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Opening Day/Game #1 – 4/2/17 – 1:10pm – Tanaka vs. Archer

All of the excitement and pageantry leading up to the opportunity of a new season was quickly deflated by the worst start of Masahiro Tanaka’s career. He surrendered three runs in the first inning after Logan Morrison ripped a fastball into center to drive in a pair. Aaron Judge answered the next inning with an RBI double of his own, trimming the lead to 3-2 in the top half of the second inning. Tanaka just did not have his good stuff on Sunday as he was all over the place, displaying awful command. His movement and location is what makes him the great pitcher that he is and that Tanaka did not show up. Evan Longoria piled it on with a two run blast over the left field fence that gave the Rays a 5-2 lead.

The struggles continued in the third when the Yankee ace let up another homer to Rays first baseman Logan Morrison, that one being of the solo variety. Gary Sanchez added insult to injury when he fielded a bunt on the third base side by Mallex Smith and launched the throw into short right field, which plated another Rays run. Masahiro allowed a career high 7 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings work.  This was definitely not the Tanaka we all saw in camp that pitched 19 innings where he allowed only one run. Later on in the seventh the Yankees loaded the bases with their best hitter at the plate, Gary Sanchez.

In what was by far the most pivotal moment of the game, Archer executed and got Sanchez to ground out to end the threat and seal the first victory of the season for Tampa Bay by a score of 7-3.

Game #2: – 4/4/17 – 7:10pm – Sabathia vs. Odorizzi

CC Sabathia set the tone of the game with a dominant five innings of shutout baseball that included five strikeouts. Didi Gregorius’ replacement at shortstop, Ronald Torreyes jolted the offense in the third with a two run shot to left at an exit velocity of 99.6 mph according to Statcast. That was just Torreyes’ second career home run and the first Yankee homer of the season. Shortly after Matt Holiday hit a ball off of the catwalk in the outfield that resulted in an RBI double to give the Yanks a 3-0 lead.

CC picked up right where he left off in 2016 by continuing to produce soft contact from opposing bats averaging 85.2 mph exit velocity on his pitches. Headley continued his nice start to the season with a monster home run to straight away center in the sixth to create a four run Yankee lead in the 6th.

The familiar faces in the bullpen shut it down after CC’s exit, with appearances from Mitchell, Clippard, Holder, Betances and Chapman, which slammed the door for the first Yankees win of the season.

Game #3: 4/5/17 – 7:10pm – Pineda vs. Cobb

Michael Pineda picked up right where he left off last season serving up a lead off home run to Corey Dickerson to start the game. Ellsbury answered with a solo jack of his own in the second inning. Pineda continued to struggle in two out situations allowing 3 runs in the second inning all with two outs. Big Mike once again showed the ability to strike hitters out, but not limit the damage against himself. The offense was non existent the rest of the evening for the Yanks and the bullpen maintained their 0.00 ERA with 4.1 scoreless innings to finish the night.