DENVER (AP) -- Ken Griffey Jr. didn't spoil the Colorado Rockies' home opener.

Griffey became the youngest player to hit 400 career homers, but the Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 Monday behind two-run homers from Mike Lansing and Todd Helton.

	Junior's 400th career homer came gift-wrapped. His father, Reds hitting coach Ken Griffey Sr., turned 50 Monday.

Griffey's historic homer came on the 50th birthday of his father, Reds coach Ken Griffey Sr. It was the fourth time he has homered on his father's birthday.

"The biggest thing is, I tell my dad it's a cheap way of not buying him a gift on his birthday," Junior said. "So he'll get this ball. My mom got 399, and he's got 400. But it's on his birthday, so it's a special moment for both of us, especially that I can do it in front of him."

Griffey tied the game 1-1 in the fourth with an opposite-field homer off Arrojo. It was Griffey's second homer of the season and second in as many days.

At 30 years, 141 days, Griffey beat the previous mark, set by Jimmie Foxx, who was 30 years, 248 days old. Griffey is fifth on the career list among active players, trailing Mark McGwire (525), Barry Bonds (447), Jose Canseco (431) and Cal Ripken Jr. (403).

The new-look Rockies, with just 10 players remaining on the roster from last year's opener, got six strong innings from Rolando Arrojo (1-0), who became the first Rockies starter to win this season.

Arrojo left after deflecting a double-play grounder with his pitching hand, a play that ended the sixth. X-rays were negative, leaving him with a bruise on the middle finger of his right hand. He allowed two runs and six hits.

"It's fine," Arrojo said. "I won't miss any work."

Colorado returned to Coors Field following a shakeup that saw new GM Dan O'Dowd overhaul the Blake Street Bombers, who hit home runs but failed to make the postseason since 1995. The Rockies de-emphasized home runs in favor of improved pitching, defense and speed.

"We wanted to come out and show this team has changed, and changed for the better," Helton said. "Our starting pitching gives us a chance day in and day out."

Monday's game also was the first Rockies game managed at Coors Field by Buddy Bell.

"I like it," Bell said. "It seems like we were gone forever. Everybody is happy to be back home. We played well and got some timely hits, and Arrojo was very good."

Colorado says it needs pitching to win, but the offense against the Reds didn't show any signs of letting up.

Second-inning doubles by Jeff Cirillo and Darren Bragg put the Rockies ahead 1-0 off Steve Parris (0-2).

Colorado chased Parris with a four-run fifth. Arrojo led off with a single and scored on Tom Goodwin's triple to right-center. Lansing followed with his third homer of the season, Larry Walker singled, Cirillo walked and Bragg hit an RBI single off Hector Mercado.

In the sixth, Cincinnati loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Alex Ochoa, Chris Stynes and Barry Larkin, with Griffey next to bat. Griffey hit a sacrifice fly, but Arrojo induced ex-Rockie Dante Bichette to hit into a double play.

Colorado loaded the bases with one out in its half in an inning that was interrupted for 13 minutes by a power outage. After the delay, Walker hit into a double play.

Cirillo hit his second double and scored on Helton's second homer of the season in the seventh off Scott Sullivan.

The Reds cut the lead to 7-5 in the ninth on David Cromer's first major league home run, a three-run shot off of David Lee. Stan Belinda got the final out for his first save.

"We had chances, but we let too many of them get away from us early," Reds manager Jack McKeon said. "We always come back."

Game notes
The Rockies, who have led the majors in attendance in each of their seven seasons, drew 48,094. It was a club record for opening day at Coors Field, and the 50,427 total tickets distributed set a regular-season record. ... After the game, the Rockies placed left fielder Jeffrey Hammonds on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 4, because of a strained right hamstring. Taking Hammonds' place on the roster will be right-handed reliever Rick Croushore, who will be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Cirillo has five hits this season, all doubles. ... Reds 2B Pokey Reese, hit by a pitch on the left elbow, left in the fifth inning with a bruise. ... The Reds signed left-hander Norm Charlton to a minor league contract. Charlton, who pitched for the club from 1988-92, will report Wednesday to Triple-A Louisville. ... Ochoa injured himself running to first on a ninth-inning dribbler, but Lee's throw was wild and Ochoa limped safely to the base. The Reds said it appeared to be a cramp, not a hamstring problem.