Sure, the New York Yankees began their day with bad news, failing to agree to a contract extension with slugger Aaron Judge, but that didn’t allow fans of the Bronx Bombers to end their gameday on a sour note. Once the game got rolling, there were a few more disappointments along the way, but newcomer Josh Donaldson, freshly shaven now that he’s in pinstripes, sent everyone home with a big smile on their face.
Taking on their rival Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the home team found a way to battle back from an early 3-0 deficit in the first inning with a two-run Anthony Rizzo home run to deep center field. Still, down a run, it wasn’t until Giancarlo Stanton’s solo shot to right in the fourth inning to bring the game to a tie.
The Red Sox scored a run in the sixth inning to go up a score once again, but two innings later D.J. LeMahieu came through with the team’s third home run of the day to tie the score at 4-4. The game headed to extra innings where both teams scored a run in the 10th before heading to the 11th and final frame of the game.
Michael King pitched a clean top half of the inning and then it was New York’s turn to begin with a runner on second, in scoring position. After going 1-for-5 on the day with two strikeouts, Josh Donaldson came to the plate to see if he could bring the rain. It took just three pitches for the former MVP to make a lasting impact in his first game in pinstripes.
Not bad for your first day huh. Donaldson hopes to have many more memorable moments now that he’s a member of the Yankees. It’s safe to say, he’s off to a great start.
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