There are nights when the Yankees grind and there are nights when they make baseball look stupid easy. Friday in Sacramento was firmly the second kind. Paul Goldschmidt jumped Luis Severino early, Carlos Rodon settled in, and by the middle innings the only suspense at Sutter Health Park was which Yankee was going deep next.
Goldschmidt got the party started by taking Severino over the wall to put the Yankees up 1-0.
Severino, of course, is the ex-Yankee now wearing the green and gold, and his old teammates did not exactly roll out a warm welcome. By the time the first inning was over the score was already lopsided, and Hubbs was happily reminding the night owls that staying up for a Pacific time game can occasionally pay off.
Some early RISP success in the 1st rewarded anyone east of the Mississippi who refused to go to bed.
The Athletics did get one moment of life when Nick Kurtz reminded everyone he has light-tower power, taking Rodon deep in the bottom half. But that was about it for the A's offense. Rodon cruised the rest of the way, and the Yankees lineup just kept adding floors to the building.
Ben Rice kept the pile-on going with a homer off Suarez to push it to 5-1.
Then came the tell. When Ryan McMahon, a lefty pull-hitter the Yankees acquired to stabilize the hot corner, yanked one out to right, you knew the baseball gods had picked a side. Pulled homers from McMahon are the kind of thing that only happens when everything is breaking your way.
A pulled McMahon shot is the universal sign that it's just your night.
Rice wasn't done either. He came back up later and absolutely obliterated a pitch from Barlow, 411 feet into the berm, the kind of swing that makes you wonder why anyone is throwing him a strike right now. Cruz turned a double play to wipe out the only inning that had any real teeth to it, and that was the ballgame.
Hubbs summed up the whole vibe of the night when it was over.
Very enjoyable late night game. Goldy set the tone early. Rodon cruised. Rice dominated. Mac pulled a homer. Cruz defused the only real trouble with a cool double play. Hot take but I like when they make baseball look easy
Goldy setting the tone, Rodon eating innings, Rice locked in, McMahon pulling one out, Cruz cleaning up the one mess. There aren't many nights in a 162-game season where every box gets checked and the only stress is keeping your eyes open. The Yankees got one of them in Sacramento.