In the midst of the coronavirus scourge of Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees beat their archrivals Boston Red Sox 5 × 1, thanks to home runs by Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner and Colombian Gío Urshela.
Judge homered for the third consecutive night and starter Jordan Montgomery dominated one of the league’s strongest lineups in his 2020 debut, as the Yankees clinched victory in their first game at Yankee Stadium.
The tough slugger dumped it into right field in the third inning, while Urshela and Gardner hit their first home runs of the season.
Judge also excelled defensively, catching a strong line from Cuban designated JD Martinez in the third inning.
Montgomery (1-0) pitched 5 and 2/3 innings against a lineup that entered the day leading the majors in batting average (.276).
For the ‘red-legged ones’ Michael Chavis sent the ball to the street, but the Bostonian ninth could not overcome another bad start from starter Ryan Weber (0-2).
The Bronx hosted its first game amid growing concern that Major League Baseball’s plan to play its season behind closed doors during the pandemic might not work.
Eight teams have had their schedules interrupted during the first nine days of the campaign due to coronavirus infections in the Marlins, Phillies and Cardinals.
In a pregame ceremony, the Yankees recognized frontline workers in the fight against the pandemic. There was also a moment of silence for the late Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner, who died in April.
In Atlanta, former Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud drove in five runs against his former team, including three with a bases loaded double in a five-touchdown eighth inning that turned the tables and the Braves took the tight 11×10 win over the Mets.
D’Arnaud doubled off Puerto Rican reliever Seth Lugo, which gave Atlanta the slimmest lead in the eighth.
An RBI single by Dansby Swanson opened the Braves’ attack in that chapter, before Ender Inciarte scored on a wild pitch by Dominican pitcher Dellin Betances to get closer on the 10 × 8 count.
Lugo (1-1), finally the defeated, replaced Betances and walked to Marcell Ozuna also from Quito to fill the bases and leave the scene ready for the decisive hit of d´Arnaud. The victory went to Grant Dayton (1-0).
Cuban slugger Yoenis Céspedes dispatched a two-run double for the Mets in a six-touchdown fifth inning as the New York team sent 11 batters to the plate.
In other results, Chicago White Sox to Kansas City Royals 3×2, Minnesota Twins to Cleveland Indians 4×1 and Detroit Tigers to Cincinnati Reds 7×2. AFP (HN)