Arlington, TX (My Sportsbook) - Hank Blalock went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a solo shot and knocked in three as the Texas Rangers pounded the Cleveland Indians, 9-1, in the season opener for both teams.

Ian Kinsler turned in a 3-for-5 effort with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored, while Michael Young added two hits and an RBI for the Rangers, who led the majors last season with 901 runs scored. Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton each chipped in with two hits apiece in the win.

"All game we executed everything well," Blalock said. "Scoring a lot of runs and playing good defense and shutting them down with the pitching is all you can ask for. We played an excellent game today."

Kevin Millwood (1-0) earned the win for Texas, which ended last season with a 79-83 mark, 21 games behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The veteran righty tossed seven brilliant innings, allowing only one run -- on a wild pitch -- on five hits while fanning five and walking one.

The former Indian, making his fourth straight Opening Day start, pitched to a 9-10 record with a 5.07 ERA in 29 starts a season ago.

Cliff Lee (0-1), the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, was tagged for seven runs on 10 hits while fanning five and walking a batter over five innings in suffering the loss.

The southpaw, who was making his first career Opening Day start, had an MLB- best 22-3 record with an AL-leading 2.54 earned run average in 31 starts last year.

"I expect more out of myself. I expect to do a better job than that," Lee said about his performance. "Obviously I'm not happy about that. All I can really do now is prepare for my next start and go from there. There's nothing I can do about it now."

Travis Hafner scored the lone Indians run and had one of only five Cleveland hits, all of which were singles.

The Indians finished the 2008 campaign 81-81 and in third place in the AL Central, 7 1/2 games behind the division-winning Chicago White Sox.

After a scoreless 1 1/2 innings, the Rangers broke through for four runs in the bottom of the second. Lee retired the first batter of the frame, but Blalock singled off the left forearm of the Cleveland ace and things got worse for the lefty.

Marlon Byrd doubled and, following a strikeout of Chris Davis, Saltalamacchia singled to right, plating a pair. Elvis Andrus doubled in his first major league at-bat and came around to score on a Kinsler two-run single that put the Rangers ahead 4-0.

The Tribe threatened in the top of the fourth, putting runners on the corners with one out, but Hafner grounded into a 6-3 double play to end the inning.

Blalock's three-run homer in the fifth scored Hamilton and Cruz, who had each singled, to make it a 7-0 game.

With runners on first and third and two down in the seventh, the Tribe finally got on the board when Millwood uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Hafner to cross the plate.

Saltalamacchia's solo homer to left-center and an RBI single by Young in the eighth stretched the Rangers lead to 9-1.

Frank Francisco retired the last three batters in the ninth to close out the victory for Texas.

Game Notes

Former President George W. Bush, who once was part of the Rangers ownership group, threw out the ceremonial first pitch...Young has moved over to third base to make room for Andrus at shortstop...Lee dropped to 5-3 lifetime against the Rangers...Cleveland was 6-4 against the Rangers last season.