Although Yankees Opening Day has been postponed until at least mid-May, here is what the first game of the 2020 season may have been like at Camden Yards.
“Well, I thank you Suzyn and… GOOD afternoon everyone. It is a beautiful day for baseball here in Baltimore,” says legendary Yankees radio announcer John Sterling to his longtime partner Suzyn Waldman.
It will be a mostly sunny day for the 3:05 p.m. start, with a temperature of around 59 degrees. A crisp wind will be blowing around 8 or 9 mph, but nothing too awful to sit through.
Gerrit Cole will be making his first start in pinstripes and will be looking to continue his dominance from the 2019 season. Cole has yet to win a World Series and will be even hungrier for one after two straight seasons of not winning it all.
Without Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton available in the lineup, the Yankees will have to find a new right fielder, and Mike Tauchman will take command. Clint Frazier slides into the left-field position with Brett Gardner manning center field.
The infield looks somewhat familiar from last season with Gio Urshela, Gleyber Torres, D.J. LeMahieu and Luke Voit playing from third to first base. Behind the plate will be Gary Sanchez and Miguel Andujar finds himself in the designated hitter position.
As for the offensive side, the batting lineup might look like this:
1. D.J. LeMahieu
2. Gleyber Torres
3. Brett Gardner
4. Gary Sanchez
5. Luke Voit
6. Gio Urshela
7. Clint Frazier
8. Mike Tauchman
9. Miguel Andujar
Aaron Boone will have a tough decision deciding on where to put each player, but this lineup gives him a left-handed batter in the third spot, as well as the eighth.
Cole gives the Yankees six strong innings, leaving the remaining three innings in the bullpen’s hands. Boone decides to go to his big three of Adam Ottovino, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman to secure the first win of the season.
The Yankees beat the Orioles by a score of 7-2, including home runs from Sanchez and Frazier. The Yankees record their first win of the season, leaving 161 games remaining throughout the long season.