The Bronx, NY — Well, Game 1 is over. The Yankees held on to take the game 4-3 against the Brewers.

It was not easy, but they got the job done, so let’s break it down.

Starting Pitcher:

Carlos Rodón pitched like a true Ace today. He gave up 1 run in 5.1 innings of work.

Bearded Rodón hit the corners and struck out 7. Rodón looked super comfortable and confident on the mound, and I was really impressed with his pitch mix and the overall stuff he had.

There were 2 blemished on the day as far as i’m concerned :

1. The Home Run by Vinny Capra (gone in 29 of 30 parks)

2. The Sal Frelick hit in the Top of the 4th. The Yankees starting pitchers need to learn to cover 1st base.

   1. I am just happy that Rodón was not hurt after this.

Regarding this play, Rodón said:

“I was definitely I was just more mad I didn't make the play. Um, I think I think I got caught up on my left foot and you know I know Sal's Sal's quick down the line. I finished off to my right I think I did like a little 180 to get back and I was like, oh man, this is gonna be a bang-bang, so it seemed like I was slow getting out of that turn to get to first and I was trying to pick it up and I just lost some footing and looked real unathletic there.”

The Offense:

The 2025 season started with a Leadoff Homer from Austin Wells. Wells today, became the first Yankees leadoff hitter to hit an Opening Day Home Run and the first Catcher to hit an Opening Day Home Run since 1900.

Wells had this to say about his performance:

"It was awesome, it was a really cool experience for myself not doing it ever."

Manager Aaron Boone also stated that:

"he was great behind the plate... Some really good at bats too. That's what he is capable of, he was excellent today"

I can agree with Boone on this one, he was awesome today.

The offense did not stop there. Anthony Volpe hit a Homer into the Short Porch to put the Yankees up 2-0 in the second inning.

It was promising to see this from Volpe, showing some power to the opposite field. I also think from a confidence level it was important for Volpe’s 2025 season to begin like this.

The Captain decided to join the hit party by getting a, well, Base Hit in the 7th inning to score a run. This keeps Judge's streak alive of having a hit in 9 straight Opening Days.

Judge, known for his cold starts, went 1-4 with 2K and 1 RBI today.

Bellinger followed that up with a Sac Fly, making it 4-1.

The Bullpen

The Bullpen was very good today. Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr. and Luke Weaver all pitched scoreless innings, to bridge the gap from the Starter to the 9th inning.

The real fun came in the 9th inning. Devin Williams entered for his first save and the Bronx, and it was a very rocky start. He surrendered a single, a double and a walk to load the bases. Then, Williams locked in, giving up a Sac Fly and striking out the next 2 to earn the save. While Williams locked it down, it is worth noting that he threw 36 pitches.

Williams, who looked like he saw a ghost after the game, spoke to the media. When he was asked about his issues in the 9th inning, he said:

"Just staying focused on the next pitch, you can't go back in time. The only option is to move forward"

But, Williams ended the game for the Yankees, and hopefully the butterflies are gone and the 9th inning can be a bit smoother for days to come.

The defending AL Champs start the season 1-0. Day off on Friday before taking on Nestor Cortes and the Brewers on Saturday.

Note: I will NOT be doing recaps like this for every game. Instead, I will be doing post series recaps on Youtube Live and in article form, so stay tuned.

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