It was a reversal of fortunes as the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals played their first full game of the 2020 season. Errors, close calls, and missed balls appeared to be the deciding factors.
The game started with a throwing error by first baseman Howie Kendrick, but the first big knock came when Yankees starting pitcher, James Paxton, was knocked out in the second inning. He loaded the bases with three singles before allowing a double to left field. He would walk the next batter before being pulled. Paxton was one of the players the Yankees may not have had on the original opening day as he was recovering from off season back surgery. It may have played a factor, plus the short ramp up time. Washington would end up scoring three runs this inning.
The Yankees would close the gap with a run in the third and a solo homer by Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth. This would be Stanton’s second home run in as many games and would travel 483 feet according to Statcast. It would also be the second-hardest hit since the system was put in place in 2015, clocking in at 121.3 mph.
But the Nationals struck back with a vengeance the remainder of the game. Overall, they hit the ball through gaps, eked out a home run by striking the foul pole, and managed to somehow keep the ball just out of Aaron Judge’s reach on several plays.
The defending World Series Champions won the game 9-2, but committed five errors, to the Yankees two.
The series, and the season so far, is tied at one win each.
