Santana wins Mets debut

Johan Santana insisted he was a bit nervous in the moments before his highly anticipated debut with the New York Mets.

Didn't look it, not one bit.

Santana struck out eight in 7 dominant innings, David Wright hit a 3-run double, and New York opened its season with a 7-2 win Monday over the host Florida Marlins.

"It's always good to get the first one out of the way," Santana said. "I wasn't trying to put anything in my head or anything. Just another game, another Opening Day, different uniform, lot of expectations. But I felt good."

If only the Mets had Santana last September, when they blew a 7-game lead in the NL East with 17 games left. The collapse became complete when the Marlins scored seven times off Tom Glavine in the first inning on the season's final day.

But Santana -- who was traded to the Mets from Minnesota this winter and signed a $137.5 million, six-year contract -- dazzled Monday from beginning to end. The two-time Cy Young winner struck out Hanley Ramirez to begin the game and Matt Treanor to end his outing, and allowed only 3 hits.

"Off to a good start," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "Santana was outstanding today. He was pounding the zone all day and I thought he threw even better than he looked, because he threw a lot of strikes and balls were kind of borderline that he didn't get. But he made pitches when he had to and it's nice to have the big horse start things for you."

Wright and Carlos Beltran each doubled twice for the Mets. Jose Reyes added 2 hits for New York, which has won 30 of its last 39 openers.

Josh Willingham hit a 2-run home run for Florida.

"We got the home run off him," Willingham said, "but that was about it."

The Mets took command with their biggest inning on an opening day, scoring 6 runs in the fourth against Mark Hendrickson (0-1).

Dodgers 5, Giants 0: Joe Torre was victorious in his debut as Los Angeles manager. Brad Penny allowed 4 hits over 6¿ innings in his first opening-day start, Jeff Kent hit a 2-run homer off Barry Zito, and the host Dodgers beat San Francisco.

Nationals 11, Phillies 6: Nick Johnson's tiebreaking RBI double off Tom Gordon highlighted a 5-run ninth inning, and Washington beat host Philadelphia.

Diamondbacks 4, Reds 2: At Cincinnati, Brandon Webb pitched 6 innings, and light-hitting Arizona piled up 3 solo homers in a victory that dampened Dusty Baker's debut as Reds manager.