Following a disappointing loss Saturday, the New York Yankees were unable to get the big hit dropping their opening series to the Orioles.
- Baltimore Orioles: 7 (2-1)
- New York Yankees: 5 (1-2)
- Winning Pitcher: John Means (1-0)
- Losing Pitcher: J.A. Happ (0-1)
- Save: Paul Fry (1)
- Final. AL. Boxscore.
- Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York.
After a three hour and 17-minute rain delay, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles concluded their opening weekend series in the Bronx.
It was a game that saw New York struggle to get the big hit, ultimately dropping this one 7-5. But right from the start, the Yankees found themselves having to play catch up thanks to a three-run first inning off Yankee starter J.A. Happ.
Happ did not last very long in this one only going four innings, allowing four runs all via the home run. But with this Yankees’ lineup and rested bullpen, it almost didn’t matter trailing early. The collective feeling around the Stadium was the Yankees had the ability to come back.
They tried just that but would end up leaving five runners on in the first three innings against O’s starter Dylan Bundy. Eventually, they would knock in three runs in the fourth after John Means could not escape Bundy’s trouble, but that would be it as a team offensively.
Means, a southpaw, simply just shut down the Yankees’ right-handed heavy lineup doing a great job keeping them off balance. Following Aaron Judge’s two-run single in the fourth, Means would go onto strike out Giancarlo Stanton on three straight changeups.
That would be the formula for Means who only allowed one run on a Gary Sanchez home run in the seventh inning.
Gary carries one out. pic.twitter.com/QpXylMWZNK
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 31, 2019
Outside of that one pitch, he made it look like the Yankees had never seen a changeup in their careers. Means went 3.1 innings while striking out five Yankees handing the O’s bullpen a three-run lead to work with in the eighth.
The bullpen was able to do the job as New York would leave the bases loaded in the eighth inning, unable to get the big hit. Later in the ninth, they were able to bring the winning run up to the plate in Troy Tulowitzki but he struck out swinging.
Overall, they left 14 runners on base including the bases loaded twice. In the third with the bases loaded, Opening Day hero Luke Voit would strike out and later on, in the eighth Voit would ground out with three runners on.
New York drops their Opening Series to an O’s team expected to be at the bottom of the AL East when 2019 is all said and done. They host the 2-2 Detroit Tigers Monday night looking to get back in the win column.
