Josh Donaldson Singles in Kiner-Falefa to Win Home Opener in 11th! NY 6 Boston 5

April 9, 2022 paperbacklou 2022 0

New season! New Yankee names!

Josh Donaldson singled in Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the bottom of the 11th to win the home opener for the Yankees, 6-5 over Boston. The Red Sox scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st off Gerrit Cole, but Cole cruised after that (pitched 4 innings) as did the Yankees.

1. Cole Breaks an Antler

Before the game, when asked about the rematch with the Red Sox who beat him in the 1-game Wild Card playoff last year, he said “I see it as two stags locking up in the forest. Somebody’s going to break an antler every once in a while, and nobody’s certainly going to back down.”

In the top of the 1st, Enrique Hernandez led off with a 4-pitch walk, Rafael Devers hit a 2nd-pitch four-seam fastball for a 2-run homer to deep right, Xander Boegarts singled, and JD Martinez singled him home and Boston was up 3-0 with nobody out.

Cole picked up his broken antler and didn’t back down. He got the next 3 batters out 1-2-3, and then pitched a 1-2-3 2nd and 3rd, allowed a leadoff single to Verdugo in the 4th, but then got the next 3 batters 1-2-3.

The game was delayed a bit at the start, and when asked afterwards, Cole said the delayed start was “an unforseen challenge” for him. “The festivities got a little away from the schedule,” said Cole. The game was actually 1 day and 4 minutes delayed, as opening day had been rained out the day before.

2. Rizzo Immediately Makes It a Game

The Yanks got right back into the game when Aaron Judge singled in the bottom of the 1st off Nathan Eovaldi, and LEFTY BATTER Anthony Rizzo hit a shot to right for a homer and 3-2 game.

The Yanks were overloaded with righty power hitters last year, and have added a bunch of lefty hitters this year for the short-porch Yankee Stadium and it is already paying dividends.

3. Stanton Ties it 3-3

Giancarlo Stanton is one of the right-handed Yankee “Mules” and he blasted one to opposite field right for a game-tying homer in the 5th.

4. LeMahieu Ties It 4-4

The Red Sox took a 4-3 lead in the 6th off Clay Holmes on a double by Bogaerts and an RBI single by Verdugo but DJ LeMahieu homered to right off old Yankee farmhand Whitlock in the 8th to tie it.

5. Extras — Gleyber Clutch

MLB is still playing with the inherited runner in extra innings this year. Boston plated theirs in the 10th on a single by Bogaerts off Michael King.

But Gleyber Torres hit a HUGE bases-loaded, 1 out sac fly to tie it in the bottom of the 10th.

6. Walkoff; King Huge

Michael King pitched a shutout 11th — striking out Verdugo and Trevor Story to leave the inhertied runner in place, and then getting a groundout — which was a HUGE performance. That set up the Josh Donaldson RBI single to walk it off — with Isiah Kiner-Falefa scoring. Falefa otherwise went 0-6 but was on 2nd as he had made the last out of the 10th!

John Sterling sounding good still at age 83.

Etcetera

Before the game, news came across that Aaron Judge and the Yankees had not come to an agreement on a contract extension — and that Aaron Judge would become a free agent at the end of this year. It was reported that Brian Cashman and the Yanks offered Judge a 7-year, $215 Million extension — but he was looking for more money and years. That was the big bummer of the day.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401427970

 

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