Andy Pettitte waited until after the National Anthem to reclaim his rightful spot on the mound in Yankee Stadium.  The applause rained down for Pettitte's contributions in helping to deliver 4 championships to the Bronx in the past and for what he was expected to deliver now in 2007.

It was a beautiful moment.

And that was the last beautiful thing about this game.

The  Yanks dropped their first game of the season, 7-6, to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on a raw, windy, flurry-filled night at The Stadium.  It was a painful game to watch as the Yankees continued to:

A) Play sloppy D (3 errors, 3 wild pitches, 1 passed ball and a botched pick-off play).  Doug Mientkiewicz nearly broke his arm reaching for an arrant throw from Pettitte.  Mientkiewicz was charged with the error.  Jorge Posada probably had his worst day as a pro behind the plate.  There were moments where it seemed as if he never played the position before.  He was also out of sync with Pettitte the entire game.

B) Leave a ton of guys on base (29).  Hideki Matsui came through with a clutch 2-run single in the 7th to tie the score, but Bobby Abreu and A-Rod failed to deliver with 1 out and the bases loaded in the 8th.

C) Get less than 5 innings from their starting pitcher.  Pettitte struggled in his first outing.  He was helped out by questionable base running in the second inning or his line could have been far worse.  He was also working on a pitch-count so he must be feeling less than 100 percent.

The Baltimore Orioles are next up on the homestand and Mike Mussina will be taking the hill for the Yanks.  Let's hope he can deliver the first quality start for the team this season and put all this ugliness behind.