Baltimore ? Sammy Sosa was doing a little dance in front of his locker as the crowd around him began to grow. He stepped back from the TV cameras and microphones to turn down the volume of the pulsating salsa music on his personal DVD player.

“I don’t want to get released,” he said, flashing his trademark smile.

There’s no danger of that happening anytime soon in Baltimore, where Sosa received a hero’s welcome before getting two hits Monday in the Orioles’ 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Luis Matos homered, and Rodrigo Lopez pitched six innings to help Baltimore earn its fifth consecutive Opening-Day victory.

Making his debut with the Orioles after being traded from the Cubs in February, Sosa singled in his first two at-bats and went 2-for-4. He didn’t score or drive in a run, but his presence delighted the crowd of 48,271 — largest on Opening Day in the 13-year history of Camden Yards.

“Sammy … he’s a special player,” Baltimore first baseman Rafael Palmeiro said. “You can see by the reaction of the fans, especially out in right field. They embraced him like he’s been here for a long time.”

Sosa is trying to bounce back from a bitter season in Chicago, where he slumped to .253 with 35 homers and fell out of favor with the organization and fans. He also annoyed some of his teammates with a boombox that often played earsplitting music.

In Baltimore, however, the slugger appears to be an ideal fit.

“I feel comfortable. I just feel that it is my house, like I’ve been here before,” he said. “I prepared for this moment. The support I get from the fans today was incredible. On top of that, we played a good game.”

The Orioles beat nemesis Barry Zito, who was 2-1 with an 0.63 earned-run average in four career starts in Baltimore. Making his first Opening-Day start, the left-hander allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.

Baltimore's Sammy Sosa acknowledges the crowd following a 4-0 victory over Oakland. Sosa went 2-for-4 in his first game as an Oriole on Monday in Baltimore.

“Barry had a couple of walks that scored on him. That kind of hurt him, and he hung a curveball (to Matos),” A’s manager Ken Macha said. “Besides that, I thought he was good.”

Zito was moved to the No. 1 spot in the rotation after Oakland traded Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder during the offseason.

Lopez scattered seven hits, leading Baltimore past the A’s for the first time since 2003. Oakland was 7-0 against the Orioles last season.

“He threw strikes, he kept the ball down. He changed speeds,” Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said. “He’s a gutty guy.”

Sosa received a warm ovation from the fans in the bleachers when he sprinted to right field in the top of the first.

“My teammates asked me if I was going to go out there and run, and I said yes,” Sosa said. “This is my way to do it, everywhere I go. Today I had a chance to do that, and the fans welcomed me. It made me very, very proud.”

Mariners 5, Twins 1

Seattle — Richie Sexson homered twice and drove in five runs in his Seattle debut, and 42-year-old Jamie Moyer pitched 52/3 strong innings.

Sexson, given a $50 million, four-year contract to join the Mariners, hit a three-run homer in the first and added a two-run drive in the third, both off loser Brad Radke.

Moyer, trying to bounce back from a 7-13 season, gave up five hits and an unearned run. He struck out four and walked none.

Radke, who made his seventh straight start on Opening Day, worked seven innings and allowed five runs — four earned — on five hits with five strikeouts.

White Sox 1, Indians 0

Chicago — Mark Buehrle retired his first 12 batters and allowed two hits in eight innings to overcome a four-hitter by Jake Westbrook.

Paul Konerko doubled down the left-field line in the seventh, moved to third on Jermaine Dye’s fly to right and scored on an error by shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who booted Aaron Rowand’s one-out grounder.

Shingo Takatsu pitched a perfect ninth for the save, completing a game that took just 1 hour, 51 minutes.

Indians third baseman Aaron Boone played his first game since the 2003 World Series with the New York Yankees because of a knee injury. He was 0-for-3.

Blue Jays 5, Devil Rays 2

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Roy Halladay pitched seven-plus strong innings, and three Blue Jays homered to snap the Devil Rays’ five-game winning streak in season openers.

Halladay, the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner, was slowed by injuries last season, but he looked healthy and sharp against Tampa Bay, striking out seven and walking none. Miguel Batista got four outs to earn the save.

Orlando Hudson hit a two-run homer off loser Dewon Brazelton in the fourth inning. Six pitches later, Vernon Wells followed with a solo shot. Eric Hinske also homered for Toronto.

Brazelton allowed three runs and five hits in seven-plus innings for the Devil Rays.