Padres Crack Junior's Safe

The House that Junior Built opened with a Seattle loss, thanks to another blown save by the Mariners' bullpen.

Jose Mesa wasted a ninth-inning lead by walking four batters and the Mariners lost their sixth straight, 3-2 to the San Diego Padres in Safeco Field's opener Thursday night.

The two stars most responsible for the stadium failed to drive in any runs. Ken Griffey Jr. went 1-for-3 with a double and Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-4 before a sellout crowd of 44,607.

After 22 ½ years in the dreary Kingdome, Seattle finally played a home game outdoors, moving into a $517.6 million ballpark with a retractable roof. Seattle starter Jamie Moyer said he felt sprinkles during the game.

"I went out the next inning and (plate umpire) Jimmy Joyce was standing toward the mound, and I asked him if he had the key to the roof," Moyer said with a smile.

The roof was closed before the opening ceremonies, then was opened and remained open as fans watched in pleasant 60-degree weather.

"It's a beautiful ballpark," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "It looks like the games are going to have some lower scores. There's a lot of room out there."

The Safe is the latest in a new generation of ballparks that began opening when Toronto moved into the SkyDome in mid-1989. Since then, teams have moved into the new Comiskey Park in Chicago (1991), Camden Yards in Baltimore (1992), Jacobs Field in Cleveland (1994), Texas' The Ballpark in Arlington (1995), Coors Field in Denver (1995), Turner Field in Atlanta (1997) and Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix (1998).

Set to open next year are Detroit's Comerica Park, Houston's Enron Field, Milwaukee's Miller Park and San Francisco's Pacific Bell Park.

While the Kingdome was a hitter's paradise, Safeco is expected to be a pitcher's park. Griffey hit a deep fly bal to right that was caught.

"You wonder if a lot of these balls would have been out at the old ballpark," Bochy said. "But I just think it's a beautiful park. I think they did a great job here."

San Diego starter Andy Ashby said he couldn't make any judgments about Safeco Field on the results of one game. The Mariners lead the majors with 151 homers.

"You're just going to have to wait and see," he said. "I'm glad I didn't see any leave the park tonight."

Trying to protect a 2-1 lead, Mesa (0-4) blew a save for the third time in 22 chances, the 13th in 34 opportunities for the Mariners this season.

He walked Ruben Rivera and pinch-hitters John Vander Wal and Ed Giovanola, loading the bases with no outs. After Dave Magadan struck out, Mesa walked Quilio Veras on a 3-2 pitch, and Eric Owens followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

"I gave it up," Mesa said. "That's the only thing I can say. I didn't give up a hit, but I lost the ballgame. Today was one of those days when I couldn't throw strikes."

Will Cunane (2-0) got the final out of the eighth, and Dan Miceli pitched a perfect ninth for his second save, completing San Diego's 19th win in 24 games.

Moyer allowed one run and seven hits in eight innings and struck out nine, allowing a bad-hop RBI single to Phil Nevin in the third.

Ashby had a five-hit shutout until the eighth, when Dan Wilson and David Bell tied it with consecutive doubles. Bell's double was his third of the game, tying a team record.

Heath Murray relieved and David Segui hit Seattle's sixth double of the game, a liner that landed just inside the right-field foul line and put Seattle ahead 2-1.

Ashby struck out eight and walked none in 7 2-3 innings.

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