WORRIED ALREADY? NAH

Drama-filled, cold, spring opener in the Bronx is enough to put anyone in a bad mood, but couple that with a difficult loss, and you get this cool sense of worry through your veins.  It was the coldest opening day since 2003, with first pitch at an icy 36 degrees.  But if that's not enough to cool off the #ChaseFor28, maybe this is.  "After squandering a lead against their nemesis, the left-hander Dallas Keuchel, the Yankees lost to the Astros, 5-3, their unraveling paved by a disputed call that left Manager Joe Girardi so furious he played the game under protest," reported the New York Times just after the game.

Was it interference?  Was it impeding?  Was it gamesmanship?  It was a decision not to throw at a players' back, something Mark Teixeira said that only a veteran player would be gutsy enough to do that, not a young pitcher like Dellin Betances.  

"Somewhat surprisingly, it was the Astros, one of the youngest teams in baseball, that took advantage of a savvy maneuver at the expense of baseball’s oldest team. (Carlos) Correa, who is just 21, acknowledged some gamesmanship. “I was just trying to maybe confuse him,” Correa said. “I don’t know? He’s a pitcher. Usually pitchers, they don’t play much defense. So I was just trying to run in the baseline and he didn’t hit me in the back.” So Betances over threw Tex to avoid hitting a fellow player and the Yankees' lead began to diminish. Oh yea, and Joe blew his top!  I can't say I blame him, but, it's a long season, Joe.

"Prior to that pivotal moment in the eighth, the Yankees played a solid game behind Masahiro Tanaka's promising outing and a strong performance from the bullpen, despite Betances' costly defensive miscue," reported YES.

You have to read STUPIDEST CALL EVER! BYB broke down the rule too! You have to read it.

This is only game one of 162. Let's not forget that.  Plenty more baseball to play, so let's not worry about this one, folks.  The focus should not be on the one that got away but the many more ahead of us.  A good outing by Tanaka on a cold day in New York.  Let's stay focused and not get heated quite yet, Joe.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof





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