Yankees 15, Braves 4: Didi Gregorius' big night leads Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees to victory

The Braves are not a very good baseball team this year, thus it is really ideal that the Yankees took the first game of this three game series by a score of 15-4. Yes, you read that correctly. The Yankees' offense scored fifteen runs. In one game.

The Bronx Bombers' bats got off to an early start against Braves pitcher Williams Perez. After Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner were retired, Carlos Beltran began a two-out rally in the top of the 1st. Brian McCann and Greg Bird would both draw walks to load the bases, then Chase Headley hit a ground-rule double to bring in two runs. Didi Gregorius, who would have himself quite a day, followed Headley with a three run home run over the right field wall to give the Yankees an early 5-0 lead. Those five runs would be the only runs they would need to win the ballgame, however there's nothing wrong with a little insurance.

In the top of the 2nd inning, another two-out offensive rally would occur. Gardner and Beltran would start this rally with a pair of singles. Brian McCann drew his second walk of the game and that would be all for Williams Perez. Ross Detwiler came in and had just about as much control as Perez did. Both Bird and Headley walked to force in two runs before Sir Didi knocked in another two runs with a single. Then, in what would normally be considered the absolute boldest of strategies, Stephen Drew was intentionally walked to load the bases for Tanaka. It's funny, especially when you consider that Tanaka had much better at bats than Drew did all night long.

Tanaka struggled early in the game. His first inning of work was a cause for concern, even with a five run lead. A single, a walk, another single, and a sacrifice fly and suddenly the Yankees were only up 5-2. Outside of that first inning though, Tanaka sailed through the rest of the game. He would only give up two more hits the rest of his evening, one of which was a home run to Freddie Freeman. He hits home runs. Tanaka would go seven innings, giving up three runs and five hits while walking one and striking out seven. Pretty sure the Yankees will take that kind of start from him most of the time.

Back to the offense, since the fun did not stop in the first two innings. In the top of the 8th, the Yankees would tack on another four runs because that's when I started to write this recap. Brian McCann, in his welcome back to Atlanta game, would hit a three run dinger to give the Yankees a 12-3 lead.  Chase Headley hit his second ground-rule double of the night and Didi Gregorius would continue his offensive day with a single, driving in his 6th RBI of the night. He was the first Yankee shortstop in history to drive in six runs in one game. More like Sir Didi Greglorious, amirite? Ahem, moving on.

In the top of the 9th, Jonny Gomes of the position player variety, would come in to pitch for Atlanta. Chris Young welcomed him to the mound with a solo shot for the 14th run of the game. A couple of doubles from John Ryan Murphy and Gardner, followed by a sac fly from McCann made the score 15-3. Then, because this game and all of baseball needed this to happen, Bryan Mitchell came in to bat. I'll just quote Pinstripe Alley's own Matt Ferenchick here.

An NL position player pitching to an AL pitcher is the greatest thing I've seen this season.

— Matt Ferenchick (@MattF15) August 29, 2015

Nothing else after that really mattered, but it was nice to see Bryan Mitchell on the mound again after that scary hit he took in his start against the Twins. The Yankees would go on to win game one of this series by a final score of 15-4. It was a welcome breath of fresh air to see this offense hitting and scoring runs again. Tomorrow's game will begin at 7PM, and it will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. Huzzah. Luis Severino will face off against Matt Wisler.

We now await a victory tweet from Sir Didi, the Yankees best twitter personality.

Updated:

#spreadthenews Yankees W overall good game

— Sir Didi Gregorius (@DidiG18) August 29, 2015

Kinda modest there, good sir.

Box score

Highlights

Sir Didi's glorious night

Didifense

Headley's two run ground-rule double

A nice ovation from the Atlanta crowd for McCann

Ellsbury's 1st inning, run saving catch

Tanaka Time in Atlanta