Kuroda shines as Yank opener is a real blast

Kuroda shines as Yank opener is a real blast

Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda gives up five hits over eight scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

YANKEES 5, ANGELS 0

Hiroki Kuroda said this week that although Yankee S tadium is considered a hitter's park, he knew what he was getting into when he signed with the Bombers.

"That was all part of the package," Kuroda said Wednesday through a translator.

BOMBER RETURN TO THE BRONX IS A BLAST: PHOTOS

It would be hard to blame Kuroda for wondering what all the fuss was about. The righthander blanked the Angels over eight-plus innings in the Yankees' home opener, leading his team to a 5-0 victory.

Kuroda erased the frustration of his poor debut last week, tossing eight-plus shutout innings in his first start at Yankee Stadium. Kuroda allowed five hits and walked two, striking out six for his first win with the Yankees.

Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson both took Ervin Santana deep, adding to the lead Nick Swisher provided with his three-run double in the first.

The Yankees are now 4-3, winners of four straight after opening the season with a three-game swe ep at the hands of the Rays.

Santana opened his day with strikeouts of Derek Jeter and Granderson, but Rodriguez singled and Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira both walked, loading the bases.

Swisher, still riding high from his game-winning home run on Wednesday in Baltimore, smoked a 2-1 pitch to center field, clearing the bases with a double that gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

A-Rod added to the lead in the third with a solo blast to center, his first of the season. The home run was No. 630 in his career, pulling him even with his former teammate Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth place on the all-time list.

Granderson tacked on another run in the fifth with a solo shot of his own, his second of the year.

Kuroda made the run support stand up with ease, working his way through the Angels' lineup with very few speed bumps. Kuroda allowed a baserunner in each of the first five innings, but he got inning-ending double plays in the second and fourth and only allowed one Angel to advance as far as second base.

Peter Bourjos' two-out single in the fifth put runners at first and second for the Angels, but Kuroda retired Erick Aybar to end the threat. That was the last time Kuroda would be in trouble, as he retired the next nine batters he faced, carrying the shutout through eight innings.

The Stadium crowd saluted Kuroda with a nice ovation as he walked off the mound at the end of the eighth, recognizing his solid afternoon.

Joe Girardi sent Kuroda out for the ninth, but after Bobby Abreu opened the inning with an infield single, the manager yanked Kuroda. Dave Robertson closed out the win with a scoreless ninth.