04/06: Yanks Take Opening Day Pecking from Birds
Posted by: Seamus
I have to admit that this year's season opener felt a bit anticlimactic after all the offseason drama and this past weekend's opening of the new ballpark. But, aside from the result, it was definitely nice to get the smell of baseball back in the air. It seemed early on like they might not get the game in today, but seeing the Rays-Red Sox opener being postponed left me encouraged since that meant the storm had probably moved up the East Coast just in time for baseball in Baltimore.
By just about 4 p.m., it was time to introduce the players onto the field, and the folks at Camden Yards decided to play that Evil Empire Star Wars theme while introducing the Yankee players, leaving me wondering whether people realize that most Yankee players find that flattering. Maryland native Mark Teixeira received the loudest boos after turning down an offer this offseason from his hometown O's to join the Yankees. The rest of the more familiar Yankees such as Jeter and Rivera got their share of boos, as well.
Once the introductions were over, it was finally time for baseball. CC Sabathia made his first Yankee start and was, well...not sharp. The big man left the game with one out in the 5th inning, trailing 6-1 after allowing six earned runs on eight hits and five walks without striking out a batter.
The Yankees did jump back into it, though, pulling to within 6-3 in the 6th after Jorge Posada led the inning off with a home run and Xavier Nady doubled home Robinson Cano later in the inning. In the 7th, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer to make it 6-5. Mark Teixeira, who had a rough day (0-4), had a chance to tie the game or put the Yanks ahead with runners on the corners in the 8th, but grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning, and that was all she wrote for the Yankee offense.
The bullpen couldn't keep it close in the bottom of the 8th, as Phil Coke and Brian Bruney combined to allow four runs on four hits in the inning to make it 10-5, which turned out to be the final score of the game.
It wasn't a pretty start, but I was glad just to finally see a ballgame that actually counted. The Yankees can play another 60 games just like this one and still end up as the best team in baseball.
The Yanks will be off tomorrow before taking the field again in Baltimore at 7:05 ET on Wednesday. Chien-Ming Wang will be making his first start since June of last year and will be facing Koji Uehara, who will be making his MLB debut and is the first Japanese player in Orioles history (according to YES).
By just about 4 p.m., it was time to introduce the players onto the field, and the folks at Camden Yards decided to play that Evil Empire Star Wars theme while introducing the Yankee players, leaving me wondering whether people realize that most Yankee players find that flattering. Maryland native Mark Teixeira received the loudest boos after turning down an offer this offseason from his hometown O's to join the Yankees. The rest of the more familiar Yankees such as Jeter and Rivera got their share of boos, as well.
Once the introductions were over, it was finally time for baseball. CC Sabathia made his first Yankee start and was, well...not sharp. The big man left the game with one out in the 5th inning, trailing 6-1 after allowing six earned runs on eight hits and five walks without striking out a batter.
The Yankees did jump back into it, though, pulling to within 6-3 in the 6th after Jorge Posada led the inning off with a home run and Xavier Nady doubled home Robinson Cano later in the inning. In the 7th, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer to make it 6-5. Mark Teixeira, who had a rough day (0-4), had a chance to tie the game or put the Yanks ahead with runners on the corners in the 8th, but grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning, and that was all she wrote for the Yankee offense.
The bullpen couldn't keep it close in the bottom of the 8th, as Phil Coke and Brian Bruney combined to allow four runs on four hits in the inning to make it 10-5, which turned out to be the final score of the game.
It wasn't a pretty start, but I was glad just to finally see a ballgame that actually counted. The Yankees can play another 60 games just like this one and still end up as the best team in baseball.
The Yanks will be off tomorrow before taking the field again in Baltimore at 7:05 ET on Wednesday. Chien-Ming Wang will be making his first start since June of last year and will be facing Koji Uehara, who will be making his MLB debut and is the first Japanese player in Orioles history (according to YES).
