The first full week of the 2022 regular season. Let’s see how the AL East did.
NEW YORK YANKEES
Jameson Taillon pitched five innings, struck out six, and gave up two runs against the Jays. Joey Gallo went 2-for-3. Michael King pitched 2.2 innings, struck out three, and gave up one run. The offense only had four hits. Gleyber Torres and Aaron Hicks had the other two hits. The Yankees lost 3-0.
Nestor Cortes Jr lasted 4.1 scoreless innings in his first start of the season. He struck out five and gave up three hits. DJ LeMahieu went 2-for-3 and Torres went 2-for-4. Aaron Hicks hit a 2-run home run in the second inning that was pretty much all that was needed for the win. The bullpen of Clay Holmes, Miguel Castro, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Aroldis Chapman kept the Jays scoreless. The Yankees won 4-0.
Gerrit Cole made his second start of the season. He made two mistakes early in the game and both were to Guerrero Jr. Cole pitched 5.2 innings, struck out six, and gave up three runs. Anthony Rizzo, Aaron Judge, and Torres each hit a solo home run. The offense tied the game in the 5th inning but the bullpen gave up three more runs. Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Wandy Peralta were each charged with a one. The Yankees lost 6-4.
Luis Severino strutted his stuff in the series finale. He pitched five scoreless innings and struck out six. Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-3. Jose Trevino went 2-for-3. The bullpen kept the Jays scoreless. Aroldis Chapman had trouble finding the strike zone in the 9th inning but Michael King bailed him out. The Yankees won 3-0 and split the series with the Jays.
🎶 I step to the mound and I put on my crown 🎶@7Kinger14 👑 pic.twitter.com/NgfdXUMRTG — New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 15, 2022
The Yankees head to Baltimore to face the O’s and their weird left field. Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon, and Nestor Cortes are scheduled to pitch.
BOSTON RED SOX
Michael Wacha took the mound for the Sox in Detroit. He pitched 4.1 innings, struck out four, and gave up one run. J.D. Martinez hit his first home run of the season. Rafael Devers went 2-for-4. Matt Barnes pitched one scoreless inning and struck out one. The Red Sox lost 3-1.
Rich Hill took the mound for the Sox. He went 4.1 innings and gave up three runs while striking out four. Garrett Whitlock pitched four scoreless innings. Devers went 3-for-5. Kike Hernandez got his first two hits of the season. The Sox won 5-3.
Nathan Eovaldi took the mound in the series finale against the Tigers. He pitched five innings, stuck out six, and gave up two runs. Kike Hernandez went 2-for-5 with a home run. Trevor Story returned to the lineup after dealing with food poisoning and went 2-for-5. Jackie Bradley Jr went 2-for-5 as well. The offense scored nine runs but the bullpen after Barnes’ scoreless inning gave up five more runs. The Sox won 9-7.
The Sox have their Home Opener today. It is also Jackie Robinson Day. Nick Pivetta will take the mound against the Twins. Tanner Houck, Michael Wacha, and Rich Hill are scheduled to pitch against the Twins. The fourth game of the series will be an 11:10 AM game for Patriot’s Day
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Luis Patino started against the A’s but only lasted 0.2 innings. He gave up one hit and one run but had to leave due to an oblique injury. Chris Mazza took over for Patino and pitched three innings. He struck out four but gave up eight runs, six of them earned. Wander Franco went 3-for-4 and Ji-Man Choi went 2-for-4. The game got out of hand for the Rays, so they ended up having Brett Phillips pitch the last two innings. He gave up four runs on three hits. The Rays lost 13-2.
Tommy Romero pitched 1.2 innings and gave up three runs. Brandon Lowe went 2-for-5 with a home run. Ji-Man Coi went 3-for-3 with a home run. Phillips hit his first home run of the season. Taylor Walls went 2-for-4. Ralph Garza Jr pitched three innings and gave up three runs. The Rays ended up winning 9-8 in 10 innings. Kevin Cash said that the team will lose JT Chargois from an oblique injury for weeks and Luis Patino potentially for months. The Rays will have to maneuver the roster to help with their pitching needs. It will be interesting to see how they work that out.
Shane McClanahan started for the Rays. He lasted 4.2 innings, struck out eight, and gave up three runs. Ji-Man Choi hit his second home run of the season. Yandy Diaz went 3-for-4. The Rays lost 4-2.
Josh Fleming went 3.1 innings, struck out six, and gave up five runs three of them were earned. Brandon Lowe went 2-for-4 with a home run. The Rays lost 6-3.
The Rays have made the following roster moves: • Placed RH JT Chargois (left oblique tightness) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 9; • Placed RH Luis Patiño (left oblique strain) on the 10-day IL; • Recalled RH Tommy Romero (#52) and RH Ralph Garza Jr. (#61) — Rays Communications (@RaysPR) April 12, 2022
The Rays head to Chicago to face the White Sox for the weekend. Drew Rasmussen and Corey Kluber are scheduled to pitch.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Alek Manoah went six scoreless innings, gave up one hit, and struck out seven against the Yankees. George Springer went 3-for-5 with a home run. He certainly had fun with the Yankee bleacher creatures who chanted “cheater” to him early in the game. Teoscar Hernandez went 3-for-4 and Santiago Espinal went 3-for-3. The defense for the Jays was showing off in game one. The Jays won 3-0.
Yusei Kikuchi lasted 3.1 innings, struck out two, and gave up three runs. The Jays’ offense couldn’t score against the Yankee pitching. Springer went 2-for-4. The Jays lost 4-0.
Jose Berrios took the mound hoping to do better than his first start of the season. He pitched five innings, struck out five, and gave up three runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr had himself a day in game three. He went 4-for-4 and hit three home runs which resulted in four RBI. The Jays won 6-4.
The youngest player in @MLB HISTORY to: 🔹 Go 4-4 or better 🔹 Hit 3+ Homers 🔹 Have 4+ XBH In the same game 🤯 #PLAKATA 💥 pic.twitter.com/GEPtUUtvI1 — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 14, 2022
Kevin Gausman pitched 5.2 innings, struck out nine, and gave up two runs. That was enough for the Yankee offense. Alejandro Kirk went 2-for-3. After a three-home run night, Guerrero Jr went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. The Jays lost 3-0 and split the series with the Yankees.
The Jays head back home to face the A’s. Ross Stripling, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Alek Manoah are scheduled to pitch.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Bruce Zimmermann went four scoreless innings, struck out four, and gave up three hits against the Brewers. Anthony Santander went 2-for-2 with two walks. Cedric Mullins when 1-for-5. The O’s lost 2-0.
Spenser Watkins pitched three innings and gave up four runs. Mullins went 2-for-5 and hit his first home run of the season. Trey Mancini went 2-for-5. The Orioles lost 5-4.
John Means took the mound for the O’s. He lasted four innings but exited the game due to forearm tightness. Rougned Odor went 1-for-2. Ryan Mountcastle went 1-for-4. The O’s lost 4-2.
The O’s face the Yankees at home for the weekend. Jordan Lyles, Tyler Wells, and Bruce Zimmermann are scheduled to pitch.
PITCHING
It will be interesting to see how the Rays handle their pitching staff with their injuries. The starters in the AL East seem to be slowly getting to the form they are used to arriving at Opening Day without a lockout. As starters start to go deeper, the bullpen can get a bit of rest at times.