Bronx Bombers take 2 of 3 from Wallbangers

Game 1: Bosio vs. Stottlemyre (Yankee Stadium)
The Yankees came out storming with a leadoff home run by Dave Winfield, followed by single by Phil Rizutto then a tape measure two-run shot from Mickey Mantle. Thus the first three Yankee batters all scored. Eight men came to the plate in the first but no further damage to the scoreboard was done. A BJ Surhoff solo homer in the top of the fifth was answered in the bottom of the inning by a two-run blast from “the Hitman” Don Mattingly. The Brewers attempted another comeback in the sixth by way of a two-run shot by Cecil Cooper, but the Yanks got two two right back in the bottom of the inning. Ed Lopat came in in relief and the Yankees cruised the rest of the way to win on Opening Day by a final score of 8-3.

Game 2: Higuera vs. Ford
The Brewers came out roaring as Rob Deer smashed a three run  homer in the first off “the Chairman of the Board”, Whitey Ford. Ford would settle down and give up nothing more through five and a third innings. The Yankees didn't go down without a fight, gradually climbing back to within 3-2 after seven. Deer hit another home run in the top of eighth, a solo shot off Ralph Terry in relief. But an RBI single by “The Yankee Clipper” Joe DiMaggio brought New York back to within one.  Dan Plesac shut the Yankees down in the ninth to post the save that preserved a 4-3 Brewers win.

Game 3: Colborn vs, Peterson
The two teams traded shots in the first inning, with a sac fly RBI by Robin Yount matched with an RBI single from Don Mattingly. Paul Molitor hit a solo shot in the third, only to be answered with an RBI triple from Joe DiMaggio. Molitor picked up an RBI single in the fifth to give Milwaukee the lead. But Jim Colborn walked in a run in the form of Mickey Mantle to tie the game, and Donnie Baseball followed that up with an RBI single. Ben Oglivie brought the Brewers within a run in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to catch up and the Yankees went on to a 5-4 win. Dave Winfield, who is hitting .091, was sat down in the bottom of the eighth and pinch-hit for by Rickey Henderson, who had a base hit and promptly stole second only to end the inning on a base running gaffe on the part of the manager (sent to third at an unwise time) that fortunately did not prove pivotal.

--submitted by Michael Hopcroft (NYY)--