Wrong place. Right like that.
Gerrit Cole was supposed to debut at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Instead, he was masterful for all but a few pitches in a 9-3 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards.
The Yankees faced Baltimore because the Marlins’ coronavirus outbreak could end infections in the Phillies, and MLB put ice on both Miami and Philadelphia until their situations were resolved. That forced the Yankees and Orioles to a two-game game since neither of them had anyone to play.
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It worked perfectly for the Yankees, who watched Cole shoot a strong 6 2/3 innings before giving up a double (Renato Núñez), a two-run homer (Dwight Smith Jr.) and another double (Pedro Severino), ending his night. at 102 pitches.
It was Cole’s second outing for the Yankees since he signed a nine-year, $ 324 million contract with the club in the offseason.
Although Cole was brilliant for most of the night, he took it hard after manager Aaron Boone threw it away. Cole’s eyes were fixed on his cleats on the bench. When he spoke to pitching coach Matt Blake, he shrugged repeatedly. He studied carefully a leaf that he traced his night.
The Yankees improved to 3-1. The Orioles fell to 2-2.
As Cole extended his winning streak, dating back to last year, to 18 games, the Yankees continued to own Baltimore.
The Yankees have won 17 consecutive games over the Os since April 4, 2019. It is their third longest winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history, behind only a 19-game winning streak over the Philadelphia A’s since 1938-39 and a franchise. -21 game streak record over the St. Louis Browns in 1927.
Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and DJ LeMahieu each hit their first home runs of the coronavirus-shortened season.
LeMahieu had four total hits. Gleyber Torres, who burned the Orioles all last season, finished 0-for-4. Gary Sánchez struck out three times and had no hit in four at-bats. Brett Gardner fanned four times.
The Yankees will face the O’s again Thursday in Baltimore. On Friday, they will have their first home game against the Red Sox.
Bombers bombing
The Yankees extended their lead from 2-1 to 5-1 thanks to a pair of home runs in the third inning.
Judge bombed the box to left center field, her first shot of the year. Judge, perhaps the strongest player in the game other than Giancarlo Stanton, seemed to confuse the ball, just going in. Still, his power pushed him into the middle of the front seats, 386 feet from home plate.
Hicks then connected a two-run shot to a line. After Stanton walked, Hicks fired a hip pitch first-launch fastball, crushing it to 97.1 mph, no doubt on the wall in right field. It was also the first explosion of the Hicks season.
LeMahieu homered with a home run to right.
Jacoby Ellsbury’s ghost.
It’s odd, but Orioles catcher Pedro Severino twice committed Catcher Interference in the first inning of two Yankees runs. It happened with the judge in the box and then with Stanton. The game stopped after Stanton hit Severino’s glove. At times, Severino seemed to be suffering greatly.
Mike Ford, who started at first base for the first time this year, loaded the bases and scored Judge with a one-time sacrifice fly to right field.
Cole World
Cole retired 15 hitters in a row before his night left. He struck out seven and walked two. Veteran left-hander Luis Avilan replaced him and pulled out the final inning. Chad Green pitched an eighth scoreless inning. Rookie Brooks Kriske made his major league debut with a clean ninth inning.
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Brendan Kuty can be contacted at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
