A-Rod Takes Out Months of Frustration on First Pitch

Facing a chorus of boos from Baltimore fans, some welcoming him back by holding up Styrofoam needles, Alex Rodriguez sent the first pitch he saw this season over the left field fence at Camden Yards. A-Rod said, "It was a dream. It's been two months, which is a long time. I've been watching a lot of baseball, being very frustrated. I feel like I'm back with my family now where I belong." He admitted that the 98 mph fastball from Jeremy Guthrie was a pitch that he would have struggled with last season before undergoing hip surgery that delayed his 2009 start by five weeks. The three-run homer ended up being all CC Sabathia needed, pitching a complete game shutout in what was easily his best outing as a Yankee. With the Yankees struggling and his onslaught of bad press throughout the off-season, A-Rod enjoyed the fresh start, saying, “I played baseball and forgot everything else. In ’08, I got away from that a little bit. I have no one to blame but myself."