A robust gathering ventured to the Stadium on Monday night for the possibility of seeing a couple of long balls from the Yankees’ two new prized lefty sluggers.
The most excitement of the night for the home crowd of nearly 29,000 came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when the lopsided game was delayed for several minutes while the grounds crew attempted to corral an elusive stray cat loose on the warning track, prompting the fans to chant, “MVP” and “Let’s Go Cat.”
That was the height of the cheer-worthy moments, however, as imported lefty Andrew Heaney became the first pitcher in Yankees history to allow four or more home runs in his team debut in a lackluster 7-1 loss to the AL-worst Orioles to open a seven-game home stand.
The Yankees (56-49) had won five of their previous six on the road through a weekend sweep in Miami, but they managed only two hits and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position against Baltimore starter Jorge Lopez — who entered with a 2-12 record and a 6.19 ERA — and three relievers in the Stadium debuts of deadline acquisitions of Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo.
Before the game, manager Aaron Boone claimed he was “excited” to watch Heaney, who was 6-7 with a 5.42 ERA in 18 starts this season with the Angels before arriving in a deadline deal for two minor league pitchers.
“We think we got a really good pitcher, a guy that we feel like is a guy that can really give us quality innings,” Boone said. “We feel like you look at his peripherals this year, and they’re probably a lot better than even his ERA would suggest. But we think we got a really good pitcher and I’m looking forward to seeing him go out and make his first start for us and hopefully get this homestand off to a good start.”
Heaney followed that script during a perfect first inning, drawing huge cheers while he walked off the mound following a strikeout of No. 3 hitter Trey Mancini. Heaney posted another zero despite a leadoff double by Ryan Mountcastle in the second, but Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays took him deep for back-to-back home runs one inning later for a 2-0 Baltimore lead.
Lopez clipped Rizzo with a pitch and walked Gallo in the first, but Giancarlo Stanton bounced out to third to end the inning. Lopez also walked two in the second, but DJ LeMahieu — starting for the first time since Thursday due to a triceps issue — grounded out to second to end that threat.
Heaney surrendered two more solo homers in the fourth, with Mountcastle and Ramon Urias both taking him deep to left for a 4-0 hole. It marked the first time Heaney had allowed four home runs in one start since August 2017, also against Baltimore.
see also
“It ultimately comes down to things that we feel like we can potentially help him with, with his pitch sequencing and whether there are some delivery things to get into. We do feel like this is a guy who can really pitch and has a chance to be a really good starter for us,” Boone said of Heaney. “We’re really excited that we were able to get him and add him to the mix. Obviously as we get into these final couple of months, to add that kind of depth of a guy that’s capable of giving quality innings is huge.”
Heaney was replaced by Joely Rodriguez, who was acquired from the Rangers along with Gallo, to start the fifth. The lefty reliever permitted two more runs to score in the sixth on sacrifice flies by Pedro Severino and Maikel Franco for a 6-1 game.
The Yankees plated a run without managing a hit in the fifth on walks to Gleyber Torres and Brett Gardner and a sac fly into foul territory by Rizzo. It was the former Cub’s fourth RBI in four game since the trade. Gallo’s leadoff double in the sixth represented the first hit of the night for the Yankees.