Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Wednesday 4 april 2018
Gregorius' 2 HRs, 8 RBIs lead Yanks over Rays in home opener

By RONALD BLUM poned because of 5 1/2
AP Baseball Writer inches of snow, the game
NEW YORK (AP) — Didi Gre- started slightly late at 4:19
gorius hit a pair of three- p.m. in a light, steady rain
run homers and drove in and with a 40-degree tem-
a career-high eight RBIs, perature. The stands were
and the New York Yankees half-full despite an an-
overcame five strikeouts nounced crowd of 46,776,
by Giancarlo Stanton in his and the Yankees called off
first game in pinstripes to the pregame introductions
beat the Tampa Bay Rays that Boone had been look-
11-4 on Tuesday in Aaron ing forward to.
Boone's chilly first home Tommy Kahnle (1-0) won
opener as manager. despite allowing a tying,
Starting his fourth season two-run double to pinch-
as Derek Jeter's successor hitter Denard Span on an
as the Yankees shortstop, 0-2 pitch with two outs in
Gregorius had four hits and a three-run sixth. The Yan- New York Yankees' Didi Gregorius drops the bat as he watches his three-run home run, his sec-
walked, setting a major kees regained the lead just ond of the day, in the seventh inning of the team's baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at
league record for RBIs by a before Gregorius' homer Yankee Stadium in New York, Tuesday, April 3, 2018. Associated Press
player in a home opener. when Tyler Austin scored
He also set a Yankees re- from second as Brett Gard-
cord for RBIs by a shortstop. ner sacrificed and third and ended in a thrilling B- bury hurt a hip in his come- ribcage) is likely to return
He doubled and scored baseman Matt Duffy threw flat. back from an oblique in- from the disabled list first.
in the second, and his first wildly past first. TRAINER'S ROOM jury, a setback that means Hicks is eligible to be acti-
homer put the Yankees New York won its last 11 Yankees: OF Jacoby Ells- OF Aaron Hicks (strained vated April 9.q
ahead 4-1 in the third home openers at old Yan-
against Chris Archer. After kee Stadium but is just 6-4
New York's bullpen wasted at the new ballpark.
a three-run lead for the Tampa Bay filled its order
second straight game, Gre- with eight right-handed
gorius drove an 0-2 pitch batters against left-hander
from Austin Pruitt (1-1) into Jordan Montgomery. Start-
the second deck in the sev- ing his second big league
enth. He blooped an oppo- season, the 25-year-old al-
site-field two-run single to lowed one run and two hits
left in the eighth. in five innings.
When the Yankees agreed Archer, pitching in short
to acquire Stanton from Mi- sleeves and using a tur-
ami on Dec. 9, Gregorius quoise-colored glove,
tweeted : "Hey Skip am i still made his second start for
batting 4th ???" the Rays and struck out
That's exactly where he eight in five innings while al-
was, following Aaron Judge lowing four runs and six hits.
and Stanton in the batting Carlos Gomez robbed
order. Wade of a home run with a
Fans rewarded Gregorius leaping catch that ended
with a curtain call — he said the sixth.
it was his first in New York MAKING MOVES
— after his second career New York acquired out-
multihomer game, and his fielder Trayce Thompson
teammates pranked him off waivers from the Los An-
at the start of the eighth by geles Dodgers and made
failing to follow him onto room for him by transferring
the field. Gregorius turned right-hander Ben Heller to
and stuck out his gloved the 60-day DL.
arm, surprised, when he re- NEW NETS
alized no one was behind This was Yankee Stadium's
him. first game since the instal-
Stanton was booed in the lation of expanded net-
eighth inning after the first ting that extends five sec-
five-strikeout game of his tions past the dugout down
big league career. each foul line, a move
New York improved to 3-2 made after several fans
under Boone, who took were hurt by foul balls last
over when Joe Girardi was year.
fired after a decade in HIGH NOTE
charge. Tampa Bay has lost Tony Award winner Kelli
four straight since beating O'Hara, currently at the
Boston in its opener. Metropolitan Opera in Mo-
A day after New York's zart's "Cosi fan tutte," sang
home opener was post- "The Star-Spangled Banner"