Opening Day: Yankees vs. Tigers

Good afternoon from a chilly Yankee Stadium, where the rainy skies have started to clear up and we expect to have baseball this afternoon. The tarp has been pulled off the field and the grass looks terrific, with bunting and the World Series championship years hanging from above the press level.

“It’s just a new beginning. It’s like that every season,” Derek Jeter said. “All of us as players get butterflies and a little nervous going into Opening Day. It’s something we all look forward to. Then again, it’s something you want to get behind us and get into the swing of the season. There’s a lot of excitement. You think back to when you were a kid in Little League. I’ve said it time and time again, Opening Day here just seems like it’s a little more special.”

Temperatures are in the low 40s, and the flags in left-center field appear to be blowing in. Here are the starting lineups for game No. 1 of 162:

TIGERS (0-0)

Austin Jackson CF, Will Rhymes 2B, Magglio Ordonez RF, Miguel Cabrera 1B, Victor Martinez DH, Ryan Raburn LF, Jhonny Peralta SS, Brandon Inge 3B, Alex Avila C

Pitching: Justin Verlander RHP (18-9, 3.37 ERA last year)

YANKEES (0-0)

Brett Gardner LF, Derek Jeter SS, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Robinson Cano 2B, Nick Swisher RF, Jorge Posada DH, Curtis Granderson CF, Russell Martin C

Pitching: CC Sabathia LHP (21-7, 3.18 ERA last year)

• First pitch – 1:11 p.m. (strike from CC Sabathia to Austin Jackson)
• First out: Strikeout of Austin Jackson, swinging, by CC Sabathia
• First Yankees batter: Brett Gardner (strikeout swinging by Justin Verlander)
• First Yankees baserunner: Mark Teixeira, walk, 1st inning
• First Tigers hit: Miguel Cabrera, single to left, 2nd inning
• First run: Jhonny Peralta sacrifice fly, scoring Miguel Cabrera, 2nd inning
• First Yankees hit: Russell Martin, single to left, third inning
• First Yankees run & homer: Mark Teixeira, three-run shot to right off Verlander, 3rd inning