Thursday, March 28, 2019

Early push makes festive day in Bronx a winner

Recap courtesy of New York Yankees and Bryan Hoch
NEW YORK -- Big-swinging Luke Voit picked up where he left off at the end of last season and Masahiro Tanaka snapped his string of subpar Opening Day efforts, leading the Yankees to a 7-2 victory over the Orioles on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Voit, who helped the Yankees secure a postseason berth by slugging 14 homers in 39 games after his late-July acquisition, cracked a three-run blast in the first inning as part of a four-RBI performance. Greg Bird also hit an eighth-inning shot for the Yanks, who set a Major League record with 267 homers last season.

Pressed into Opening Day duty following an early-March injury to ace Luis Severino, Tanaka pitched into the sixth inning, enjoying success against the Orioles after going 0-2 with a 9.49 ERA in his three previous season-opening efforts. Tanaka permitted two runs (one earned), scattering six hits and striking out five without issuing a walk.

New York’s fourth run scored on a Miguel Andujar double-play ball in the third inning. Orioles starter Andrew Cashner permitted six runs on six hits and four walks over four-plus innings, leaving two men on in the fifth. Mike Wright Jr. hit Voit on the left elbow to force home a run, and Andujar lifted a sacrifice fly.

Adam Ottavino pitched 1 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings in his Yankees debut, striking out three. The Yankees won their second consecutive Opening Day contest after losing six straight from 2012-17. New York improved to 6-2 all-time in March, including 2-1 last year.

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