The Yankees 2024 season started in complete disarray. Nestor Cortes Jr. decided to throw BP to the Astros in the first inning and dug himself a quick 3-0 hole. Nestor Cortes has a lifetime 10.57 ERA at Minute Maid Park (4 games/2 starts), Cortes also had a 5.57 ERA on the road last year. Same shit, different year. But then Nestor settled down, the Yankees eventually stopped grounding into inning-ending double plays after doing it seemingly on purpose for the early innings. Counts got worked, runners circled the bases and before you knew it, the Yankees had themselves the fucking lead.
In comes Clay Holmes to try and shut the door. Never gonna be easy with him in general, and then you factor in the Astros top of the order due up. Extras looked like best case scenario once Tucker ripped this ball to right, but a beautiful, majestic Juan Soto had different ideas. Unleash the cannon.
Ok, yeah it wasn't an absolute missile, but all he had to do was his job. No nonsense, point and throw, follow through, keep it on line to the catcher, and get it in quick. Prevent the run from scoring. Textbook by Soto. Was the runner not tagged? That's not my decision to make. Umpires clearly saw enough to not overturn the call. Yankees win 5-4.
I'd be silly to not point out Soto's first hit as a Yankee broke the seal and got the boys on the board. Before this hit everyone thought the plan was to just hit into double plays. Glad Juan showed them the light. Between Soto and Yankee shortstop Anthony Volpe, the two combined to see 50 pitches throughout their at bats. The Yankees as a team saw 171 pitches. This is what championship teams do to get good pitchers out of games.
P.S. Volpe's at bats today were straight up porn. Complete control of the strike zone and what he wanted to do up there. The jury was out that Anthony Volpe would chase anything out of the zone. The way he showed plate discpline and worked walks, in crucial spots of the game, rather than his upper cut swing last year where he always looked to pull the ball or hit a HR.
Gerrit Cole is expected to make his season debut around June 1st. Survive and advance boys. Left Carlos Rodon takes the mound for the Yankees tomorrow night in Houston, and I think everyone hopes he returns to 2022 form.