Opening Day: Yankees v. Rays (a.k.a. The return of 'Los)

GAME 1 recap (Yankees 6 v. Rays 7):


YAY BASEBALL IS BACK!!!

I didn't know this at the time, but the game opening first pitch was thrown by Jim Dundee, in honor of his father Angelo, but the ball used was the ball Evan hit in his home run in game 162. How awesome was that?

Can I just say that I love how the cocky Yankees decided it would be in their best interest to walk Sean Rodriquez which would load the bases for Carlos Pena to come to bat? Well, their loss is our gain! That was something spectacular right there. 

Pena's first at bat since returning to the Rays and he manages to unleash a grand slam at the most PERFECT moment. How did he do that? And he managed to bring it not once, but TWICE! That's just craziness. 

Granted that is not all that happened in the season opener. There were moments of stressing watching Shields struggle on the mound. Not exactly how he wanted to start the season I am sure. Perhaps he was working through some jitters. At least he wasn't the only one struggling. CC seemed to be having a bit of a problem get 1-2-3 innings as well and lasting only 6 innings. After only 5 short innings Shields returned to the dugout and Maddon called up JP Howell, Burke Badenhop, Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and finally Fernando Rodney.

The game did not go without it's issues... a few misread signs, a few failed bunt attempts and some wild pitches, but the bottom line is that we won. And we did it with some style. 

Yankees brought in their closer Mariano Rivera to finish out the game. Again the Yankees seemed to get too confident walking Evan Longoria and Luke Scott. Rivera struck out Sean Rodriguez, and Carlos Pena came to the plate. The game was tied 6-6 with bases loaded and Pena with a 1-2 count and Pena knocked the ball to deep left giving the Rays a walk-off win! The minute Pena made contact with the ball in the bottom of the 9th and started his victory run to first, and his arms went in the air, it took me back to that night in September when Longoria smacked a ball into left field ending game 162 and making history.  It felt surreal and hopeful.

The Rays never doing anything traditionally or do what is expected which makes them exciting to watch. Here's to a great season.