Teixeira's 3-run homer sparks Yankees

Mark Teixeira has conquered March. On to April.

The notoriously slow-starting first baseman hit a three-run home run in the third inning of the Yankees' 6-3 win over the Tigers on Opening Day Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

"I've been petitioning the league to start in March for years, because everyone knows about my Aprils," he joked. "It's good to start this way, I'm not going to lie."

Teixeira (1-for-3) knows that one very good swing on March 31 does not mean he's going to have a great opening month plus one day. But unlike previous seasons, when he denied his slow starts meant anything, this time he tried to do something about it.

He has had two poor Aprils since joining the Yankees. In 2009, he hit .200 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in 19 games. In 2010, it got worse -- .136, two homers, nine RBIs in 22 games. His lifetime average in April is .235.

"Last year was awful," he said. "There's no other way to put it. It was embarrassing. So when you have that bad of a start . . . this offseason [batting coach] Kevin Long and I talked a lot and I just said, 'OK, what are we going to do?'

"I told him, 'My bat feels a little slow sometimes, a little tired maybe to start the season because of all the extra work in spring training in the weight room and defensively. So he said, 'OK, let's hit a little bit more this offseason, let's hit a little bit more in spring training and cut back on the other things and hopefully it's going to work.' "

Teixeira hit more in the offseason than before. He bought a pitching machine and worked at Bobby Valentine's Sports Academy in Stamford, Conn. In spring training, he worked out less in the weight room and spent more time in the batting cage.

After walking first time up against Justin Verlander, Teixeira launched a high, inside 95-mph fastball into the second deck in right just inside the pole for a three-run homer and a 3-1 lead.

"I put a good swing on it," he said. "I really did. And he throws 95 miles an hour. So I think Verlander did a lot of the work on that one. I just barreled it up and cut through the wind. It almost pushed it foul. I was a little worried that it was going to go foul because that wind was just howling the ball from center to right. But it stayed fair enough and that's all that matters."