The Asociated Press

CLEVELAND Ñ On this day, of all days, the Cleveland Indians didnÕt want to be embarrassed.

Not on opening day. Not in front of the president of the United States. Not in their first official game at Jacobs

ÒYou donÕt want to get no-hit on any day. But on opening day, that would be the biggest talk in baseball, a highlight of the year,Ó Sandy Alomar Jr. said after his eighth-inning single broke up Randy JohnsonÕs no-hit bid and helped the Indians rally past the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in 11 innings

With President Clinton watching from the ownerÕs loge, Johnson flirted with a no-hitter for seven innings before faltering. The Indians scored twice off him to tie the game at 2-2 in the eighth, then tied it at 3-3 with a run off Bobby Ayala in the 10th.

Wayne Kirby drove in the winning run in the 11th with a two-out single off loser Kevin King. KirbyÕs hit scored Eddie Murray, who doubled with one out.

ÒThe last six outs are the hardest to get, not the first 15 or 18,Ó said Johnson, who threw a no-hitter against Detroit in 1990. ÒOnce you get to those last six or seven outs, thereÕs all of that anticipation about what could

The late rallies thrilled a sellout crowd of 41,459 watching the first regular-season game at the IndiansÕ new downtown ballpark.

MurrayÕs double hit high off the 19-foot-high fence in left center Ñ a drive that would have been a home run at old Cleveland Stadium. He took third on Paul SorrentoÕs long fly to center, and after Alomar was walked intentionally, Kirby singled down the left field line.

Red Sox 9, Tigers 8

BOSTON Ñ Otis Nixon de-monstrated BostonÕs new-look speed, racing home on Mickey TettletonÕs passed ball to cap a decisive three-run eighth inning.

Roger Clemens broke Cy YoungÕs Red Sox record with his seventh opening-day start, but was hammered for eight runs in 4 2/3 innings.

With the Red Sox trailing 8-6, Nixon walked to load the bases with two out in the eighth. After Billy HatcherÕs ground-rule double tied the game against Storm Davis, a pitch went off TettletonÕs glove to bring home the winning run.

Andre Dawson had his 413th career homer and an RBI double for the Red Sox.

Yankees 5, Rangers 3

NEW YORK Ñ Jimmy Key made it 5-0 in opening-day decisions, allowing three runs on five hits in seven innings as New York beat Kevin Brown with the help of homers by Mike Stanley and Danny Tartabull.

Brown, 11-3 in his career against the Yankees, gave up five runs on 10 hits in five innings. Will Clark had two run-scoring doubles in his debut for Texas.

Wade Boggs had four hits and scored twice for the Yankees, who got a two-run double from Paul ~jump~

~mid~ OÕNeill and two RBI from Tartabull.

Blue Jays 7, White Sox 3

TORONTO Ñ Roberto AlomarÕs three-run homer in the seventh inning overcame a 2-1 deficit, and Toronto beat Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell.

Rookie Carlos Delgado and Ed Sprague also homered for the two-time World Series champions, who got their rings from last October in a pregame ceremony.

Winner Juan Guzman allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings. McDowell, 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA against Toronto in the 1993 AL playoffs, gave up four runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Orioles 6, Royals 3

BALTIMORE Ñ Mike Mussina left his slump in Florida, and Rafael Palmeiro and Lee Smith made BaltimoreÕs free-agency decisions look good as the Orioles handed Kansas City the

Mussina, who had a 6.75 ERA in spring training, allowed a run on two hits in eight innings. Palmeiro homered and Smith got the final out for a save. Read Next Article