CHICAGO – Dusty Baker quickly warmed to Wrigley Field.
With snow dusting the brown ivy on the outfield walls and the gametime temperature at 32, the Chicago Cubs won Baker’s first home game as their manager, beating the Montreal Expos 6-1 Tuesday as Matt Clement allowed three hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Moises Alou drove in three runs, Alex Gonzalez had three hits and the Cubs turned three double plays.
The game, played in a biting 14 mph wind that was blowing in, was a makeup of Monday’s snowout. It was Baker’s first at Wrigley since leaving the San Francisco Giants in the offseason to manage the Cubs.
“I felt like singing “Jingle Bells.’ It felt like it was Christmas,” Baker said before the game. “That’s the truth, it’s what I did. I started signing to my son. Kids love it. They don’t have to play in it like we do.”
The announced attendance was 29,138, and some in the crowd booed the Canadian national anthem when it was sung before the game.
Among the bundled-up fans was Baker’s 4-year-old son, Darren, who can’t be a bat boy anymore after a change in major league rules. But Darren stood on a wall beside the Cubs dugout and gave his dad a hug for good luck before the game.
Clement (1-1) didn’t allow a hit until Brad Wilkerson beat out a single to start the fifth and didn’t give up a run until Vladimir Guerrero homered in the seventh.
Mets 4, Marlins 2
MIAMI – Al Leiter pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Ty Wigginton hit a three-run homer to lead the New York Mets over the Florida Marlins 4-2.
The Marlins lost their third straight and are last in the NL East.
Leiter (2-0) gave up two runs, six hits and five walks – four to Ivan Rodriguez – in 6 2-3 innings. Three times Leiter pitched around Rodriguez, then retired Mike Lowell with two runners on to end the threat. Rodriguez saw 19 pitches from Leiter, three for strikes.
The All-Star catcher walked again in the ninth before Armando Benitez retired Derrek Lee with two on to end it.
Rodriguez’s five walks tied the NL record for a nine-inning game since 1900. Florida stranded 11 runners.
Wigginton’s shot off Mark Redman cleared the 434-foot sign in center field, only the fifth homer this season for New York.
It came with two outs after Cliff Floyd walked and Mike Piazza singled, making the score 4-0.
Brewers 5, Pirates 3
PITTSBURGH – Looking for their first victory of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers got plenty of help from Pirates starter Kip Wells.
The Brewers, who hit a lot of homers in losing their first six games, relied on walks for most of their scoring and ruined Pittsburgh’s home opener with a 5-3 victory – the first for new manager Ned Yost.
Glendon Rusch (1-1), previously 0-6 against Pittsburgh, was everything Wells wasn’t – effective and in control – in limiting the Pirates to one hit over seven innings.
He struck out seven and walked two to end a personal four-game losing streak.
Pittsburgh’s Jason Kendall hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Luis Vizcaino, but Valerio De Los Santos got the final out of the inning and Mike DeJean finished for his first save.
Reds 2, Astros 1
HOUSTON – Jason LaRue hit his first home run of the year in the 10th inning, leading the Cincinnati Reds over the Houston Astros 2-1.
Ryan Dempster (1-0) allowed seven hits in nine innings for the Reds, and Scott Williamson pitched a perfect 10th for his second save.
Phillies 4, Braves 3
PHILADELPHIA – Tomas Perez’s two-out RBI single in the 10th inning gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Jose Mesa (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 hitless innings for the win.
The gametime temperature of 37 degrees helped lead to 16 walks, including four to Lieberthal, two wild pitches and a passed ball.
Phillies starter Randy Wolf iwalked four and threw two wild pitches.
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