Game Day - April 5th
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees
How the Yankees Won: A great pitching performance from Gerrit Cole and Clay Holmes with enough of a support role from Jonathan Loaisiga. The bats were held close to silent thanks for a good start from Aaron Nola. The Yankee bats did just enough and when the Phillies tried to get back into the game, the Yankees scored 2 runs in the bottom of the seventh innings keeping the game just out of reach. The cold-starting Phillies were in a bad position to come back in this game. Gerrit Cole does not need a lot of help when he starts a game. He was dominant on his first start and much the same in this start. He is the reason 1a the Yankees won today.
How the Phillies Lost: The cold weather has kept the Philly bast cold. They are scoring 3 runs per game to start the season and that just isn’t enough against teams like the Rangers and Yankees who have strong lineups. Aaron Nola put in a good effort today but pitchers can’t score runs, not anymore, thank gawd. All hail the DH! The Phillies are still a good paper team and just like last year, they did all their damage in the standings later in the year. Digging the early hole too deep is a problem but it’s not time to worry.
Atlanta Braves @ St. Louis Cardinals
How the Braves Won: The Matt Olson show came to St. Louis and hit almost everything he saw today. The Braves’ starter Bryce Elder put in a quality start and these two were really the show that won their team the game. This is the first time I’ve checked in on the Braves this season, but they are off to a good start and they will be on my radar. That’s me saying I don’t have any hot takes, not today.
How the Cardinals Lost: Miles Mikolas put in another bad performance. This is the second start in a row he gave up 5 ER. The difference this time around is that the offense didn’t have a wild Alek Manoah on the mound to offset the Cardinals’ own pitching problems. Unfortunately, two bad starts in a row put you on the list of pitchers who need to make a turnaround. It is nice to see the Cardinals’ rookie Jordan Walker making his own splash in a game where the rest of the lineup was kept in check. No one else had 2 hits and Walker was the only Cards hitter who had a bat-based positive game score. The other two positives in the lineup were fueled by base on balls. St. Louis must be glad to see Atlanta leaving after being swept in their own park. Seems like Atlanta just had the pitching answer for the Cardinals this series.
New York Mets @ Milwaukee Brewers
Had this been the preseason, I would have assumed I’d be covering this game for the Mets, but it’s the Brewers who are off to a hot start. Being 5-1 puts them on my radar. They are scoring 6+ runs per game to start the season and have shut out the Mets twice. I don’t know the team well enough to say this is the way they are planning to win this season, but they have my attention and I will be jumping on board this train for as long as it is willing to carry me.
The Mets just have yet to find an identity this season. They’ve scored 5/6 runs in half their games and they have been shut out twice. Lucky for them they get to go home and play a Marlins team they took 3 of 4 from in the opening series. Early in the season and the Phillies are having their own problems. The Braves are out in a hurry but again, long season.
Cleveland Guardians @ Oakland A’s
The Guardians got a good performance from their starter, Hunter Gaddis, and enough manufactured offense from the bats to beat the A’s. The A’s starter, Kyle Muller, deserves credit for keeping the bats in check. He was one out away from a quality start. This game to me looks like a classic A’s loss. Enough pitching to stay close but not enough bats to get over the finish line. These are the kinds of wins a team like Cleveland can look at later and grin when they see their win total. It wasn’t fancy, but they got the job done. Cleveland is winning games they should be winning and they are in first place to start the season.
Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals
This was the bounce-back Alek Manoah needed in his second start. The Royals were shut out driven by the 5 K and 1 H performance put in by Manoah and the one hit in two innings done by the bullpen. This was a signature performance by the pitching staff. The Jays’ bats on the other hand were controlled by Greinke today. It took until the sixth for the Blue Jays to get anything going and that is credit to Greinke for pitching a great, off-balance game. The hitters looked uncomfortable and uninspired. The park and the cold air were doing their best to keep some home run balls on the warning track.
Probably the most important moment in this game for the Jays was the eighth inning. Vladdy Guerrero Jr hit a home run. That on its own is a big deal, getting the power flowing, but the more important note is that the Jays followed up with a double and a single to get the double in for a run. not only did this moment provide some confidence in stringing hits together for a crooked number of runs, but the game went from a 1-run lead to a 3-run lead and the way the Royals were swinging the bats today, that was an almost insurmountable lead. Another plus, the Jays’ bullpen looks great to start the year. Swanson and Romero saw 1 more than the minimum, struck out 2, and got 2 ground outs. My confidence, as a fan, is back.
Wore Baby Blue Jersey today, it is 2-0 on the season. Road Blue is up next.
