Like most things in his fairy-tale life, Derek Jeter’s final home opener in The Bronx was a success.
The captain contributed with a leadoff double in the fifth that ignited a two-run rally and the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 4-2, on Monday in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium gathering of 48,142.
A lovefest between Yankees fans and Jeter that will serve as the backdrop to the final season of a Hall of Fame career began with Jeter being smothered by ovations and chants of “Derek Jeter.’’
“It was a fun day right from the start,’’ said Jeter, who participated in the ceremonial first-pitch activities, which included Core Four members Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. “The fans were energetic as they usually are. I really missed it last year. Home openers are special at Yankee Stadium.”
When Joe Girardi didn’t use David Robertson to protect a two-run lead in the ninth, the belief was Rivera’s replacement had worked three of the previous four games and was being rested.
However, Jeter’s final home opener and the Yankees’ third win in four games lost something when Girardi afterward announced Robertson was going on the DL with a Grade 1 left groin strain suffered Sunday in Toronto.
That means for a minimum of two weeks, the Yankees likely will turn to Shawn Kelley, who a year ago was working the middle innings behind Joba Chamberlain.
Girardi used the right-handed Kelley with a filthy slider for the final three outs Monday, and he didn’t ruin the first of the many days Jeter’s place in Yankees history will be celebrated.
Across his career, Jeter has prided himself on taking nothing for granted, but he did that in the fifth when he smoked an Ubaldo Jimenez pitch off the top of the left-field wall. Instead of bolting from the batter’s box, the captain moved slowly and then had to turn it on near first to make it to second with a head-first dive.
Teammates in the dugout got on Jeter, who expected nothing else.
“When I hit it I thought it was a home run,’’ Jeter said of the hardest ball he has hit this season. “The wind played some tricks on it. The wind played some tricks on a few balls today. I hit it, I thought it was a home run, then I thought it was foul and then it ricocheted to the left fielder so I had to pick up the pace.
“Maybe you get caught up in Opening Day and I thought it was a home run. You probably haven’t seen it and probably won’t see it again. But I was safe. It would have been a lot more embarrassing if I was out.’’
Jeter scored on new No. 3-hitter Jacoby Ellsbury’s single, and reliever Zach Britton walked Kelly Johnson with the bases loaded to force in a run.
Hiroki Kuroda (6 ¹/₃ innings, two runs) turned a 4-2 lead over to Matt Thornton with two runners on in the seventh. After Thornton induced a ground ball. David Phelps — who had given up three homers in two relief appearances — entered with runners on second and third and two outs. Phelps released the pressure by getting Jonathan Schoop to ground out.
Adam Warren, who has impressed in the bullpen, worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth and Kelly did a very good impression of Rivera with a perfect ninth for his first major league save.
Since Jeter enjoyed watching three-fourths of the Core Four participate out of uniform, he was asked if he would be joining the festivities next year.
“There is no telling where I will be next year and I probably won’t tell you,’’ Jeter said.