The Yankees took on the Milwaukee Brewers on March 27, 2025, opening day at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees would win the game four to two.
As the score would indicate, this was a pitcher’s duel. Both starting pitchers, Freddy Peralta for the Brewers and Carlos Rodon for the Yankees, pitched five innings and only gave up a combined three runs. Despite the pitching dominance, some hitters were able to make a statement.
Austin Wells Leadoff HR
Austin Wells was the first batter for the Yankees in the bottom of the first inning. Before opening day 2025, no catcher had batted leadoff for the Yankees ever. Wells also became the first Yankee leadoff hitter to hit a leadoff HR and the first catcher since 1900. Overall, Well’s home run was historic and gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead. An old baseball idiom is that the first at bat of your season will define how the rest of the season goes. Whether you believe this or not, Wells got the Yankees’ season started right.
Anthony Volpe Short Porch Shot
The Yankees were looking to extend their one-to-nothing lead in the bottom of the second inning. Anthony Volpe would do just that with a solo HR to make it a two-to-nothing lead. Although Volpe didn’t hit the ball too hard, he just got it out of the short porch on the right field. The home run would’ve been only in Yankee Stadium, but luckily, that was where the game was. This would be the last run pitcher Freddy Peralta would give up.
Vinny Capra’s First Home Run
Vinny Capra of the Brewers had played just 20 games between three teams (Blue Jays, Pirates, and Brewers) since 2022. He was the Brewers’ opening-day third baseman. He took advantage of this opportunity in the top of the third inning to hit his first major league home run off Carlos Rodon. This would be the only one Carlos Rodon would give up, but it was a memorable one for Capra. The Brewers will be looking for someone to step up after losing Willy Adames in free agency, and Capra is on pace to be one of those to step up.
Aaron Judge RBI double
The 2024 AL MVP, Aaron Judge, had yet to get a hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. He hit a ball hard but in the infield. Luckily for Judge, it hit off the third base and went into the outfield. This allowed Ben Rice to score, Oswaldo Cabrera to move to third, and Judge to get second on a double. This was far from the best Judge could do, but he did his job and extended the Yankees lead to three to one.
Cody Bellinger sac fly
Cody Bellinger came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. Unlike Judge, Bellinger was having a good game already with a single and a walk. However, he had a chance to get his first RBI with the Yankees. Bellinger would do exactly that, bringing home Oswaldo Cabrera from third base. This would be the last Yankee run of the inning, extending the lead to four to one.
Devin Williams’ shaky save
The Yankees turned to star closer Devin Williams to get the final three outs in the top of the ninth inning. Williams was facing his former team, the Brewers, in his first game with the Yankees. The Brewers would load the bases vs. their former teammate. Brice Turang had a sac fly to make the game four runs to two. However, Williams would lock in and strike out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich back to back to secure the Yankees’ first win of 2025.
Chourio really struggled the entire game, striking out five times. Meanwhile, for Williams, there could be a couple of reasons for his shakiness. First, he could’ve been nervous facing his former team, especially considering his last appearance with them was giving up a grand slam to Pete Alonso to cost the Brewers their season. However, the Brewers also could’ve had more intel on him due to him being there before.
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