* Lohse, Freese lead World Series champions to win
* Miami fail to muster much offense in launch of Marlins
Park
(adds details, quotes)
April 4 (Reuters) – The World Series champion St Louis
Cardinals ruined the Miami Marlins’ housewarming party at their
new stadium by taking a 4-1 victory on Wednesday in Major League
Baseball’s North American Opening Day.
Following a two-game series between the Seattle Mariners and
Oakland Athletics last week in Tokyo that officially opened the
2012 season, the Cardinals picked up where they left off with a
brilliant pitching performance by Kyle Lohse and more timely
hitting by World Series MVP David Freese.
Lohse pitched six innings of no-hit ball before Jose Reyes
singled to lead off the seventh inning. The right-hander went
seven and one-third innings, giving up just one run on two hits
with no walks in registering the win.
Jason Motte pitched the ninth for the save, striking out
Giancarlo Stanton on a tumbling slider to end it.
Miami ace Josh Johnson gave up three runs on 10 hits in six
innings and took the loss.
Freese, who batted .348 including a walk-off home run in the
11th inning of their Game Six win over the Texas Rangers in the
Fall Classic, went three-for-five with two runs batted in and
scored another to lead a 13-hit attack by St Louis.
Seven more major league teams will play their home openers
on Thursday.
More than 37,000 fans packed Marlins Park for a festive
opening of the new stadium.
The celebration began with musical performances and the
opening of the retractable roof at colorful Marlins Park and
ended with fireworks, a flyover of fighter jets and a guest
appearance by boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
“It’s always nice to get the season going, and to open up
here in a beautiful ball park, the fans were excited about it
and so were we,” said Freese.
FELT GOOD
Once the umpire called “Play Ball” it was the Cardinals who
provided the offensive fireworks.
A single by Carlos Beltran was followed by a two-out double
from Lance Berkman that put men on second and third in the first
inning off starter Johnson.
Freese came through with a single to left field that gave St
Louis a 2-0 lead.
Rafael Furcal, who also had three hits, stroked a
run-scoring single to center in the second inning to make it
3-0, and Freese crossed the plate in the eighth on Daniel
Descalso’s ground out to make it 4-0.
Lohse, changing speeds and pinpointing his pitches, retired
the first 10 batters he faced before hitting Bonafacio with a
pitch in the left leg with one out in the fourth.
The Cardinals right-hander then promptly got Hanley Ramirez
to bounce into a double play to end the inning.
He set down the next six Miami batters in succession before
Reyes broke up the no-hit bid leading off the seventh with a
sharp ground single to right.
Lohse said he started thinking about a possible no-hitter
after five innings.
“I just felt good, our defense played well behind me,” said
Lohse, who was bidding to join Cleveland Indians fireballer Bob
Feller (in 1940) as the second pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter
on Opening Day. “I was just getting ahead of guys.”
A run-scoring double to right-center by John Buck off
reliever Fernando Salas in the bottom of the eighth scored Omar
Infante for Miami’s only run.
The win came in Mike Matheny’s first game as St Louis
manager since taking over from the retired Tony La Russa.
“We’re happy we got Mike Matheny his first win,” said
Freese. “We’re excited about that.”
(Reporting By Larry Fine in New York. Editing by Patrick
Johnston)
