Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran made impressive debuts with the New York Mets, but Adam Dunn and Joe Randa homered off Braden Looper in the ninth to give the Cincinnati Reds a dramatic 7-6 victory Monday in the Major League Baseball opener for both clubs.
Martinez struck out 12 in six innings and Beltran homered in the third inning, but Looper could not retire a batter, allowing Dunn's tying two-run homer and Randa's game-winner. Danny Graves pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
Dunn also had a three-run homer in the first inning off Martinez, the only ball hit hard in his six innings of domination.
Martinez allowed three hits, two walks and struck out 12 of his last 14 batters.
Kaz Matsui homered in his first at-bat -- the second straight year he's done that -- and Cliff Floyd also connected for the Mets.
In Baltimore, Sammy Sosa got two hits in his debut at Camden Yards, and the Orioles beat Oakland ace Barry Zito 4-0. In his first game since being traded from the Cubs in February, Sosa singled in his first two at-bats and went 2-for-4.
Zito, making his first opening day start, allowed four runs and six hits in six innings, including a home run to Luis Matos.
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