New ballpark gorgeous, unlike the play of the home team.
Jody Gerut christened Citi Field with a leadoff homer — the only time that’s happened in major league history — and the San Diego Padres spoiled New York’s first game in its glittering new ballpark with a 6-5 victory Monday night.
Pedro Feliciano balked in the go-ahead run and the Mets made several costly mistakes, opening Citi Field the same way they closed Shea Stadium: with a dud.
“It’s bittersweet,” David Wright said. “Winning will do a lot more than the park.”
Gerut’s shot off Mike Pelfrey marked the first time that the first batter homered in the opening game at a big league ballpark, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“Very cool,” Gerut said. “Maybe at the end of the season when I look back on this, I’ll have a greater sense of what happened here. But at the time, all I’m thinking is that it put us ahead.”
Wright rallied New York from an early four-run hole with a three-run homer that tied it, but it wasn’t enough. Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell, both former Mets relievers, closed out the fifth straight win for surprising San Diego, expected to be one of baseball’s worst teams this year.
Adrian Gonzalez also homered for the Padres, who improved to 6-2.
The Mets are looking for more success at $800 million Citi Field than they had at big Shea, where they spent 45 seasons that produced two World Series championships — and consecutive September collapses the past two years.
The Mets lost to Florida in the Shea finale last season, eliminating them from playoff contention. They haven’t been any better in their stadium openers — New York dropped its first game at the old Polo Grounds (1962) and at Shea Stadium (1964), both by 4-3 scores to Pittsburgh.
Wide-eyed fans filed in Monday through the stately Jackie Robinson Rotunda, many snapping photos and searching for souvenirs only steps from where Shea Stadium was razed to make room for Citi Field’s parking lot.
Pregame ceremonies included Hall of Famer Tom Seaver and former New York catcher Mike Piazza walking in together from the bullpen, both wearing Mets jerseys. Seaver threw out the first pitch to Piazza, a strike, and pumped his fist.
Both players autographed the ball, which is headed to the Hall of Fame.
With its intricate brickwork and charming archways, Citi Field was designed to invoke the warmth of Ebbets Field, beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-57.
Even the team mascot, Mr. Met, has his own room under the stands.
“It’s impressive. It’s a nice place. It’s such a stark, dramatic change from Shea Stadium,” said Padres Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, now an executive vice president and senior adviser for San Diego.
The Mets tested out the cozy ballpark with two exhibition games April 3-4 against Boston. But this was the real thing, and it certainly didn’t go as planned.
Gerut pulled Pelfrey’s third pitch down the right-field line, stunning a sold-out crowd of 41,007. The first hit at Shea Stadium also was a home run, by Pirates Hall of Famer Willie Stargell off “Fat Jack” Fisher on April 17, 1964.
“That’s probably the only place in the yard where I can get it out. This park plays pretty big,” Gerut said.
Indeed, Wright and Carlos Beltran hammered long drives to center that Gerut caught near the fence, balls that probably would have left most big league parks — including Shea.
Pelfrey looked out of sorts all night in his team’s new digs. He caught a cleat on the mound in mid-delivery, sending the 6-foot-7 right-hander tumbling awkwardly to the turf in the second inning with Padres starter Walter Silva at the plate.
Pelfrey wasn’t hurt, so he tried to waive off manager Jerry Manuel and a team trainer. They came out to check on him anyway.
“I asked them if the game was on TV. It was pretty embarrassing,” Pelfrey said.
Silva then slapped a two-out single, sparking a three-run rally that included David Eckstein’s two-run double and Brian Giles’ soft RBI single.
Gonzalez gave San Diego a 5-1 cushion with a fifth-inning homer against Pelfrey that caromed off the screen attached to the right-field foul pole.
“We just haven’t seen the life in those pitches,” Manuel said. “We’ll have to really sit down and see if there’s anything wrong with him.”
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