Rain delays and doubleheaders are becoming the norm for the New York Yankees through the young season. Even before Nestor Cortes threw the first pitch just after 1:07 p.m. on Thursday there were concerns that both games would be played.
Wednesday’s postponement marked the fifth instance that the Bombers had to wait to face an opponent and Thursday’s split admission doubleheader with the Los Angeles Angels was the third they’ve had to play in the last four weeks. While it may not be the Yankees favorite thing to deal with, it’s the territory that comes with the game, manager Aaron Boone said.
And it makes game planning for Boone a bit more tedious.
“Every situation is unique,” the Yankees skipper said before the first game. “I think it’s part of being a baseball player as far as you kind of live this experience if you’re not playing somewhere where it doesn’t rain or you don’t have a roof. It’s just part of being a ballplayer. You have to make these adjustments, at some point that’s coming. It’s going to add a doubleheader here, so depending on where you are roster-wise, injury-wise, who needs a day. All these things, how it jumbles up your pitching.
“You just stay ready for that and try and make the best decisions you can.”
Boone opted to keep Cortes in his spot in the rotation for the first game to go head-to-head with Shohei Ohtani of the Angels. Even with the possibility of stoppages and starts throughout the afternoon due to the weather, Boone said he never gave changing things up a second thought.
Boone said prior to the first pitch that he hadn’t heard a ton about the weather.
“Hopefully it can hold off for us here in this day game and break up and move out and give us a chance to get these two in,” Boone said. “We’ll see what happens.”
The weather report has been more promising for the Yankees’ weekend series with the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
