By LAUREN SEARS
Staff Writer
April 1, 2013 marked the day that most Yankees fans have been waiting for: Baseball returning to the Bronx. Opening Day is always special for any team in the MLB, but for the Yankees this opening series versus none other than those Red Sox from Boston, marks a new chapter. The Bronx Bombers need to redeem themselves following the disappointing season of 2012.
This offseason Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, and Raul Ibanez all moved on to different teams, three key players that provided the Yankees with great service over the years, suddenly gone. I’m not going to lie, I was sort of skeptical about how the opening series against those Red Sox would go. The injury bug that came last season continued to haunt the Yankees during Spring Training. Derek Jeter is still not playing, and the Yankees need their Captain back on the field. While playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Mark Teixiera suffered a wrist injury. Curtis Granderson, another key player in the Yankee lineup, injured himself during a spring training game. We can’t forget to mention Alex Rodriguez, he is out with a hip injury until after the All-Star Break. The Yankees also gained some wonderful offseason additions to their lineup. Former Cleveland Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner, and former All-Star Outfielder Vernon Wells, have joined the Yankees.
With all this being said, let’s talk about the important thing: The opening series versus Red Sox. Game 1 had so much potential for the Yankees. Their staff ace CC Sabathia got the start against Jon Lester. CC was excellent last season, but he proved during Game 1 that he still needs to work on a few things. The Yankees ended up losing 8-2.
Game 2 had Hiroki Kuroda pitching against Clay Bucholz. Kuroda only lasted two innings, due to a line-drive hitting his fingers, which gave him a contusion. After Kuroda’s injury it went downhill for the Yankees. Their bullpen isn’t has strong has it has been in years past. The bullpen gave up three runs in the third inning and another run in the seventh inning. Clay Bucholz had a strong outing which propelled the Sox past the Yankees.
Game 3 which was played Thursday was the game I was looking forward to the most for two reasons: 1. Andy Pettite was pitching, and 2. The Yankees needed to come back and prove themselves. Andy Pettite got the start for the Yankees , while the new offseason addition for the Red Sox, Ryan Dempster got the start for Boston. The Bronx Bombers came out on fire, scoring in the 2nd inning off a deep left field single by Lyle Overbay, which brought Eduardo Nunez and Travis Hafner home. Then in the 3rd, Brett Gardner hit a solo home run into right field. The hot hitting continued into the 7th inning when Francisco Cervelli, who was sent back down to the minor league last season, hit a solo home run to left. Andy Pettite had pitched brilliantly. He had a strong 8 innings, and only allowed one earned run. Whoever thought Pettite was washed up was clearly wrong. Then perhaps the best moment of the game happened in top of the 9th inning, baseball’s all time saves leader, Mariano Rivera came onto the mound for the first time since tearing his ACL last May. Rivera was outstanding and earned his first save of the season. The Yankees finally earned their first win of the season.
Overall, the opening series left many questions unanswered. As the season goes on, the new players will adjust, and the veterans will come back from injury. However, I am almost positive that, the Yankees will bounce back, because they aren’t called the “comeback kids” for nothing.
