By KRISTIE RIEKEN
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON — Yu Darvish was one out from a perfect game when Marwin Gonzalez grounded a clean single through the pitcher’s legs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 7-0 on Tuesday night.
The celebrated right-hander from Japan struck out a career-high 14 and appeared to be in complete control before Gonzalez smacked the first pitch up the middle. Darvish was unable to get his glove down in time and the ball skittered into center field well beyond a desperate dive by shortstop Elvis Andrus.
Darvish smiled and extended his arms — almost like, “Oh well, it happens.” Several disappointed fans put their hands on their heads as Texas infielders came to the mound and manager Ron Washington joined them.
Washington patted Darvish on the chest and then signaled for a reliever. A crowd of 22,673 that included plenty of Rangers fans cheered Darvish as he walked off after 111 pitches. He stopped and tipped his cap before getting high-fives from teammates in the dugout.
He sat on the bench to watch the rest of the game, then joined the handshake line after the final out.
Darvish became the first pitcher to lose a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning since Armando Galarraga on June 2, 2010. Of course, the Detroit pitcher was denied only because of an infamous missed call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce, who later admitted he blew the play.
On the second full day of the major league season, Darvish nearly picked up right where baseball left off last year, when there were a record three perfect games, thrown by Philip Humber, Matt Cain and Felix Hernandez.
Darvish’s 14 strikeouts matched a Minute Maid Park record and were the most by a Rangers pitcher since Hall of Famer and current team CEO Nolan Ryan had 14 in July 1991 against the Angels.
Darvish arrived in the majors last year with much fanfare, having already been a five-time All-Star and two-time MVP in Japan. The Rangers paid more than $107 million to get him for five seasons.
The 6-foot-5 righty quickly settled in with Texas, becoming an All-Star last year on the way to going 16-9 with 221 strikeouts. He also once flirted with perfection, retiring the first 17 batters at Kansas City on Sept. 3.
If Darvish had been able to finish the job Tuesday, it would have been the earliest perfecto in history.
He didn’t really need a dazzling play from his defense as he shut down the Astros and chased the 24th perfect game in big league history — including the one Don Larsen tossed in the 1956 World Series, and two in 1880.
It was almost the second time in 10 months the overmatched Astros failed to put a runner on base. Cain’s perfect game for the World Series champion San Francisco Giants came against Houston on June 13 last year.
Many expect the Astros to be the worst team in the majors this year, after two straight 100-loss seasons and a major league-low payroll of just under $22 million. But they cruised to an 8-2 win over Texas in the major league opener and their American League debut Sunday night.
The 26-year-old Darvish carried over a strong showing in spring training this year into near perfection in his first regular-season start. The Astros looked totally lost against him, often taking wild swings at breaking balls that bounced.
With the crowd on its feet and a mixture of cheers and “Yuuus” filling Minute Maid Park, Chris Carter took Darvish to a full count before striking out on the ninth pitch of the at-bat for the first out of the eighth inning.
Rick Ankiel followed by striking out and Justin Maxwell hit an easy grounder to second baseman Ian Kinsler.
Darvish looked toward the sky for a couple of seconds before retreating to the dugout.
He began the ninth by getting two easy groundouts before Gonzalez ruined his bid for perfection. The 24-year-old Gonzalez made his big league debut last year, hitting .234 in 80 games for Houston.
Darvish, who played seven professional seasons in Japan before joining the Rangers, set rookie franchise records for wins (16) and strikeouts (221) last season. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind winner Mike Trout and Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.
The win gives Darvish five straight regular-season victories dating to last season. He took the loss in the Rangers’ 5-1 defeat to Baltimore in the AL wild-card game last year.
Using his dizzying array of pitches, including a fastball that topped out at 97 mph, a slider, and 95 mph cutters, Darvish bedeviled the mostly inexperienced Houston hitters.
Darvish (1-0) sailed through the first four innings, striking out nine, including the side in the second and fourth.
Carter hit a long fly that looked as though it could be gone before David Murphy caught it just in front of the wall in left-center for the first out of the fifth. First baseman Mitch Moreland made a nice catch on a liner by Ankiel for the second out before Darvish fanned Maxwell on three pitches to end the inning.
Michael Kirkman relieved Darvish after Gonzalez’s hit. Jose Altuve followed with a single before Kirkman fanned pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez to end it.
Darvish has never thrown a complete game in the majors.
Lucas Harrell (0-1), who was Houston’s most successful starter a year ago with 11 wins, allowed six hits and one run with four strikeouts in six innings.
Lance Berkman had a run-scoring single in the third against his former team. He finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Kinsler hit a two-run homer off Rhiner Cruz in the seventh to make it 3-0. Texas added two runs in the eighth and two in the ninth.
Rockies 8, Brewers 4
MILWAUKEE — Carlos Gonzalez is happy to see Troy Tulowitzki back in the Colorado Rockies’ lineup.
Gonzalez homered for the second straight game and drove in two runs to lead the Rockies over the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4, giving Walt Weiss his first win as a major league manager.
Tulowitzki also homered for the second straight game and drove in two runs, giving him four RBIs for the season.
Tulowitzki is off to a quick start after missing the last four months of the 2012 season with an injured left groin that required surgery. The All-Star shortstop went 2 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs in Monday’s loss on opening day.
Weiss, who posted his first victory, a year after managing his son’s high school team, had a lot of praise for Tulowitzki and Gonzalez after the game.
“Tulowitzki looks great,” Weiss said. “Having him and Carlos in the three and four hole is very nice. Those two guys are going to have to be the ones if we are going to make a push this year.”
Gonzalez said he is seeing the ball well early in the season. While the home runs were important, both Weiss and Gonzalez talked about the importance of the Rockies’ three-run seventh inning that features four singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly.
Edgmer Escalona (1-0) pitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief for the victory.
Indians 4, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO — After four straight opening day losses, Asdrubal Cabrera made sure the Cleveland Indians started off with a win.
Cabrera hit a two-run homer off NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey and the Indians beat the overhauled Toronto Blue Jays 4-1, winning their season opener for the first time in five years.
Just as important as his homer, Cabrera also started a key double play in the third after the Blue Jays loaded the bases with none out.
Cleveland won its opener for the first time since beating the Chicago White Sox in 2008. The Indians had dropped eight of their past 10 openers.
Justin Masterson (1-0) worked six innings, combining with three relievers to Toronto to just one hit after newcomer Melky Cabrera’s leadoff single in the third, a two-out double in the ninth by catcher J.P. Arencibia. Colby Rasmus followed by striking out to end the game.
Masterson (1-0) allowed one run and three hits in six innings, ending his night by retiring 11 straight batters. The right-hander walked four and struck out five.
“He threw some turbo sinkers,” Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia said. “He’s got a really good sinker. He was able to throw his four-seamer for strikes and flip in his slider whenever.”
Joe Smith worked the seventh, Vinnie Pestano pitched the eighth and Chris Perez finished for Cleveland, earning his first save.
Indians 4, Blue Jays 1
TORONTO — A season of high expectations started on a low note for R.A. Dickey and the Toronto Blue Jays.
NL Cy Young winner Dickey and the overhauled Blue Jays struggled in their opener and lost to Asdrubal Cabrera, Justin Masterson and the Cleveland Indians 4-1 Tuesday night.
“You wish it would have went different, you hope for it to be different,” Dickey said. “Opening night, everybody is here, full of energy.”
Cabrera hit a two-run homer off Dickey, Masterson pitched six innings and the Indians ended their streak of opening day losses at four.
Cleveland won its opener for the first time since beating the Chicago White Sox in 2008. The Indians had dropped eight of their past 10 openers.
Excited by the winter acquisitions of Dickey, Jose Reyes and other All-Stars, fans in Toronto were eager to see the revamped roster in action. They sellout crowd of 48,857 cheered as Dickey walked out to the bullpen to warm up before the game, and roared even louder during player introductions.
“The welcome that I got from the fans was borderline supernatural,” Dickey said. “It was pretty awesome. Deep down, you want so badly to give them a great show and you want to entertain them.”
Instead, Masterson and three relievers combine to hold Toronto to just one hit after newcomer Melky Cabrera’s leadoff single in the third, a two-out double in the ninth by catcher J.P. Arencibia. Colby Rasmus followed by striking out to end the game.
“We just couldn’t get anything going against their pitching,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
Masterson (1-0) allowed one run and three hits in six innings, ending his night by retiring 11 straight batters. The right-hander walked four and struck out five.