HOUSTON — Hours earlier than Austin Wells and Jasson Domínguez made their main league debuts for the Yankees, the previous stated the latter wouldn’t be intimated by Justin Verlander, the Astros’ starter on Friday night time.
“From the first time I played with him, he is unfazed by really anything,” Wells stated of Domínguez. “So I mean, for him, facing Verlander, he probably doesn’t even care. It’s just another arm on the mound.”
Lo and behold, Domínguez homered off Verlander with the very first swing of his very first at-bat, taking the right-hander into the Crawford Boxes at Minute Maid Park. The 20-year-old’s first-inning, two-run blast off the 40-year-old, future Hall of Famer gave the Yankees a three-run lead after DJ LeMahieu led the sport off with a solo homer.
“You can’t write it up any better than that,” Wells stated of Domínguez’s reverse subject jack.
Added Domínguez: “To me, it’s being able to connect and getting that homer. That’s what really, really means a lot to me. And I understand Verlander is a future Hall of Famer, but to me, being able to do that, that’s special.”
The explosive first inning paved the way in which for a 6-2, series-opening win for the Yankees.
Domínguez’s residence run additionally confirmed why he has acquired limitless — and typically unfair — hype since signing a $5.1 million contract with the Yankees as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. The centerfielder, batting fifth, completed the sport 1-for-4.
“I mean, that’s pretty impressive,” Aaron Boone stated. “That’s a option to announce your presence with authority.
“It’s one game, but you get a peek tonight of why a lot of us are excited about him.”
Wells, in the meantime, singled in his first at-bat, went 1-for-4 whereas hitting seventh, and caught Carlos Rodón.
“That was awesome,” Wells stated. “It’s good to check the box on the first AB. And then after that, I was just out there having fun and trying to get my pitch.”
The left-handed Rodón totaled three hits, two earned runs, one stroll, 4 strikeouts and one residence run over 5 innings.
“Wells had a great game back there,” stated Rodón, who beforehand threw to Wells on a rehab project and in spring coaching. “We were pretty close to the same page and we worked pretty well. It was good to see the young guys contribute early. The Martian hit his first homer. It was a fun game to be a part of.”
The Yankees’ offense didn’t finish with these debuting, as Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run moonshot within the third inning. Aaron Judge then grew to become the quickest participant to achieve 250 profession residence runs when he hit Minute Maid’s practice with a solo bomb within the fifth inning.
Judge, who has 30 dingers this season, wanted simply 810 video games to report the milestone. He simply surpassed the earlier report holder, Phillies nice Ryan Howard, who wanted 885 video games.
“It’s great. I really don’t think about it,” Judge stated. “I don’t think it means too much. Doing it in a win, I think, means more. But when you see the guys that are on the list, especially Ryan Howard, who is one of the greatest power hitters and left-handed hitters in the game, it’s pretty cool to be on that list.”
Verlander, usually a Yankees killer, permitted six earned runs in simply as many innings whereas additionally surrendering eight hits and 4 longballs. He walked one and struck out three.
The Astros scored their runs on a José Abreu solo dinger and a Kyle Tucker double.
With their first recreation efficiently out of the way in which, Domínguez and Wells will look to settle into huge league life over the approaching days and weeks. The Yankees, in the meantime, will attempt to harness the jolt that the youthful newcomers offered on Friday because the group evaluates its future over the ultimate month of what has in any other case been a disappointing season.
“We were jumping up and down like little kids when Domínguez hit that two-run homer,” Judge stated. “That was simply spectacular. Excited for him.
“We just felt a different energy on the bus coming to the field today. It was a little bit of excitement, a little bit of jitters, but it was, all in all, a good day.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com