Galarraga Plays Brave Role Perfectly

Andres Galarraga and the Atlanta Braves could not have come up with a better script.

Galarraga, out last season because of a cancerous tumor in his back, made a triumphant return by hitting a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning Monday that led the Braves to a season-opening 2-0 win over the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field.

Andruw Jones followed Galarraga’s 400-foot drive with another homer off Pedro Astacio.

“I’m really excited. It’s like a movie,” Galarraga said. “It’s something really special. There are no words to say how happy I am.”

Galarraga’s homer helped Greg Maddux improve to 6-0 on opening day.

“It was perfect,” Maddux said. “But it’s kind of corny. You say it’s not going to happen and it does. It’s sort of cool.”

Maddux, 9-2 against Colorado, allowed five hits in 7 2/3 innings, struck out six and walked two--both intentionally.

With John Rocker starting his 14-day suspension, Mike Remlinger pitched 1 1/3 innings for his fourth career save. Rocker, penalized by Commissioner Bud Selig for derogatory remarks against gays, foreigners and minorities, was introduced during pregame ceremonies, when the Braves received their NL championship rings, and was cheered.

Atlanta had just two hits off Astacio in the first six innings. Galarraga then connected on a 1-0 pitch against his former team, and the 38-year-old first baseman jogged around the bases as the crowd of 42,255 stood and cheered.

The cheering got louder and louder as Galarraga made his way to the dugout and continued until he reappeared and doffed his cap to the crowd, about 8,000 below capacity.

“I feel really good. I feel really comfortable,” Galarraga said. “I’m hoping to contribute all year.”

Galarraga drew his first standing ovation when the team was announced in pregame ceremonies, then drew another when he led off the second inning. He reached on that at-bat when he was hit by a pitch on the right hand on a 2-2 count. The crowd booed.

Galarraga finished one for three with a pair of strikeouts and showed he hadn’t lost any of his defensive prowess.

He leaped high to catch a liner off the bat of Todd Helton in the seventh, then made a diving stop near the line of Astacio’s one-hop smash with two outs in the inning after the Rockies had loaded the bases. That grab saved at least two runs.

“It was a great thing,” Maddux said. “First he makes the great play to save two or three runs and then he hits a home run to win the game.”

New York Mets 2, San Diego 1--Derek Bell, in his first game at Shea Stadium since the Mets acquired him from Houston, hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth off Donne Wall.

San Diego’s Tony Gwynn was hit by a pitch from winner Al Leiter in the fourth inning and might have a broken bone. Preliminary X-rays showed a light break near the elbow, and Gwynn went for additional tests.

Leiter allowed one run, five hits and no walks in eight innings, striking out seven. Armando Benitez got the save.

Florida 6, San Francisco 4--Alex Fernandez outpitched former teammate Livan Hernandez, and the Marlins defeated the Giants.

Fernandez allowed eight hits and three runs in seven innings. He also drove in a run in the sixth, taking a 3-2 pitch to right field for a single and a 5-3 lead.

Off-season acquisition Dan Miceli pitched a perfect eighth, and Antonio Alfonseca gave up a homer to Ellis Burks in the ninth in getting a save.

Houston at Pittsburgh, ppd.--Rain forced postponement of the Astros-Pirates game and it will be made up today during what originally had been a day off for both teams. It was the first opening day rainout in Pittsburgh since 1982.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

* FERNANDO VINA, St. Louis: 3 for 5, RBI, run, triple in 7-1 victory over Chicago.

* ERIC KARROS, Dodgers: 1 for 5, 4 RBIs, grand slam in 10-4 victory over Montreal.

* PRESTON WILSON, Florida: 2 for 4, 2 RBIs, double in 6-4 victory over San Francisco.

* VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Montreal: 3 for 4, 4 RBIs, 2 home runs in 10-4 loss to Dodgers.

PITCHING

* AL LEITER, New York: 8 innings, 5 hits, run, 7 strikeouts in 2-1 victory over San Diego.

* GREG MADDUX, Atlanta: 7 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts in 2-0 victory over Colorado.