Gameday Post #3: Tampa Bay Rays 3, Yankees 0

NOTE: Due to Easter Mass, I didn’t have time to do a pregame post. So this will be a post-game wrap-up.

Thank goodness the Knicks pulled out an overtime win against the Bulls today.

Obviously, this is not how anybody envisioned the Yankees’ season to start. Jeremy Hellickson was on his game from the word “Go!” as he shut down the Yankees offense and outpitched Phil Hughes en route to a 3-0 Rays win. It capped off a three-game sweep for Tampa to kick off the 2012 MLB season. Hughes himself wasn’t bad at all — he only allowed two earned runs in 4 2/3 IP. He was consistent with his velocity, routinely hitting the mid-90′s with his fastball, but was not economical with his 99 pitches. Hellickson was just that much better. The reigning Rookie of the Year was phenomenal in his start, throwing 8 2/3 innings of shutout ball. The Yankees offense mustered only three hits, all doubles from Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher.

Now I know people are prone to panicking over an 0-3 start. But it’s important to remember two things:

1. If there’s anything that the game of baseball teaches you, it’s the old adage “Patience is a virtue.” There are 159 more games to go,Yankee fans. No team goes 0-162 in a season, the same way no team goes 162-0. It’s all cliche, I know, but it definitely rings true. Which leads me to this …
2. Remember the 1998 Yankees? You know, the team that won 114 games and the World Series? They started 0-3. Just sayin’ …

Bottom line is this: the season is far from over, everyone. Let’s not hit the panic button yet after three games, okay? They on their way to Baltimore with Ivan Nova making his season debut against Brian Matusz tomorrow. They’ll win at least one of these next three games. The Bombers just have to put this last series behind them and move on the next one.

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