Opening Day Live Updates: New York Yankees vs. Blue Jays

Author:
Max Goodman
Updated:
Apr 1, 2021 4:57 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 1, 2021

NEW YORK — Opening Day is special, but Thursday in the Bronx will take those festivities to another level.

Fans are back in the Bronx for the first time in over a year, set to witness Gerrit Cole and the Yankees face the Toronto Blue Jays as both teams kick off the 2021 regular season.

Pregame festivities are schedule to begin around 12:30 p.m. ET with first pitch following shortly after 1:00 p.m. ET.

Before this game—and the regular season—get underway, here are Thursday's starting lineups, scheduled pitchers and some related reading.

New York Yankees

DJ LeMahieu 2B

Aaron Judge RF

Aaron Hicks CF

Giancarlo Stanton DH

Gleyber Torres SS

Gio Urshela 3B

Gary Sánchez C

Jay Bruce 1B

Clint Frazier LF

Gerrit Cole SP

No surprises here. Jay Bruce gets the start at first base for the injured Luke Voit while Clint Frazier takes the field for the first time as New York's full-time starting left fielder. Top to bottom, this group will look to set the tone early, taking on a talented club from Toronto.

Toronto Blue Jays

Semien 2B

Biggio 3B

Bichette SS

Hernández RF

Guerrero Jr. 1B

Gurriel Jr. LF

Tellez DH

Grichuk CF

Jansen C

Ryu SP

New York's righty-heavy lineup will look to take advantage of the matchup with southpaw Hyun Jin Ryu. That said, Ryu has finished second and third in the race a Cy Young Award in each of the last two seasons. He'll look to open the year with a strong start as well.

George Springer isn't available for the Blue Jays since he's starting the season on the injured list with an oblique strain. He was on the field during Wednesday's workout with his teammates, though.

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First inning

Talk about setting the tone, Gerrit Cole was magnificent in the first. Needed just 12 pitches to get through a perfect first frame with one strikeout.

Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks both strikeout as New York goes quietly in the bottom half of the first.

Second inning

There goes the shutout for Gerrit Cole. Three hits in a row to start the inning (and an RBI single from Lourdes Gurriel Jr.) gives the Jays a 1-0 lead. Cole settled down and retired the next three batters, however, to get out of the inning.

New York responds with two runs in the bottom of the second, both coming on one swing. Gary Sánchez goes yard in his first at-bat of the season, setting the tone for what could be a bounce back year.

Sixth inning

No runs have come across since the second for either team. Gerrit Cole is coming out to pitch the sixth as Chad Green begins warming in the Yankees' bullpen.

Just like that, this game is tied at two. Teoscar Hernández crushes a no-doubter to deep left field off Cole. After walking the next batter he faced, Aaron Boone pulls the ace. He threw 97 pitches, but won't be in line for the win after the solo shot.

Chad Green comes in and only needed one pitch to get out of the inning. It's 2-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth.

Ninth inning

After Jonathan Loaisiga pitched a scoreless eighth, Darren O'Day came in and got New York through a scoreless top of the ninth. If New York wins this game, it'll be on a walk-off.

New York came oh so close to winning this game in the ninth, getting a runner to third base with one out in the frame. Mike Tauchman (who came in as a pinch-runner) was mowed down at home plate, attempting to score on a ground ball in the infield.

We're going to extra innings at Yankee Stadium.

Tenth inning

That was quick. Right-hander Nick Nelson allows a double to right off the bat of Randal Grichuk on the second pitch he threw. With the automatic runner starting at second base in extras, Toronto is able to take a 3-2 lead.

FINAL: Yankees 2, Blue Jays 3

Yankees go down quietly in the 10th as New York falls on Opening Day, 3-2. The Yankees left 10 runners on base in the loss, striking out 13 times.

Friday is an off day for New York, but the Yankees will look to even their record and bounce back with a win in Game 2 on Saturday.