Austin Wells & Volpe HR’s Kick Off a Good Start. NY 4 Milwaukee 2

March 28, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0

Austin Wells hit a homer leading off the game for the Yankees, Anthony Volpe hit a homer in the 2nd, Aaron Judge knocked in a run with a double, and Carlos Rodon and the bullpen pitched well as the Yankees beat the Brewers on a Frigid, Sunny afternoon at Yankee Stadium to begin the season (game time temp 45 degrees).

Not without a little bit of agita though — as new ace Devin Williams loaded the bases with nobody out in the 9th, protecting a 4-1 lead, but then got tough — allowing a sac fly then getting two strikeouts to end it.

The Yanks had home cooking and luck on their side all day as Austin Wells’s homer just made it over the short porch wall, as did Volpe’s, and Judge’s RBI double banged off the 3rd base bag and over the 3rd baseman’s head.

Icing on the cake soon broke out over the wire that Juan Soto came up with 1st and 3rd and 2 outs in the 9th with the Mets down to Houston 3-1 — the tying run at 1st — and after getting in a 3-0 count, Josh Hader struck him out on 3 pitches, the last one swinging on a pitch way outside the strike zone.

“I thought he was great behind the plate too,” said manager Aaron Boone about Austin Wells. “In the dirt I thought he was really good. Real good decision making back there. And then some really good at bats too. Had the walk there. We had a chance a couple times to break it open, couldn’t quite do it. He did a good job setting the tone up.”

NY starts the year 1-0. Milwaukee is 0-1.

1. Wells HR into the Short Porch

It was Cold — 45 degrees — and Sunny with a blue sky at Yankee Stadium as the game started at 3pm. Carlos Rodon pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 1st, and then Wells led the game off for the Yanks in the bottom of the 1st against Brewer starter Freddy Peralta.

Wells — who had a 2.5 WAR last year and is considered one of the best young catchers in the American League — hit a line drive to right just over the short porch wall. 1-0 Yankees.

2. Volpe HR into the Short Porch

Rodon pitched a shutout top of the 2nd — and then Anthony Volpe came up in the bottom of the 2nd and hit a pop fly to right — that carried into the same short porch. 2-0 Yankees.

3. Rodon Terrific

Rodon allowed a homer to 3rd baseman Vinny Capra leading off the 3rd for a 2-1 game, and then allowed a single to 2nd baseman Brice Turang — and thoughts of ‘here we go again’ entered Yankee fan minds — as Rodon coughed up so many homers and leads in the last 2 years when he is off his game. But Rodon quickly settled down and retired the rest of the side — which was the top of the order — with a strikeout of leftfielder Jackson Chourio, lineout of DH Christian Yelich, and strikeout of catcher William Contreras.

Rodon pitched around a 1-out single in the 4th and blew through the 5th — striking out the side swinging.

“Command of himself and his pitches,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about the great start from Rodon. “Probably ran out a little bit there when he had the two walks in the 6th. But really sharp command wise, good presence with everything, I thought his stuff was good — but I think he was really in command of his motions out there and just executed a lot.”

4. Hill Saves Rodon

Rodon ran out of gas a bit in the top of the 6th — a leadoff walk, fielder’s choice groundout, and walk but runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out in a 2-1 game.

In came Tim Hill — the lefty reliever who came up big so many times last year for the Yanks, and who many wanted to be brought into the 9th inning of game 1 of the World Series.

Hill got a groundout — fielders choice getting the runner at 3rd — but then an infield single loaded the bases with 2 outs.

Hill went 2-2 on pinch hitter Isaac Collins — who then fouled off 3 straight pitches — before Hill got him to ground out to Volpe at shortstop. And every Yankee fan started thinking about that 9th inning of last year’s World Series Game 1 again and what could have been.

5. Leiter Great

It was a tight game at 2-1 Yankees in the top of the 7th when Mark Leiter Jr.came in and  pitched a 1-2-3 — groundout, strikeout, strikeout.

6. Judge & Yanks Add On in 7th

The Yanks finally got some breathing space when Ben Rice led off the bottom of the 7th with a single, Oswaldo Cabrera singled, Wells popped out, but Aaron Judge hit a grounder down the line at 4rd that hit the base and bounded over the 3rd baseman for an RBI double to left.

Cody Bellinger followed with a sac fly to right and it was 4-1 Yankees.

7. Weaver Great

Luke Weaver is back in the setup role and he looked great — strikeout, groundout, walk, strikeout for a shutout 8th.

8. Devin Gives Agita But Gets It Done

And then in came new ace Devin Williams for the save. But first agita — single, double, and walk (to old friend Jake Bauers) to start the inning. Bases loaded, nobody out in a 4-2 game.

But Devin Williams settled down — getting Turang to hit a sac fly, then striking out Jackson Chourio and Yelich for the old ballgame.

9. Soto Provides Icing

And then the icing came over the wire that Juan Soto struck out to end the Mets 9th-inning rally with runners on 1st and 3rd and the Mets down 3-1 — after being up 3-0 in the count he took 2 strikes and waved at ball 4.

There were signs at Yankee Stadium that many Yankee fans are disappointed Soto took the negligibly higher Met offer vs staying with the Yankees.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401694911

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