Giambi lifts Yankees over Devil Rays

Apr 2, 2007, 20:30 GMT

Bronx, NY - Jason Giambi's third RBI of the game scored Alex Rodriguez with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, as the New York Yankees went on to a 9-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Giambi finished 2-for-5 and Rodriguez added a two-run homer in the victory. Jorge Posada also homered and Derek Jeter contributed a two-run single for New York, which has won 10 straight openers at Yankee Stadium.

Carl Crawford had two hits, a run scored and an RBI for the Devil Rays, while Elijah Dukes belted his first major league homer.

The Yankees trailed 5-3 before a two-run single by Jeter in the sixth tied it. Rodriguez then led off the seventh against Brian Stokes (0-1) with a hot shot that skipped past shortstop Ben Zobrist for a single. He then stole second and scored the go-ahead run on a single to right by Giambi.

'We're going to fight. We've got that type of personality,' said Yankee manager Joe Torre about his team's ability to come back. 'We know if we can just hold them close, we have the offense that can battle back and do some things.'

Luis Vizcaino (1-0), who pitched a perfect seventh inning, notched the victory and Kyle Farnsworth tossed a scoreless eighth.

The Yankees tacked on three in the home eighth to break it open. Doug Mientkiewicz singled, advanced to second on a bunt and scored on a two-out base hit by Bobby Abreu. Rodriguez then connected for his first homer to account for the final margin.

Carl Pavano, the surprise Opening Day starter for New York after a hamstring injury to Chien-Ming Wang, went the first 4 1/3 innings and allowed five runs -- four earned -- on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Pavano missed the entire 2006 season and had not pitched in the majors since June of 2005 because of an assortment of injuries.

'All in all, I'd say that was a pretty good outing for the team,' said Pavano. 'The guys rallied behind me. I didn't go as deep as I wanted to, or have as good of stuff that I would have liked, but they rallied behind me and we came away with the win. That's the most important part.'

Mariano Rivera struck out the side for the Yankees in the ninth.

Scott Kazmir pitched five-plus innings for Tampa Bay and was charged with five runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

The Yankees jumped on Kazmir for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Johnny Damon led off with a base hit and Abreu singled with one out. The runners pulled off a double steal as Rodriguez fanned for the second out, but both scored on Giambi's clutch single to center.

Tampa Bay got one run back in the second thanks to one of three Yankee errors in the contest. Akinori Iwamura hit a one-out grounder to short but reached second when Jeter bounced a throw past first base, then scored on a two-out base hit by B.J. Upton.

Posada led off the bottom of the fourth with a homer to increase the Yankee lead to 3-1, but Tampa Bay knocked Pavano out of the game in the fifth.

Dukes led off the inning with a blast over the center field wall and Upton followed with a single. Upton then stole second and scored the tying run on a base hit by Crawford, who took second when first baseman Josh Phelps cut the throw toward home and threw the ball into center field. Rocco Baldelli then singled home Crawford with the go-ahead run, chasing Pavano from the contest.

Brian Bruney took over for New York and struck out Ty Wigginton, but Baldelli stole second and scored on a base hit by Delmon Young to give the Devil Rays a 5-3 edge.

'I was pleased with the way the game began obviously,' said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. 'We were playing well through five [innings]. They're relentless on offense and they just beat us down the end, but I really liked some of the things we did do today.'

Posada and Robinson Cano started the home sixth with singles, ending Kazmir's day and Mientkiewicz advanced the runners with a sacrifice against Shawn Camp. Melky Cabrera, who took over for an injured Damon, was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and Jeter followed with a base hit up the middle to score two runs.

Game Notes

Damon left the contest after five innings because of cramping in his hamstring...Rodriguez committed New York's first error when he overran a foul pop up along the third base line...The widow and son of former Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle threw out the ceremonial first pitches. Lidle was killed in a plane crash last October.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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