NEW YORK - The grand palace was now officially open for business.
All of the anticipation that led to this day was matched by the pregame ceremonies held prior to the first pitch. It was so much you would have thought the Yankees were hosting the Academy Awards instead of opening the new Yankee Stadium.
It is too bad the game could not live up to those same standards.
The game was one large death grip for six innings as neither team able to take advantage of the opportunities given by the other. When Damaso Marte grooved a pitch hit by Indians centerfielder Grady Sizemore for a grand slam, it was time to shut down business for the first day and come back tomorrow.
The blast gave the Indians (3-7) a 10-1 lead they would eventually win 10-2 over the Bombers (5-5), as the at the start sold out, electric crowd, became a restless, weary bunch that turned down the steakhouse and Hard Rock Cafe for the number four train and their cars.
CC Sabathia started most of this with his grinding 5 2/3-inning performance. Again not having complete control, he battled his way to 122 pitches in his outing, squandering four hits and five walks. He did get the big outs when he needed them and his only blemish came in the fourth inning after third baseman Cody Ransom made an incredible throw from the ground to nail Johnny Peralta at home plate on a ball hit on the ground by Ben Francisco. Catcher Kelly Shoppach doubled into left-center to score Francisco from first base to give the Indians the first lead of the game.
Jorge Posada struck in the bottom half of the fifth inning with a home run out to Monument Park in deep center to tie the game. However, Sabathia though was still not able to find his groove as his pitch count reached the triple digits.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Manager Joe Girardi pulled the big lefthander after striking out Shoppach in favor of Edwar Ramirez, who allowed utility man Tony Graffanino to reach on Ransom’s error and followed by a base hit to shallow center to Trevor Crowe. Phil Coke came on and proceeded to put out the bases loaded fire by getting Grady Sizemore to fly out to end the inning and preserving the tie.
The offense unfortunately was never able to take advantage of the chances given to them by Cleveland starter Cliff Lee. In six innings, the Yankees ran his pitch count up to 115 and had numerous chances with runners in scoring position, but were unable to come up with the big hit. This was very different from the success they had the previous two nights against Tampa Bay.
The wheels would eventually break down in the seventh inning. Jose Veras entered the game and promptly walked Mark DeRosa and gave up a double to right off the bat of Victor Martinez. On a 3-2 pitch, Peralta was able to get just enough of the bat on the ball to poke it into right field just barely fair to plate both runners and make it a 3-1 game.
Damaso Marte followed and he wasn’t any better than Veras. His 0-1 pitch hit Shin-Soo Choo to put runners on first and second. When Francisco’s slow roller came back to Marte, his attempt at getting Peralta at third failed, allowing the bases to be loaded. Shoppach followed with a single and after getting Graffanino to pop out, he walked Crowe to force in a run.
The big blow came when Sizemore deposited Marte’s bad slider into the right field seats for a grand slam to make it 9-1. Victor Martinez got in a fun, hammering a pitch into left field to continue the rout as boos cascaded down from the paying customers at the new Stadium.
New York’s bullpen in the inning combined to face 12 hitters, yielding nine runs, five hits and two walks in 33 pitches.
Ugly.
Too bad Nick Swisher (1 for 4) was not available again to pitch.
Surely, better days will be ahead at the new Stadium on 161 Street and River Avenue. However, for openers it was one the team would rather forget.
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