Losing the Wild Card Game on the road last season, and COVID restrictions the year before that, made last night's American League Division Series Game 1 the 1st postseason game at Yankee Stadium since October 18, 2019.
Gerrit Cole started, because it was Game 1 and he's the ace. And he gave up a home run. But only 1. Other than that, he went 6 1/3rd innings, allowing no other runs, 3 other hits, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.
So, did he get the run support he needed? He did: Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the 3rd, Bronx native and recent acquiree Harrison Bader hit a home run. Josh Donaldson led off the bottom of the 5th with a drive that he thought was a home run, but it bounced off the top of the wall, and he wasn't running it out, and was thrown out at 2nd base. However, following this Timo Perez moment, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled and reached 3rd on an error, and was sacrificed home on a fly by Jose Trevino. And Anthony Rizzo added a home run in the 6th.
Jonathan Loáisiga finished the 7th inning, Wandy Peralta pitched the 8th and got the 1st out in the 9th, and Clay Holmes finished it off. Yankees 4, Guardians 1. WP: Cole. No save. LP: Cal Quantrill.
That's 1 win down, 10 to go.
Meanwhile, the Mets... Well, tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you!