As I've said before, since Divisional Play began in 1969, the average number of wins for the 2nd place team in the American League Eastern Division has been 92. That has remained constant the last few years. Therefore, it usually takes at least 93 wins to win the Division.
One down, 92 to go.
The Yankees opened the 2019 regular season today, at the new Yankee Stadium, against the Baltimore Orioles. New Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera threw out the ceremonial first ball. Masahiro Tanaka took the mound, and the season was underway.
Both teams were wearing commemorations on the left sleeves of their uniforms. The Yankees are wearing black armbands in memory of former pitcher and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, while the Orioles are wearing patches with the number 20 on them, in honor of their Hall of Fame right fielder and manager Frank Robinson. (The Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians will also be so honoring Frank.)
Tanaka got into a little bit of trouble in the top of the 1st, as so often happens. But, this time, he was able to get out of it. The Yankees rewarded him by scoring 3 runs off Oriole starter Andrew Cashner in the bottom of the inning.
Brett Gardner began the Yankees' offensive season by striking out, but Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back singles to right field, and then Luke Voit hit the team's 1st home run of the season. We're going to be hearing Star Wars jokes for the rest of his career, because his name is Luke, so we might as one out of the way now: The Force is strong in this one.
(So far, nobody's made a Jon Voight joke about him.)
The Yankees tallied again in the bottom of the 3rd. Judge reached on an infield single, and Stanton and Voit drew back-to-back walks. Miguel Andujar grounded into a double play, but it was enough to score Judge and make it 4-0 to the Bronx Bombers.
The Orioles reached Tanaka for a run in the top of the 4th, but he got through the 5th with no further damage, and then the Yankees helped him out again. Cliche alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. Gardner walked, and then so did Judge, and Oriole manager Brandon Hyde, in his 1st regular season game as a major league skipper, had finally seen enough of Cashner.
He brought in Mike Wright, but he issued a 3rd straight walk, to load the bases, to Stanton. How good of a pitcher can you be if you walk Giancarlo Stanton? That guy swings at everything! He's Dave Kingman with better hair! Then Wright hit Voit with a pitch. Obviously, not intentional, because it brought Gardner home. Andujar hit a sacrifice fly to left field, and that brought Judge home. 6-1 Yankees.
The Orioles scored another run in the top of the 6th, and manager Aaron Boone took the ball from Tanaka -- who now had a 4-run lead, and had only thrown 83 pitches -- and gave it to Adam Ottavino. You remember him, the guy who said he'd be able to strike out Babe Ruth every time. Well, he began his redemption for that stupid statement by getting out of the inning and pitching a scoreless 7th. Former Oriole Zach Britton pitched a scoreless 8th. The much-maligned Greg Bird hit a home run, and then Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the 9th.
Ball game over! Opening Day over! Yankees win! The Yankees win!
Yankees 7, Orioles 2. Winning pitcher, Tanaka (1-0). No save. Losing pitcher, Cashner (0-1).
Tomorrow is a rare day of the year, a scheduled day off on a Friday, the traditional day off after Opening Day, in case of a rainout. On Saturday, at 1:05, James Paxton makes his Yankee debut, starting against Nate Karns. And on Sunday, at 1:05, it's J.A. Happ for the Pinstripes, and Dylan Bundy for the Birds.
One down, 92 -- and 11 -- to. Let's go, Yankees!
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