Yankees 5, Angels 0: Alex Rodriguez had a big game with three hits, including his 630th home run, and Hiroki Kuroda pitched eight scoreless innings as host New York won its 2012 home opener.

The Yankees took Game 1 of their three-game set with the Angels and improved to 14-1 in home openers since 1998.

After going 4-for-23 through the first two series of the season, Rodriguez went 3-for-4 Friday. He sparked a two-out rally with a single in the bottom of the first, leading to a three-run, bases-load double from Nick Swisher.

Rodriguez led off the bottom of the third with a massive home run to dead center, snapping a six-game RBI-less skid – the longest of his career. The home run tied Rodriguez with former teammate Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth on the all-time list.

Curtis Granderson lined a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a solo home run, giving the Yankees a five-run cushion in the fifth.

Kuroda (1-1) threw 109 pitches in his Big Apple debut, allowing five hits while striking out six and walking two. David Robertson relieved him in the ninth, retiring all three batters faced for the save.

Erick Aybar led the Angels, going 2-for-4 at the plate.

Albert Pujols, who entered the game hitting just .217 (5-for-23), went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.

Los Angeles starter Ervin Santana (0-2) gave up five runs on six hits, striking out five batters while walking three.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pujols was met with chants of “Albert Sucks” by the Bronx crowd in his first at-bat. … Retired Yankees catcher Jorge Posada threw out the first pitch. … Rodriguez was moved to the No. 3 spot in the order.