About Yesterday: Yanks Win 9-4

About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Sunk the Pirates 9-4

By Tim Kabel

April 5, 2025

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The Yankees started their first road trip off nicely with a convincing win over the Pirates yesterday. They had contributions up and down the lineup, particularly from the bottom half of the lineup. Max Fried pitched a solid game and the outcome was never in doubt. Only Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and Austin Wells were hitless in the game. Even though the Yankees are using somewhat of a patchwork starting rotation, they are off to a 5-2 start on the season. They have two games left with Pittsburgh and then three more in what should be a very chilly Detroit.

Quick Stats – 

·       The Yankees set a Major League record by hitting 23 home runs in their first seven games of the season.

·       Aaron Judge is on pace for 139 home runs this season. My prediction of 54 does not seem so far-fetched now, does it?

·       Through their first seven games, the Yankees have scored 69 runs and hit 23 home runs.

·       The six through nine hitters in the lineup, Anthony Volpe, Trent Grisham, Jasson Dominguez, and Oswaldo Cabrera combined to go 9-15 with three walks, two hit by pitches, five runs, and seven RBI.

·       Yesterday was Aaron Judge’s 1,000th game as a Yankee. He tied Babe Ruth with 321 home runs in that number of games as a Yankee. Judge also has the most home runs by any player in baseball history in their first 1,000 games.

·       The Yankees' record since 2020 in games in which Aaron Judge hits a home run is 139-38. Judge also has 69 home runs in interleague play since entering the league in 2016, which is 12 more than the next closest players (Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso). 

·      On April 4, 1989, Tommy John started on opening day for the New York Yankees, setting a modern Major League record by appearing in his 26th season. That mark was later surpassed by Nolan Ryan, who I believe is still pitching.

·      I would like to take a moment to wish my sister-in-law, Alanna, a Happy Birthday. Today also would have been my mother's 100th birthday. She has been gone over 20 years now, but I still miss her every day and do my best to make her proud.

Big Story – 

The Yankees entered this season having lost Juan Soto in free agency. They are also without Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo, and Anthony Rizzo, all of whom were starters last season. Gerrit Cole has been lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery. Giancarlo Stanton is out indefinitely as is DJ LeMahieu. Jonathan Loaisiga and several other relief pitchers are also on the IL. This could have been a recipe for disaster for the 2025 Yankees. So far, they seem to be weathering the storm created by the above-mentioned absences. Clarke Schmidt should rejoin the rotation very soon and Luis Gil is resuming baseball activities. The contributions throughout the lineup so far have more than made up for the loss of Soto, Torres, and the others. Whether that continues remains to be seen, but things look promising.

Player of the Game – 

Oswaldo Cabrera went 3-4 with 4 RBI.

Notable Performances – 

Anthony Volpe had three hits and drove in a run and Jason Dominguez had two hits and drove in two runs.

Better To Forget-

Fernando Cruz was shaky in relief, giving up three runs on a home run by Ke’Bryan Hayes. Cruz seems to have tremendous potential but needs to work out the kinks.

My Take –  

Sometimes, when you are around somebody daily, you begin to take them for granted. As I mentioned above, today would have been my mother's 100th birthday. I remember my mother baking birthday cakes for everyone in the family from scratch every year. Even when I was a grown man and she was a little slower and had stiffness in her hands and aches and pains, she would still do it. I remember one year when several of the ladies in my office either bought or baked me a birthday cake. Apparently, they did not coordinate their efforts because I wound up having four cakes that day. After work some of my friends took me out and I was presented with yet another cake. When I arrived home, I wasn't expecting a cake, but my mother baked me a delicious spice cake with cream cheese frosting from scratch. There was no way in the world I could skip a piece of that cake or even postpone it. I often think about that cake and all the other little things my mother did for me. They didn't seem like much at the time but when I tell people about them now, many of them look at me wistfully and say they never experienced that, and they would give anything to have what I had as a matter of course.

Yankees’ fans have a similar situation with Aaron Judge. We have seen him almost every day, (except when he has been injured) since he came up in the summer of 2016. He played his 1,000th game as a Yankee yesterday and of course, he hit a home run. He tied Babe Ruth with the most home runs through their first 1,000 games as a Yankee with 321. Judge is also the first player in Major League history to hit 321 home runs in his first 1,000 games. He is a two-time MVP and last year may have been his best year all around. Judge is off to an even better start this year than he had last year. Yankees’ fans are truly fortunate to witness Aaron Judge’s accomplishments. Perhaps we are spoiled because, we have seen players such as Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and others have similarly amazing careers. Going back, the Yankees have brought up many legendary players through their system, including Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and others.

I think we need to just take a step back on occasion and think about how amazing Aaron Judge is. Michael Kay asked during yesterday's broadcast if it is possible that Judge is underrated. On the surface, that seems like a ridiculous question but, I actually think it's a fair question. I believe the answer is yes, Judge is underrated in some ways. Going into yesterday's game, he had more home runs already than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates team. I know it's early but think of the things he has done in his career. Unfortunately, he didn't make it to the Major Leagues until he was 24 years old. So, he most likely will not break records that are based on longevity, such as the most career home runs. However, he has already posted some amazing numbers and he is far from being done.

It is easy to take Aaron Judge for granted because he is our player and we see him every day but someday, he will be gone like the birthday cakes my mother used to bake or the pleasant conversations I used to have with her. I appreciated them then, but I appreciate them even more now when they are just memories. We need to enjoy and appreciate Aaron Judge now and someday in the distant future when we are telling our grandchildren about him. We can do both and we need to do both.

Next Up

The Yankees will play the second game of the three-game series against the Pirates today at 4:05 PM at PNC Park. Bailey Falter (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will pitch for Pittsburgh. The Yankees will send Marcus Stroman (0-0, 5.79 ERA) to the mound. Let's hope that Bailey falters, and the Yankees win.