The Boston Red Sox pelted World Series star Jeff Weaver with seven runs in the first two innings and celebrated their home opener with a 14-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the American League on Tuesday.
Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis each had three of Boston's 14 hits, and J.D. Drew homered in his first official Red Sox at-bat at Fenway Park. Josh Beckett (2-0) pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out eight and allowing one run while retiring the last 15 batters he faced.
Weaver (0-1) was dismal in his first outing since pitching eight innings of four-hit ball in the final game of the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series victory over Detroit. He allowed seven runs, seven hits and two walks, throwing 70 pitches in two innings in Seattle's first game since a blizzard snowed them out of four straight in Cleveland.
PHOTO: AP
Tigers 3, Orioles 1
At Baltimore, Nate Robertson took a shutout into the eighth inning, and a throwing error by Brian Roberts provided Detroit with all the runs it needed.
Robertson (2-0), who allowed no runs and four hits, struck out five and walked one in seven-and-one-third innings, was locked in a scoreless duel with Jaret Wright (0-2) until the sixth inning.
Detroit loaded the bases with one out, and after Wright left with an injury, Magglio Ordonez hit a potential double-play grounder. Shortstop Miguel Tejada flipped the ball to Roberts at second base for the force out, but Roberts' relay throw skipped past first baseman Kevin Millar and into the seats.
Joel Zumaya gave up a home run to Corey Patterson in the eighth and Todd Jones worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.
Royals 6, Blue Jays 3
At Toronto, Alex Gordon hit his first career home run, Zack Greinke held Toronto to a run in six innings and Kansas City stopped a three-game losing streak.
Gordon was hitless in 13 at-bats and 1-for-24 this season when the rookie hit a two-run homer in the sixth against Josh Towers (0-1) that boosted Kansas City's lead to 4-1.
Greinke (1-1), who pitched in just three games last season because of depression and social anxiety, allowed six hits, striking out five and walking none. Joakim Soria pitched two perfect innings for his first career save, ending Toronto's three-game winning streak.
Towers allowed six runs -- three earned -- and 10 hits in five-and-two-thirds innings, struck out six and walked none.
In other AL games it was:
* Indians 7, Angels 6
* Yankees 10, Twins 1
* Rangers 12, Devil Rays 9
* Athletics 2, White Sox 1
Chris Sampson pitched five shutout innings, and the Houston Astros beat the Cubs 4-2 in a National League game that included three errors by Chicago shortstop Cesar Izturis on Tuesday.
Sampson (1-0) allowed three singles in his fourth major league start, his first this season.
Izturis, who won a Gold Glove in 2004 with the Dodgers, made back-to-back errors in the fourth and fumbled a leadoff grounder to start the fifth.
Blanked on three hits through eight innings by Sampson, Rick White and Chad Qualls, the Cubs scored two runs in the ninth off Dan Wheeler. Houston bunched four straight hits in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead against Jason Marquis (0-1), who allowed four runs on four hits and four walks in five innings.
Braves 8, Nationals 0
At Atlanta, Tim Hudson pitched three-hit ball over seven innings and Jeff Francouer drove in five runs to extend hapless Washington's losing streak to five.
Washington (1-7) has been outscored 53-18, falling behind by at least 3-0 in every game. The Nationals haven't scored in the first three innings of any game.
Hudson (1-0) held the Nationals without a hit for four-and-two-thirds innings before Ronnie Belliard blooped a single. Hudson struck out seven and walked one, lowering his ERA to 0.64.
The Braves are 6-1 for the first time since their 1995 World Series season.
In other NL games it was:
* Cards 3, Pirates 2, 12 innings
* Marlins 2, Brewers 2, 10 innings, suspended by rain
* Dodgers 2, Rockies 1
* Giants 6, Padres 5
* Diamondbacks 5, Reds 4, 11 innings
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