BOSTON - Mike Timlin’s first appearance of the year and the 1,012th of his career, did not go well at all.

The veteran right-hander, activated from the disabled list yesterday afternoon, was tagged for a tie-breaking homer in the seventh by Jason Giambi, the first batter he faced in 2008. The next batter, Jose Molina, drilled a double to left-center. And after a sacrifice bunt, Timlin was lifted.

“It was terrible, absolutely terrible,” said Timlin, who suffered a lacerated finger on his right hand during spring training.

“It’s not the way I hoped to open 2008. I didn’t come back too soon. I just made bad pitches. You can’t get major-league hitters out (on pitchers) down the middle.”

Timlin, 42 and in his 18th big-league season, was asked if he had too much adrenaline flowing in his first outing of the year.

“Could have been, but that’s an excuse and I don’t make excuses. It was bad location. I just got beat up. I let my team down. That’s not me,” he said.