JUST HOW THEY DREW IT UP
Bombers must be Amazin’ vs. division- rival Orioles
BALTIMORE — Remember how much the Mets spoke about the importance of playing well against the Nationals in the 2015 season’s opening series, given the massive beatdown that Washington put on its National League East neighbors in 2014?
Shouldn’t the same logic apply to the Yankees and their early matchups with the Orioles?
It should, and that’s why the Yankees’ comefrombehind, 65 victory over the Orioles Monday night at Camden Yards goes down as the best of their young season.
“I thought it was huge, man,” Dellin Betances said. “First one to open a series. That’s big. We’ve got to build on this.”
It didn’t come without a casualty and other assorted angst. Stephen Drew’s gamewinning, seventhinning, pinchhit grand slam off Tommy Hunter occurred only because Brett Gardner had to leave due to an ailing right wrist, the result of getting hit by a WeiYin Chen pitch in the first; Xrays were negative. And Betances, clearly not the closer, seesawed through a oneinning outing inwhich hewalked two and gave up two hits; new guy Andrew Miller picked up the final five outs, striking out three, for his second save.
Nevertheless, the Yankees ( 34) picked up their first twogame winning streak of 2015 and registered an opening salvo against the rival that destroyed them in 2014. It has been a good 48 hours for the Yankees after a brutal first give games.
Against last year’s American League East champions, the Yankees went 613 a .316 winning percentage that represented their worst showing against any opponent. In the non Orioles portion of their schedule, the Yankees went 7865, a .545 winning percentage that exceeded that of the AL’s second wild card Oakland (. 543).
The Mets posted an even worse 415 record versus the National League East champion Nationals last year, and when they took two of three games at Nationals Park to kick off this season, you could sense the satisfaction from both the Mets players and their fans.
Maybe the Yankees’ more veteran heavy group with a much higher payroll, aren’t as open to a universal buyin of this idea. Scoffed Miller, when asked whether last year’s results made this one sweeter: “I don’t think it is at all. … I think there’s not a lot of carryover from 2014. It’s more about winning Game 7 to me than it is about a series comparing it to last year or something like that. It’s Game 1 of a long set we play with them this year.”
OK. But the Yankees’ clubhouse sure seemed a happier place than it had been at home.
This unfolded like many of the Yankees’ 2014 battles against the Orioles: The Yankees’ pitching would keep them in the game, their batters would put up little resistance and eventually Baltimore’s lineup would wear down the Yankees. When Adam Jones ripped a tworun homer to leftcenter field off Yankees starter Michael Pineda in the sixth, breaking a 22 tie, there existed every reason to think this would be another Baltimore triumph.
All the more so when the first two Yankees hitters, Chris Young and John Ryan Murphy, reached base in the seventh via a single and walk, only to see the next two guys Didi Gregorius and pinchhitter Garret Jones make outs without even advancing the runners.
But Jacoby Ellsbury hustled out an infield single to second base, loading the bases, and that’s when Girardi opted for Drew to hit for the injured Gardner. Drew, a lightning rod for Yankees fans who’d like to see youngster Rob Refsnyder get an opportunity at second base, responded by drilling the grand slam to rightcenter field, putting the Yankees ahead by a 64 count, and Pineda, Betances and Miller limited the Orioles to one run the rest of theway.
“They’ve been resilient so far,” Girardi said of his team, and he isn’t wrong.
The Yankees dropped five of their six series with the Orioles last year and split the final one, a fourgame set in the season’s final week during which the Yankees were mathematically eliminated. The Yankees dramatically turned over their roster during the course of the season— they threw10 different starting pitchers against Baltimore — and they got smashed by the O’s no matter whom they tried.
“Everything can change really quickly from season to season,” Girardi said.
If the Yankees can capture this road set against the defending division champs, win once more in these next two games for their first series victory of the year, they’d alter the shortterm narrative. They’d be following the example set by, of all teams, the Mets.
BALTIMORE— Barry Bonds saying baseball should celebrate when Alex Rodriguez ties Willie Mays for fourth place on the alltime home run list sits well with Rodriguez.
Yet, Rodriguez has more than enough to deal with these days when he doesn’t know if he will be at first base, third base or the D Hon a daily basis.
“Anybody who supports me at this point it is well appreciated,’’ said Rodriguez, who started at third base Monday night for the first time and went 0for4 in a 65 Yankees victory. “I amnot taking it for granted but my focus is between the lines. I am focused on baseball. I amat first, third and DH.’’
With 655 homers Rodriguez trails Mays by five. Tying Mays would trigger a $ 6 million bonus but the Yankees are hesitant to pay that because of Rodriguez’s involvement in the Biogenesis mess.
Asked if he felt anxious during the first week of the season after missing all of 2014 due to suspension, Rodriguez answered, “I am playing baseball. Last year at this time Iwas anxious, there was no lineup to be in.’’
When Rodriguez was asked if he was clean of PEDs, he said, “Joel Sherman ( of The Post) asked that the first day. It’s been asked and answered.’’
Before the game Joe Girardi said he planned to give Rodriguez, who has played in all seven Yankee games, oneof the “next two days off.’’
The Yankees nine errors were tied with the A’s for the most in the majors going into Monday night’s action. A .966 fielding percentage was last among the 30 big league clubs.
So, how does Girardi go about correcting the leaky defense?
“We talk about individuals plays, we talk about what they are thinking,’’ Girardi said. “Sometimes there are going to besome physical errors. It’s the mental errors that I worry about and that will be discussed as well.’’
Catcher John Ryan Murphy caught a sensational game Monday night when he threw out two wouldbe base stealers and blocked numerous pitches in the dirt.
“He did a tremendous job and to throw out Adam Jones in that situation,’’ Girardi said of Murphy catching Jones attempting to swipe second base after leading off the eighth inning with a single and the Yankees leading, 65.
Murphy, who had a passed ball and throwing error in his previous start Saturday, also caught Alejandro De Aza trying to swipe second in the first inning.