Yogi and Whitey. Chili and Coney.

They all came together on a soggy Friday for the Yankees’ home opener, to raise a World Series banner for a record 24th time and perhaps take another step toward No. 25.

They celebrated with a rout.

David Cone took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Yankees pounded the Detroit Tigers, 12-3, in a game shortened to 6 1/2 innings by rain.

Chili Davis went four for four with a grand slam, and Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius also homered as New York marked Yogi Berra’s return to Yankee Stadium.

“Like it was all last year,” interim Manager Don Zimmer said. “Today it’s somebody; tomorrow it’s somebody else.”

The Yankees breezed like they did so often last year, when they compiled a 125-50 regular- and postseason record and swept the San Diego Padres for their second World Series title in three years.

Unlike last year, when they started 0-3 and 1-4, the Yankees have won three in a row after an opening-day loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Weather was the biggest problem. The game was played in a steady rain and the field became so lake-like that Davis had to slow to a walk at third base as he scored the final run. The game finally was halted with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, and umpires called it after a 66-minute wait.

“At one point in the last inning, I was standing on top of the rubber because there was a puddle in front of the rubber,” Cone said. “It was like in Little League, before you learn how to pitch.”

Despite steady rain, the ballpark was nearly full for the pregame hoopla--the announced attendance of 56,583 was the fifth-largest for a regular-season game since the remodeled ballpark opened in 1976.

Yankee Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzuto hoisted the banner up the flagpole in left, and Berra, making his first appearance in 14 years, made the ceremonial first pitch in place of Joe DiMaggio, who died last month.

Boston 4, Tampa Bay 1--With pitching like this, it doesn’t matter who is left in the Red Sox’ lineup.

Mark Portugal gave up three hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings as Boston remained perfect in 1999 and ruined the Devil Rays’ home opener at St. Petersburg, Fla.

In four games, Boston has given up only five runs and 18 hits, making up for the loss of slugger Mo Vaughn to free agency and an injury the last two games to Nomar Garciaparra.

Portugal (1-0), signed as a free agent after going 10-5 for the Philadelphia Phillies last season, struck out three and walked two for the Red Sox, who are off to their best start since 1994.

Portugal and relievers Mark Guthrie and Derek Lowe limited Tampa Bay to just four hits after the Devil Rays scored 21 runs, had 36 hits and batted .327 to win two of three games against the Baltimore Orioles.

“They hit the ball at people. I was well aware of the fact that they scored a lot of runs and got a lot of hits in Baltimore to open up the season,” Portugal said. “My objective was just to keep the ball down and try to get them to keep the ball in the ballpark.”

The Red Sox scored two unearned runs against Rolando Arrojo (0-1) and got a run-scoring single from Scott Hatteberg and a run-scoring double by Lou Merloni.

Kansas City 10, Chicago 5--Scott Leius hit his first homer in nearly three years for the Royals at Chicago.

Mike Sirotka tied an AL record for pitchers by making three errors in one inning, leading to five unearned runs by Kansas City in the fifth. Tommy John made three errors in one inning while with the New York Yankees on July 27, 1988.

“I messed up the play and I messed up the game,” Sirotka said. “It’s pretty much self-explanatory. Obviously, I completely blew up.”

The White Sox made five errors on a blustery, cold day with temperatures in the 40s and the wind whipping up to 33 mph.

Leius didn’t ensure himself a spot on the Royals’ roster as a utility player until the final week of spring training. His homer was his first since June 27, 1996, when he homered for the Cleveland Indians, also at Comiskey Park.

Toronto 7, Baltimore 4--Shannon Stewart homered on the fifth pitch of the game to spark the Blue Jays at Baltimore despite the return of Cal Ripken.

Ripken started at third base for the Orioles after sitting out the previous two games because of a stiff back--the first games he sat out because of injury since 1982. He went one for four with an RBI double.

Stewart’s third leadoff homer of his career highlighted a night in which he had two hits, a sacrifice fly, scored three runs and stole a base. He’s seven for 13 with six runs scored since going 0 for five on opening day.

Kelvim Escobar (1-0), who defeated the Orioles in his last start of 1998, gave up two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The start of the game was delayed by rain for 95 minutes. While many in the crowd of 36,430 began to settle back into their seats, Stewart hit a pitch from Sidney Ponson (0-1) into the center-field bleachers to put Toronto ahead for good.

Cleveland 14, Minnesota 5--Wil Cordero drove in four runs and Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez each added three RBIs for the Indians at Minneapolis.

Cordero, who was signed as a free agent in the off-season after hitting .267 for the White Sox, had three hits, including a pair of doubles. Kenny Lofton went four for five as the Indians collected 20 hits, their most since getting 20 last May 19 against Kansas City. Ten hits were for extra bases.

Charles Nagy (1-0) gave up four runs--three earned--and six hits in seven innings, allowing a two-run homer in the fifth to Terry Steinbach, the Twins’ first of the season.

Nagy had been 0-5 with a 7.20 ERA in nine starts at the Metrodome.