📌 Join the BPCrew Chapter in your city and meet up with more Yankees fans! 👉 CLICK HERE

Series Recap: Bombers blasts sting Rays

The weather wasn’t pretty but Opening Day at Yankee Stadium is always pretty special. There were plenty of special moments created, especially by Didi Gregorius. It’s somewhat fitting the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are commemorating 1998 for different reasons. No offense to the Rays but after watching this series, if the Yankees don’t beat them 16-17 times this year, something has gone horribly wrong.

Embed from Getty Images

GAME 1

The deep Bronx Bombers lineup was relentless in their attack, crushing the Tampa Bay Rays 11-4.

DIDI BUILDS A SNOWMAN

There was snow Monday but Gregorius built a snowman on Tuesday. The Yankees shortstop clocked two home runs, one in the third and another in the seventh, setting a franchise record by a shortstop with eight RBI in a single game. To this point, all of Didi’s seven hits had been of the extra-base variety. After missing a month last season, Gregorius is already on a tear and it’s not crazy to think he could challenge 40 home runs this season. He sure does love hitting clean up.

GUMBY GOOD

Considering the elements and circumstances, Jordan Montgomery was more than effective on the grand stage. Montgomery tossed five frames, fanning four, allowing one run on two hits. In those conditions, the Yankees didn’t need to push the young arm of Montgomery and got what they needed out of the labeled fifth starter.

BULLPEN ADVENTURES

The overwhelming victory makes this a mere footnote but one can’t help but wonder with the Yankees coming off an off day and having Luis Severino pitching the next day, why they wouldn’t use the “upper crust” of their bullpen to initially take over for Montgomery, instead of Jonathan Holder. Again, I believe a lot of the reactions to the bullpen performance are over the top but some of the moves are interesting, to say the least.

WE’RE NOT IN THE 305 ANYMORE TOTO

Empty seats don’t boo. Yet, in the 718, the natives grew restless as Giancarlo Stanton struck out five times in his Yankee Stadium debut. I guess if you pay that kind of money and sit out in that weather, you’re entitled to boo if you want. Personally, I don’t get it in an 11-4 win in the opener but to each his or her own I suppose.

GAME 2

In their 7-2 matinee romp, it was Murders’ Row and Toe and Luis Severino getting the job done in Pinstripes. This was the video game cliff notes version of how every Yankees fan would fantasize every game playing out.

BIG TOE

Ronald Torreyes started at second base and made his presence felt early. Torreyes made a nice grab in shallow right and also drove in a run on a nice afternoon.

BOO THAT!

I’m sure that’s what Stanton was thinking as he rounded the bases following his first Yankee Stadium home run in the first against Blake Snell. It’s fascinating how fast the ball gets out off the bat of the New York Gian-t. Stanton’s rocket to left gave the Bronx Bombers a 2-1 edge.

THE GREAT SAN-CHINO

From a 0-for-17 to one for his last one, Gary Sanchez utilized a nice launch angle for his first home run of the season. Sanchez’s two-run shot gave the Yankees a 4-1 advantage in the third inning.

ALL RISE

Aaron Judge sure does know how to work a count. Appropriately, his first home run of the young season came with a full count in the fourth. Judge’s two-run blast topped off the seven-run afternoon for the Pinstripes.

SENSATIONAL SEVY

Severino looked every part the ace against the Rays. The Yankees received more length out of Sevy, with 7.1 frames and seven K’s on the afternoon.

ON DECK

At 4-2, the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles, starting Thursday night.

Pitching probables include Masahiro Tanaka vs. Andrew Cashner, CC Sabathia vs. Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray vs. Chris Tillman, Jordan Montgomery vs. Mike Wright Jr.