The New York Yankees took on the Boston Red Sox on opening day, April 8. After the game was postponed due to inclement weather, things got a little bit worse for the Bombers in the first inning with Gerrit Cole struggling.
Despite some shortcomings, the Yankees fought hard to pick up their first one of the season and start the year on a good note (6-5 – Final/11).
Good news:
Despite general manager Brian Cashman doing little to improve the roster, the Yankees still showcase their offensive power in the batter’s box and a solid bullpen, which was used extensively in the win that took 11 innings to finalize.
Aside from Clay Holmes giving up three hits and one run in the fifth inning, the bullpen was stellar for the Yankees. Chad Green, Miguel Castro, Jonathan Loáisiga, Wandy Peralta, Aroldis Chapman, and Michael King combined for two hits allowed and eight strikeouts, leading the way for the Bombers.
However, it was clutch hitting that pushed the team over the edge, something that was nonexistent last season, especially during the Wild Card game against Boston. Two Yankee batters record two hits on the afternoon, with three players hitting home runs. The star of the game was Josh Donaldson, who hit the game-winning single in the 11th inning to put the Yankees over the edge.
Just before opening day commenced, the Yankees and star slugger Aaron Judge were in deep negotiations on a new contract. The two sides weren’t able to conclude a deal, but Judge still showcased his value in the game, recording a single and double over five at-bats.
Bad news:
There wasn’t too much bad news from the win over Boston, but the majority of the concern revolves around starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, who started off the game giving up three runs and a two-run homer to Rafael Devers.
Cole has had his fair share of problematic starts early on in the season, but there shouldn’t be any concern regarding his long-term efficiency and production. Cole even mentioned the delayed start of the game as a primary reason for his poor outing, but four extra minutes shouldn’t have made that much of an impact.
Offensively, the Yankees got no value out of Joey Gallo, who struck out three times and walked once. Aaron Hicks also struck out three times and Giancarlo Stanton four times but did contribute a solo blast in the fourth inning just screaming over the right-field wall.
As a team, the Yankees tallied 15 strikeouts, a number they have desperately tried to reduce but have failed miserably to do so. Thankfully, the Yankees deployed a lineup that featured contact hitters scattered throughout, which ended up playing a key role in the team’s win. Interestingly, DJ LeMahieu featured in the N0. 5 slot instead of lead-off, which he normally played out of during the 2021 season. Nonetheless, Donaldson recorded two hits, and LeMahieu contributed an RBI to boot..