OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Hideo Nomo won his American League debut with seven strong innings, and the Detroit Tigers opened by beating the Athletics 7-4 Monday night before the largest baseball crowd ever at the Oakland Coliseum.

Dean Palmer went 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs and Deivi Cruz went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored to help make Phil Garner a winner in his debut as Tigers manager.

Two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez, acquired from Texas in a nine-player trade, went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in his Detroit debut.

A crowd of 53,498 saw Jason Giambi homer twice and Matt Stairs and Frank Menechino hit one each _ Oakland's only hits and all solo shots. The attendance eclipsed the previous Oakland Coliseum high of 51,263 for an interleague game against the San Francisco Giants last July 17.

Kevin Appier, making his eighth career opening day start but first with Oakland, held Detroit's No. 4 hitter (Gonzalez) and No. 5 hitter (Tony Clark) hitless in eight at-bats.

Appier allowed six runs _ just three earned because of two errors _ and eight hits in six innings. He struck out seven but walked four, including one with the bases loaded, and hit a batter. He was trying to become the first Oakland starter to win on opening day since Bob Welch beat Detroit in 1993.

Nomo, released twice last season before catching on with Milwaukee and winning 12 games to revive his career, allowed three runs and three hits. He struck out eight and walked three to win his first U.S. opening day start; he pitched four openers in Japan.

Giambi homered in the first, and Nomo didn't give up another hit until Stairs' one-out solo homer in the fourth, which pulled Oakland to 6-2.

Leading 2-1, Detroit added four runs in the fourth, taking advantage of Appier's control problems and a fielding error.

Juan Encarnacion singled with two outs and Cruz followed with a double. Luis Polonia was walked intentionally to load the bases and set up the force, but the plan went awry when Appier walked Brad Ausmus.

Bobby Higginson's pop fly behind second base then fell for a three-base error when it glanced off the glove of center fielder Rich Becker, whose attempt to make a running catch appeared impeded by backpedaling second baseman Menechino.

Menechino, starting in place of injured Randy Velarde, got one run back for Oakland when he hit his first big league home run off Nomo in the fifth.

Giambi hit his second homer of the night in the eighth off Doug Brocail. Todd Jones finished with a perfect ninth for the save.

Palmer led off the second with a homer and Luis Polonia added an RBI single. Palmer had an RBI single in the eighth.

Notes: Appier became the eighth opening day starter for Oakland in as many years. Nomo was the sixth opening day starter in six years for the Tigers. ... The Tigers last opened the season in Oakland in 1993, when they lost to the A's 9-4. ... Both the Tigers and the A's began their 100th seasons. ... Oakland started the season without 2B Randy Velarde (left knee strain) and reliever Doug Jones (lower back strain). Both are on the 15-day disabled list. ... Detroit is without pitchers Seth Greisinger (right elbow surgery) and Sean Runyan. Greisinger is on the 60-day disabled list while Runyan is on the 15-day DL. ... Palmer has hit 20 of his 236 career home runs against Oakland. His four hits matched a career high. ... Giambi now has nine multihomer games. He has 18 homers against Detroit, the most of any team.