Imagine if the Yankees could finish a season the way that this one started.
There is a natural tendency to overstate the meaning of every MLB game — especially the first one in a 162-game marathon.
But there is no way to exaggerate the significance of what the Yankees did on Opening Day, overcoming a four-run deficit Thursday to beat the Astros, 5-4, after new right fielder Juan Soto threw out the potential tying run at home plate in the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park.
After all the torment caused by the Astros in ending the Yankees’ 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022 seasons in the playoffs, beating the new archnemesis is a big deal whether it happens on March 28, June 15 or Sept. 1. Because it only builds confidence in the minds of players and fans alike that the same thing can happen in October this time around.
