BALTIMORE – It was a strange opening day at Camden Yards – even before a fly ball disappeared into a snowstorm.

Gary Matthews Jr. singled home the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Monday.

Opening day at Camden Yards is usually a festive occasion held in a packed stadium. Although the crowd was announced at 46,257 – a sellout – there were thousands of empty seats in the upper deck.

By the end of the game, only a few thousand fans remained.

Cleveland scored three runs in the third inning with the aid of a routine fly ball that Baltimore right fielder Jay Gibbons lost between the huge snowflakes that swirled around the stadium.

Twins 3, Tigers 1

DETROIT (AP) – Brad Radke and Dustan Mohr led the Minnesota Twins to another winning start.

Radke got 19 consecutive outs after a leadoff bunt single, and Mohr hit a two-run homer over Comerica Park’s shortened left-field fence as the Twins beat the Tigers 3-1 Monday in Alan Trammell’s debut as Detroit’s manager.

It was the third straight opening win for the Twins, who survived baseball’s attempt to fold them after the 2001 season and won the AL Central last year.

Radke, 4-0 against Detroit last season, gave up a leadoff single to Gene Kingsale, who bunted the ball down the third-base line and beat catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s throw in a close play.

Four pitches later, Kingsale was caught stealing, and Radke retired the next 18 batters before Omar Infante blooped a single to right with one out in the seventh.

Royals 3, White Sox 0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City’s youth movement got off to a solid start.

Runelvys Hernandez allowed two hits in six innings and rookie Angel Berroa drove in the go-ahead run as the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 3-0 Monday – Kansas City’s first opening-day win in five years.

Hernandez combined with two relievers on a three-hitter – and the first opening-day shutout in Royals’ history.

Kansas City’s rotation began the season with 21 major league wins, and Hernandez beat out Jeremy Affeldt in a coin flip that determined who started the opener.

Hernandez struck out five and walked one, getting the win.

Jason Grimsley relieved to start the seventh, rookie Mike MacDougal pitched the ninth for his first career save.

A sellout crowd of 40,302 was at Kauffman Stadium, and the temperature was 73 at gametime. A stealth bomber flew over the stadium after the national anthem.

Mark Buehrle, 19-12 last year, became the first left-hander to make consecutive opening-day starts for the White Sox since Wilbur Wood from 1972 to 1976. Buehrle gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings.

Chicago, expected to contend for the AL Central title, opened on the road for the 13th consecutive season.

Kansas City, coming off a 62-100 season, went ahead in the second. Brandon Berger, given the start in right field because half his eight career homers have come off Buehrle, walked and took third on a double by rookie Ken Harvey.

Berroa singled and Brent Mayne followed with an RBI double – with Berroa out at the plate on a strong relay throw from second baseman D’Angelo Jimenez.

Mike Sweeney doubled in the eighth, took third on a passed ball and scored on Tom Gordon’s wild pitch.

Three runners were thrown out at the plate, two of them Royals. Harvey was cut down in the sixth by third baseman Joe Crede, and Chicago’s Frank Thomas was out in the seventh on a throw by third baseman Joe Randa.

Notes: The White Sox won last year’s series 11-8, outscoring Kansas City 83-19 in their 11 wins. … Aaron Rowand made a good play in center, diving to snare Randa’s drive with two outs in the seventh. … Sweeney is wearing a “C” on his uniform designating him as the Royals’ captain.

AP-ES-03-31-03 1724EST