Maybe the Yankees should have started him instead of Chien-Ming Wang, who had the worst start of his career in giving up eight runs in one-plus inning. Wang surrendered four runs during a 42-pitch first inning and was pulled after he issued two walks and allowed two hits to start the second. Jonathan Albaladejo promptly gave up a grand slam to the first batter he faced, Carlos Pena.

Wang's second straight brutal outing -- he gave up seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in his first start against the Orioles -- raised his ERA to a stratospheric 28.93. It was the shortest start for Wang in 97 big-league starts and only the third time he has allowed eight earned runs in an outing. He was also charged with eight earned runs against the Blue Jays on Aug. 8, 2007 and the Red Sox on April 16, 2008.

"Whatever could go wrong tonight went wrong, and it starts with our starting pitching and Chien-Ming Wang," manager Joe Girardi told reporters afterward. "Again, he never got it going, and we know he's much better than he's pitched so far. And we need to get him turned around."

Albaladejo, Edwar Ramirez and Phil Coke were tagged for seven runs (four earned) over the following six innings. Joe Girardi decided to call on Swisher for the eighth because he wanted to save left-hander Damaso Marte for later in the series and because Jose Veras and Brian Bruney each pitched four times in the Yankees' first six games.

RAYS 15, YANKEES 5: Chien-Ming Wang allowed eight runs and failed to record an out in the second inning as the Rays made their home opener one to remember by dominating the Yankees. The Rays pounded out 17 hits and scored in every inning but the fourth and eighth. Most of the Yankees' few highlights were delivered by Nick Swisher, who hit a solo homer in the fourth and pitched a scoreless eighth inning as the mop-up man. Jorge Posada went 2-for-4 with a two-run double while Melky Cabrera went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first start of the season in centerfield.