Island Ball

The Montreal Expos warmed to Puerto Rico real fast.

Brad Wilkerson and Brian Schneider homered off David Cone, and Tomo Ohka gave up one hit in eight innings as “Los Expos” rolled past the New York Mets, 10-0, Friday night in the first of 22 Montreal home games in San Juan.

Schneider put the Expos ahead with a two-run shot in the third, and Wilkerson capped the seven-run inning with his first career grand slam. Local hero Jose Vidro had a two-run homer off Graeme Lloyd in the eighth.

“It was perfect,” said Vidro, who fought back tears as he rounded the bases. “If it’s going to be like that for the 22 games that we’re going to be here, it’s welcome.”

New York had only two hits: Cliff Floyd’s broken-bat single in the fourth inning and Roger Cedeno’s infield single on a topper in front of the plate in the ninth.

“We didn’t waste anything for tomorrow, that’s for sure,” Manager Art Howe said.

“Beisbol,” island style, began with a crowd of 17,906 in Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which was expanded to 20,000 seats. It was larger than the attendance for all but eight Expo games last year at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, which holds 46,000.

Having a ballpark full of fans was nearly as important to the Expos as the victory.

“I’ll take the impression of looking around and seeing all the seats filled,” Manager Frank Robinson said.

Fans did the wave, chanted “Let’s go Mets!” several times and “Ole!” They greeted their local stars -- Roberto Alomar and Rey Sanchez of the Mets, and Vidro -- with standing ovations. For Vidro, it was the first time his mother saw him play a major league game.

“I was more nervous today than in my first game in the big leagues,” he said.

There was thumping Latin music and dancers on the field between innings, and one fan held up a sign that read “Puerto Rico’s Expos.”

And in a concession to the times, there were police sharpshooters in the bullpens, watching the fans and the spongy green artificial turf.

Ohka (1-1) became the first Japanese pitcher to win a game in Puerto Rico, striking out seven and walking four. Scott Stewart finished.

Cone (1-1) beat Montreal on April 4 for his first victory since the 2001 season. On Friday, he got the ball up in the small dimensions of Bithorn -- 398 to center, 315 to left and 313 to right -- and lost for the first time since Oct. 1, 2001, for Boston at Tampa Bay.

Cone lasted four innings, allowing seven runs, eight hits and three walks, one intentional.