Yesterday I said there would be constant twists and turns for the New York Yankees, and today that has become even more evident. Changed from yesterday, the Yankees will now play the next two days at Orioles Park at Camden Yards starting tonight at 7:35 pm. The game will be broadcast on the YES Network and in Baltimore on MASN.
Later in the article, we will discuss the change in more detail, but first, here’s what you need to know about tonight’s game. New York Yankees pitching ace Gerrit Cole will face the Baltimore Orioles Asher Wojciechowski. With that mouthful of a name, the Orioles just call him by his nickname Wojo.
Tonight will mark Cole’s second start of the season after winning his first game at National’s Park. In that game Gerrit Cole, although not appearing at his best, only allowed one hit in his five innings. Gerrit Cole showed the Yankees that even if he doesn’t have his best stuff, he can grind it out. He did that for the Yankees last week. Cole was 20-5 last year for the Astros. So far in this short season, he is 1-0 with a tiny ERA of 1.80.
Cole will face Asher Wojciechowski of the Orioles. Wojo, with his checkered baseball past, has a daunting task facing one of the best pitchers in baseball. Wojo has had nine contracts with various teams starting in 2010, most in the minor leagues. He lost one MLB game for the Astros in 2015. In 2017 he had his only winning season, going 4-3 with an inflated ERA of 6.50. Last year his first year with the Orioles, he went 4-8 with an ERA of 4.92. Asher throws a mid-’90s fastball and a slider for most of his pitches. Tonight will be Asher’s first game of the season.
What led to the schedule change?
Over the weekend, it was discovered that 14 Miami Marlins players and crew had tested positive for the coronavirus while playing the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia. With this shocking development, MLB postponed Monday night’s game the Phillies were to have with the New York Yankees and the Marlins game with the Orioles. On Monday, the situation got worse, as half of the Marlins team tested positive.
MLB shut down the Phillies due to possible exposure until Friday and the Marlins at least until next Monday. Both teams will have to have acceptable test results before they can return to the field. The Yankees already at their Philadelphia hotel found themselves idle as did the Orioles. Initially, MLB decided that the Yankees would play their Opening Day game against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
It was said early yesterday that the Yankees were ready to make there way back to the Stadium. But in a very short time, that all changed as MLB changed that so that the Yankees would play at Orioles Park. The Yankee players voted on the move and approved it unanimously. They will play two games in Baltimore then return to Yankee Stadium for their new Opening Day, facing the Boston Red Sox for a weekend series.
“Coming into it, we understood that there was going to be positive tests and there could be a team that had multiple positive tests, a significant amount like the Marlins, so I think everyone understood that this was a possibility. And the biggest thing is for us to continue,” team union representative Zack Britton said Tuesday on a videoconference call from the team hotel in Philadelphia before boarding the bus to Baltimore.
“We had a discussion, first off, about what was happening here,” he added. “We were given some options on what we could possibly do. Guys felt like, obviously, we want to play. Our team has done a pretty good job, I think, overall, following the protocols, and our medical staff has done a great job of sanitizing the visiting clubhouse. And we felt like we didn’t want to take three to four days off if there’s an opportunity for us to go to Baltimore and play.”
The Yankees have been steadfast in their desire to complete a season and have a chance at their 28th World Championship. They also believe that the 113 pages enhanced health protocol will keep their players safe on the field. J.A. Happ will start the Thursday game at Orioles Park, and either Masahiro Tanaka or Jordan Mongomery will start the opener at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox.
Players to watch and game prediction
In tonight’s game look for Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres to continue their hot hitting. With Wojo on the mound for Baltimore look for Aaron Judge to homer off Wojo who allowed 17 home runs last year. The one time he faced the Yankees last year he allowed five runs in just four innings. Yankees 8 Orioles 1.