Gary Me Back to Old Bronx Bombing

Not since 1939 had a Yankee hit 3 home runs in a game against the Baltimore Orioles franchise. Until yesterday. At that time, 80 years ago, it was Bill Dickey, and the opposing team was then known as the St. Louis Browns.

This time, it was another catcher, one of the most-criticized Yankees the last year or so: Gary Sanchez.

The Yankees went for their 1st series sweep of the 2019 season at Camden Yards, and they left no doubt that it would be achieved.

Actually, the most important development of the day may not have been the booming bats, but the pitching performance of Domingo German. He went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. He threw only 89 pitches, but, given the big lead, there was no need to risk his young arm any further, so I can't fault Brian Cashman -- excuse me, Aaron Boone -- for having him pulled after 6. Steven Tarpley allowed a run in the 7th, and Luis Cessa pitched scoreless ball in the 8th and the 9th.

If German can continue to pitch as he has in his 1st 2 starts of the season, it would be a major lift to a Yankee team with at least one hole in its starting rotation.

Now, about the hitting. Home runs were hit by Gleyber Torres in the 2nd inning, Clint Frazier in the 2nd and the 9th (giving him 2 in 3 days), Austin Romine in the 9th -- yes, Romine -- and Gary Sanchez in the 3rd, the 7th and the 8th.

He actually came up in the 9th with a chance to match Lou Gehrig, in 1932, and become only the 2nd Yankee ever to hit 4 home runs in a game. He went for it, but got under it, and flew out to left.

Overall, Sanchez had 6 RBIs on the day, Frazier 4. Or, to put it another way: Frazier, all by himself, had enough RBIs to win the game, and he didn't even lead the team.

Yankees 15, Orioles 3. WP: German (2-0). No save. Not even close. LP: David Hess (1-1).

And those 15 runs were achieved without Aaron Judge hitting a home run, or Giancarlo Stanton playing at all.

*

So here's how things stand, and the end of the 1st full week of the regular season: The Yankees are 5-4, and trail the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-3, by a game and a half in the American League Eastern Division, 1 full game in the all-important loss column. The Orioles are 4-5, and the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays are both 3-8. (Gee, that's a damn shame.)

Tonight, the Yankees begin a series in Houston against the Astros, who have eliminated us from the Playoffs twice in the preceding 4 seasons, and have been a difficult team to play in the regular season as well, especially at their home plant of Minute Maid Park. Here are the projected pitching matchups:

* Tonight, 7:10 PM Eastern Time (6:10 local, Central): Masahiro Tanaka vs. Justin Verlander.
* Tomorrow, 8:10: Jonathan Loaisiga vs. Gerrit Cole.
* Wednesday, 7:40: James Paxton vs. Collin McHugh.

The good news is, the Yankees will not have to face Dallas Keuchel in this series. The bad news is, Cashman hasn't signed the former Astro ace -- no one has, including his own team -- so we can't make the Astros face him, either.

At any rate, after this series, the Yankees have Thursday off, and come home to face the Chicago White Sox in a weekend series at Yankee Stadium II.