Although he made his big-league debut more than a week ago, Hawai'i's Bronson Sardinha made his first start and got his first career hit with the New York Yankees last night in a 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Florida.

With a playoff berth already clinched, the Yankees played some of their rookies, including Sardinha, who was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this month. Rosters are expanded from 25 up to 40 in September. Sardinha graduated from Ka-mehameha in 2001, when the Yankees drafted him 34th overall (1st-round supplemental) and signed him for $1 million.

"I hope there's more to come," Sardinha said in a telephone interview last night about his first hit. "It was a fastball away. I was lucky. I was just trying to put the ball in play somewhere."

He batted eighth and started in right field for Bobby Abreu. The left-handed-hitting Sardinha beat out a chopper to the hole at shortstop on a 2-2 pitch from Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir with one out in the top of the third inning for a single. He finished 1 for 3.

Sardinha had been hitless in two pinch-hitting appearances before last night. But he also had scored four runs, all as a pinch runner. Twice he was aboard when a Yankee hit a home run that helped the team win.

Sardinha said he is soaking up the experience of playing with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Roger Clemens, to name a few Yankees superstars.

"Some of these guys are future Hall of Famers," Sardinha said. "You can learn from them, watch how they handle themselves."

The weekend series at Baltimore is likely his last time with the Yankees. To be eligible for postseason, players have to be on the 25-man roster by Sept. 1. Sardinha said he hopes to get another start this weekend.

Being a rookie, Sardinha was part of the traditional hazing that took place Sunday. This year's theme was the Wizard of Oz, he said. Sardinha said he was dressed as the imperial city guard. He said the rookies had to wear their costumes on the plane to Tampa, as well as at a restaurant for dinner on Jason Giambi's treat.

"It was fun," Sardinha said. "He took all of us out, paid for all of our meals. Must've cost him about five grand for everyone."

Sardinha's father, Dexter, said he watched last night's game on an Internet broadcast.

Bronson's older brother Dane (Kamehameha '97) made his debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2003. Another brother, Duke (Kamehameha '98), is in the Colorado Rockies organization.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.