SAN FRANCISCO – The Yankees are known for the long ball and boasting the best hitter in the game.
They got neither a home run nor anything from Aaron Judge and still got plenty from a deep lineup to take down Giants ace Logan Webb and secure their fifth straight win on Opening Day.
In a span of 10 pitches in the top of the second inning, the Yankees went from having no one on to leading by five runs, an instant rally that along with a strong outing from Max Fried fueled a 7-0 win over the Giants at a packed and picturesque Oracle Park.
When the Yankees were charged with running it back this offseason, perhaps there should have been more emphasis on the “run” — as in returning the same lineup that led the majors in runs last year.
They got a head start on defending that feat Wednesday night, even on a night when Judge — the only starter without a hit — went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.
Fried, who survived a rocky first inning, settled in once he was given a 5-0 lead to work with and cruised through 6 1/3 shutout innings.
The left-hander retired 18 of the final 20 batters he faced, getting better as the night went on as he began to reprise his role as the Yankees’ ace while they await the return of Gerrit Cole.
The Yankees still have 161 games to go — and, they hope, October on top of that — to prove that doubling down on their roster was the right call after flaming out in the ALDS last year.
But at least for Game 1, they used a familiar formula — a 10-hit attack and even stronger starting pitching — to get their season off on the right foot.