Opening bash
HOUSTON — Brad Lidge got sympathy from his teammates — even the pitcher who gave up the game-winning homer.
Lidge blew the save by allowing a homer in the ninth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 10-inning win over the Houston Astros. With Lidge's recent history, few will remember that it was Chad Qualls who surrendered the go-ahead two-run shot to Jason Bay in the 10th.
"I felt bad," Qualls said when asked about Lidge. "It wasn't the way that we all had it pictured ... my heart went out (to him) there a little bit today."
Lidge has been dogged by questions about his mind-set since Albert Pujols' home run in the 2005 NL championship series. He says he's over it, but didn't help his case last season when he blew six saves and finished with a 5.28 ERA.
"It's not a nightmare," Lidge said. "Honestly, the guy hit a good pitch tonight. I felt good out there and it's an unfortunate result. The reality is ... I still feel confident. So I'm not going to worry about tonight."
Bay's hit off Qualls came with two outs on a 0-2 pitch and landed in the Crawford Boxes in left field and disappointed a Minute Maid Park-record crowd of 43,803 that included former president George H.W. Bush.
"We got great pitching," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "And something that has eluded us all year last year showed up here on the first day (and) that is some big at-bats at the right time."
The game went to extra innings after Lidge gave up a solo homer to Xavier Nady in the ninth that tied it at 2.
Lidge struck out Adam LaRoche before Ronny Paulino grounded out. Then came Nady's homer on Lidge's first pitch into the left-field porch, prompting the boos that dogged him last season.
Jose Bautista then lined a double into the left-field corner and the crowd booed again.
Matt Capps (1-0) pitched the ninth for the win, while Salomon Torres, who went 12-for-12 in save chances last year, pitched the 10th for the save.
Despite allowing one run and five hits in 7X\c innings, Roy Oswalt failed to get the 99th win of his career in his fifth straight opening day start. Toronto's Roy Halladay also started his fifth straight opener Monday to tie Oswalt for the longest active streak in the majors.
The Houston ace didn't give up a run until a home run by Nate McLouth, that hit just over the yellow line on the wall in left-center, in the eighth inning.
Pittsburgh starter Zach Duke, made his first opening day start just three hours from his hometown of Clifton, Texas. The lefty allowed eight hits and two runs with one walk in seven innings. Duke pitched a perfect first inning to escape the opening inning woes that plagued him last season when he gave up 31 runs with a 7.94 ERA.
