A lot was wrong with Gerrit Cole’s first year with the Yankees.
With his sophomore season in the Bronx closer to normal, he spent all night missing bats.
Cole hit 13 and didn’t go over seven scoreless innings and overpowered the Baltimore Orioles, 7-2, Tuesday night for his first win of the season.
“Definitely more comfortable,” said Cole. “Sure, just in terms of teammates and in terms of society, it was a lot easier to fit in with a new team, the environment we had last year, and a more normal environment, a more normal season, people on the Grandstand. “
Cole was 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 starts last year after the Yankees made him the highest-paid baseball pitcher on a nine-year contract for $ 324 million.
“Last year was weird and tough and difficult for everyone on so many different levels,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Gerrit now feels more comfortable when he knows everyone in the organization, knows his pitching trainer and knows where to get information and his teammates.”
Cole (1-0) allowed four hits, three of them as a single. Jay Bruce backed him up with his first Yankees home run, a solo shot in the second by Dean Kremer (0-1), who was a Yankee Stadium special from 354 feet into the short porch of right field. Aaron Judge added a triple homer against Wade LeBlanc in the eighth.
The Yankees have won 12 home games in a row against the Orioles since May 2019, beating the Yankees against the old St. Louis Browns in 1926/27 and outperforming Baltimore 76-30. New York moved 3-2 over .500 for the first time this year.
Yankees act against odor
Infielder rougned smell was acquired by the Yankees for minor league outfielder Antonio Cabello and Josh Stowers. The 27-year-old Smell was not on the Rangers’ opening duty and was earmarked for deployment on April 1. He is left-handed, and the Yankees have a predominantly right-handed lineup. Texas will be paying cash to the Yankees to cover all but a pro-rata portion of the $ 570,500 minimum this year and the 2022 minimum that is still open to negotiation.
Smell does not cost the Yankees anything for luxury tax purposes. The team chose the right-hander Michael King as an alternative training location and selected the infielder Thairo Estrada for the assignment.
Mets Ride Bats and Stroman win
Marcus Stroman threw six sharp innings on his first start since 2019, Dominic Smith and Pete Alonso each hit a homer with two runs and the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 on Tuesday night for their first win of the season.
Didi Gregorius hit a solo homer for Philadelphia who was heading for his first 5-0 start since 1915.
After Stroman (1-0) was canceled last year due to Covid-19 concerns, he never missed a step. He allowed a run and three hits before giving way to a bullpen that squandered Jacob deGrom’s masterly performance the night before.
Phillies starter Chase Anderson (0-1) allowed two runs and two hits over five innings on his first start with his new team. Vince Velasquez knocked out in the sixth, went four batters in the seventh. All four scored a goal as the Mets extended their lead to 6-1.
Brandon Nimmo drew the path forced on the Mets’ third run and chased Velasquez. Francisco Lindor hit a victim fly from Brandon Kintzler to make it 4-1. Another run scored when Kevin Pillar stole home when Nimmo ricocheted off second base and catcher JT Realmuto’s throw on the second of Gregorius’ glove. Michael Confortos RBI double in another run.
Rhys Hoskins followed Adam Haseley’s double with an RBI single against Miguel Castro in the seventh. Castro escaped further trouble by pulling Bryce Harper back on a deep ride to center himself with the runners in second and third.
Trevor May threw himself out of the traffic jam in eighth place with runners in second and third place and beat Brad Miller and Roman Quinn.
Alonso joined David Hale in ninth and drew “Let’s Go Mets!” Chants from fans dressed in blue and orange who traveled to Philly.
The Mets opened their season on Monday after a three-game series in Washington was postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak among the Nationals.
Ohtani finds a new way to celebrate
Mike Trout hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the Los Angeles Angels 2-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday. Shohei Ohtani paused between second and third place to say goodbye to the ball.
Tatis Jr. is able to avoid surgery
San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. should be able to avoid surgery on his left shoulder, the team said a day after he slipped it slightly with a hard swing.
An MRI on Tuesday showed a slight torn labral and the Padres put the electrifying 22-year-old on their 10-day list of injured. General Manager AJ Preller said the club was not ruling anything out, including Tatis’ possible return if eligible.
Tatis winced in pain as he fell to the floor and cradled his left arm in Monday night’s game against San Francisco. Manager Jayce Tingler and a trainer held Tatis’ left arm against his body as he walked off the field.
Doctors said another partially dislocated shoulder could recur, according to Preller, but playing this season wouldn’t put him at long-term risk.
“Everyone was very confident that surgery at this point was not the answer,” said Preller. “We can keep him here in the field this year and take him to a place where he can be successful and not in pain, and we are not causing any long-term harm.”
Tatis signed a 14-year deal for $ 340 million on February 22, the longest deal in the history of the big league.
