YANKEES OPEN WITH A LAUGHER ON A-ROD'S SLAM
Reigning MVP leads Yankees onslaught over A's




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
April 4, 2006

Alex Rodriguez wanted to send a message.

He hasn’t gone anywhere.

And in last night’s game in Oakland, A-Rod proved it.



The American League MVP single-handedly dismantled the Oakland Athletics pitching with an impressive opening day offensive show. A-Rod went 3 for 5, which included a second inning grand slam effectively ruining the Athletics opening night in front of the home crowd of 35,077.



The bomb came off Barry Zito who hung a pitch in the middle of the plate, which Rodriguez promptly deposited in the left field seats making the score 7-0. Zito, the 2002 Cy Young winner, was removed from the game. The inning and a third stint was the shortest outing of his career.

However, Rodriguez wasn't the only Yankee to shine. Newly acquired center fielder Johnny Damon went 3 for 7, with two runs scored and an RBI. The other monster of the night was Hideki Matsui, who continued to tear up opposing pitching. After a productive spring training Matsui came into Oakland and made his presence felt. Matsui went 4 for 4, including a three run shot in the fourth inning. He also walked twice making him the only Yankee to successfully reach base in all of his plate appearances. Matsui also knocked in four runs.

Yankees' starter Randy Johnson dominated the Athletics' hitters. Johnson threw 106 pitches over seven innings, striking out three and walking none. The Unit's only blemish was giving up a solo shot to DH Frank Thomas in bottom of the second inning. The pitch the "Big Hurt" knocked out wasn't a bad pitch. It was down and slightly in, but Thomas went down and powered it out.

With the Yankees scoring early and often, the Athletics crowd fell silent while watching the Yankees' offense pound their team's pitching into submission. The game wasn't without controversy. In the top of the fifth inning with two on and two outs and the score 12-1 reliever Brett Halsey drilled catcher Jorge Posada squarely in the back on a 0-2 pitch. Catcher Jason Kendall immediately got between Posada and Halsey and escorted the Yankee backstop down to first base and the All-Star continued to glare at Halsey while standing on the bag, but no fireworks erupted.

Before the game ended the Yankees scored three more times, which tied a Yankees' opening day record for runs scored at 15. They also collected seventeen hits and nine walks. Every Yankee had a hit, with the exception of Posada.

As remarkable as this offensive onslaught was let's keep in mind it's only one game. We all seen it before where the Yankees look like Superman as in this game only to come back the next game and resemble Clark Kent.

Tonight the Yankees face Rich Harden who had a noteworthy 2005 campaign going 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA. The Yankees counter with veteran Mike Mussina, who is coming off a balky elbow injury last season.

Joe Torre had to be very pleased at the way his offense went to work. The manager has said this current roster is possibly the finest he's ever had assembled. They can affirm that accolade by taking out Harden like they did Zito. Nobody expects 15 runs every game, but the Yankees offense has the tools to make their influence felt every night.

Remember the 1998 team? This team has the makings of being as good as that, and even better.


PLAY BALL!



© 2006 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story is prohibited without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop and its affiliates