Friday, April 13, 2012

Yankees win their home opener behind a dominant Kuroda

The New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this afternoon by the score of 5-0. It was a very tidy two hour and 33 minute game. It was a beautiful day in New York City and Jorge Posada was in the house to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Yankees Opening Day is something special and today was no different. Hiroki Kuroda started for the Yankees and was brilliant. Dave Robertson finished the game off pretty easily and the offense was led by a big hit by Nick Swisher. Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson each added a homerun. Albert Pujols was shutdown. 
Kuroda pitched eight innings giving up no runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out six in earning his first victory of the season. Robertson pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Ervin Santana took the loss for the Angels going six innings and giving up six hits and five runs with three walks and five strikeouts. The Angels bullpen pitched two innings giving up two hits and no runs.

Derek Jeter had a hit, Curtis Granderson had a hit and an RBI and Alex Rodriguez had three hits and an RBI. Robinson Cano drew a walk, Mark Teixeira drew a walk and Nick Swisher had two hits and three RBI. Russell Martin had a hit, Brett Gardner drew a walk. Swisher and Jeter each had a double, Rodriguez and Granderson each had a homerun. The Yankees were 1-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Rodriguez and Martin each had a stolen base and Gardner was picked off.

Erick Aybar had two hits, Bobby Abreu had a hit and Albert Pujols had a hit. Mark Trumbo drew a walk, Maizur Izturis drew a walk and Peter Bourjos had a hit. They were 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. The Yankees scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Santana got the first two outs then a single to Rodriguez. Cano and Teixeira walked and then Swisher hit a three run double. Rodriguez hit a solo homerun in the third inning to make it 4-0 Yankees. Granderson hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning to make it 5-0. That was the final run of the game.

The Yankees have now won four games in a row and are 4-3 on the season. The Angels record fell to 2-5. Kuroda looked like a completely different pitcher then he was in Tampa Bay. It could have been that it was his first start as a Yankee, it could of just been a bad start. Whatever the case was for him he was the complete opposite today. Rodriguez looked like a completely different player. Rodriguez may have needed to get home also to get him going. The two teams will play game two of their three game series on Saturday afternoon. The Yankees will be looking for their fifth straight win as they send Phil Hughes to the mound.

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