And yet, that happened.
Yes, I know: Today is April 1. April Fool's Day. Never mind that: It happened.
On Thursday afternoon, in the season opener at Minute Maid Park, the Yankees got a decent start from Nestor Cortés, and won, 5-4, thanks to Oswaldo Cabrera's bat and Juan Soto's arm. Yes, that combination, not the other way around, as one might have guessed beforehand. Jonathan Loáisiga was the winning pitcher, in relief.
On Friday night, the Yankees got a decent start from Carlos Rodón. Cabrera went 4-for-5. Soto went 3-for-4. Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run. The Yankees won, 7-1. Luke Weaver was the winning pitcher, in relief.
On Saturday afternoon, Marcus Stroman made his Yankee debut, and was a little shaky -- although, thanks to 2 separate errors, none of the 3 runs he allowed in 6 innings was an earned run, and he ended up as the winning pitcher. Soto hit his 1st Yankee homer, Cabrera hit another, and Anthony Volpe hit one. The Yankees won, 5-3.
In the 1st 3 games, the Yankees trailed 4-0 going into the top of the 5th, trailed 1-0 going into the top of the 7th, and trailed 3-1 going into the top of the 7th -- and won them all, anyway.
Yesterday's game would be the other way around, with the Yankees scoring 1st, and blowing the lead -- but not losing the game. Clarke Schmidt had a rough start, and a 3-1 Yankee lead going to the bottom of the 5th was erased in the 6th.
The game was tied in the 9th, and the Astros had the best relief pitcher in baseball today, Josh Hader, on the mound. He got the 1st 2 outs. But Gleyber Torres, who had started the season 1-for-14, singled to right, and stole 2nd base. Soto singled him home.
Clay Holmes allowed hits to the 1st 2 hitters in the bottom of the 9th. And the despicable little cheater José Altuve, who had already homered in the 3rd inning, was up. But Holmes got him to ground to 3rd base, manned by the newly-acquired Jon Berti. Not much of a hitter, but, with the Miami Marlins in 2022, he led the National League with 41 stolen bases. He got the force play at 3rd. Yordan Álvarez flew to Aaron Judge in center. And Kyle Tucker hit a liner to left, caught by Alex Verdugo.
Yankees 4, Astros 3. A season-opening sweep of the team that's been in our heads since 2017 -- maybe even 2015.
Don't tell me "It's only four games." If we swept four straight from the Red Sox South, the Chicken Fried Cheats, in Houston, in July or August, you'd be ecstatic.
This was a statement series. Here's the statement: "We are in your heads now, you filthy (fill in your insult of choice)s!"
The Yankees are 1 of 4 undefeated teams left in MLB. The others are the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept 3 from the hopeless Mets at Pity Field; the Detroit Tigers, who took 3 from the Chicago White Sox; and the Pittsburgh Pirates, who took 4 from the Marlins.
The Yankees move on, for 3 games in Phoenix against the defending National League Champions, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Luis Gil is tomorrow's intended starter. On Thursday, they come home, and open the home season on Friday, against those pesky Toronto Blue Jays.
Maybe this will be an enjoyable season after all.