Results tagged ‘ Zoilo Almonte ’

‘Key Three’ Inspire Yankees To Victory Over Phils

GAME 18

YANKEES 6, PHILLIES 2

TAMPA  -  So much of the early weeks of spring were filled with such bad news for the Yankees but on Wednesday night a page seemed to turn and it all of it centers around the presence of the team’s “Key Three.”

Andy Pettitte threw three-plus innings his spring debut, Derek Jeter played shortstop for the first since his ankle injury last October and Mariano Rivera pitched another perfect inning as New York flexed its collective muscle to down Philadelphia at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Pettitte (1-0) gave up one run on four hits and three walks while striking out three to pick up the victory. An uncharacteristically out-of-sync Cliff Lee (0-1) took the loss after giving up five runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings.

In addition to Lee’s inability to command his breaking pitches, the Phillies did not help his cause by committing four errors behind him.

The surprise hitting star of the night was the newly acquired Ben Francisco, who laced a two-run double to the wall in centerfield with two out in the first inning to score the Yankees’ first runs. Francisco batted fifth and played rightfield.

With the victory the Yankees have now reeled off four straight victories and they are 7-11 in Grapefruit League play. The Phillies dropped to 7-10.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Although Pettitte’s outing was less than stellar, there were some positives. He wriggled out of a two-on, two-out situation in the first by getting Domonic Brown on a flyout. And after giving up a two-out RBI single up the middle to Brown in the third, he retired Darin Ruf on a great play by third baseman Kevin Youkilis and a great stretch by first baseman Juan Rivera. Petitte’s command was off but it was not a bad 58-pitch first effort in spring.
  • Francisco has a great opportunity to make the club and his debut could not have been better. Francisco was hitting .400 and he had six doubles when he was released on Monday by the Cleveland Indians at his request. With Rivera seemingly looking like the team’s replacement first baseman for Mark Teixeira, Francisco could emerge as the starting leftfielder until Curtis Granderson returns in mid-May.
  • It is easy to overlook Ichiro Suzuki but opposing teams are learning that is unwise. Suzuki was 2-for-3 with a run scored, a stolen base and a key two-out RBI single in the second inning. For those fans and so-called experts who think Suzuki is over the hill at age 39 listen to this: He is hitting .462 this spring, which leads the team.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Pettitte gave up a run in the third inning which broke the Yankees’ earned run scoreless inning streak at 30 innings. Before that the last earned run the Yankees had allowed was on March 9 when Jim Miller allowed a ninth-inning run on a Jordan Parraz sacrifice fly in 2-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

BOMBER BANTER

Just before Wednesday’s game the Yankees announced three roster moves. They optioned outfielder Zoilo Almonte, infielder Corban Joseph and right-hander Adam Warren to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Almonte, a 23-year-old switch-hitter with power, had an outside shot to make the team after Granderson’s injury on Feb. 24. But Almonte has not played above the Double-A level and the Yankees would like to see him continue to develop at Scranton.

ON DECK

The Yankees will travel to Dunedin, FL on Thursday to square off with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jose Ramirez, a 23-year-old who has been the best young pitcher the Yankees have showcased this spring, will make his third start. He will be opposed by newly acquired right-hander Josh Johnson.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will not be telecast.

 

Yankees Eclipse Rays Behind Three-Run Eighth

GAME 17

YANKEES 3, RAYS 1

Ivan Nova and Alex Cobb set the tone for the afternoon by matching zeros early and the Bobby Wilson’s two-run single in the top of the eighth inning helped allow the Yankees break through in this pitchers’ duel as New York downed Tampa Bay on Tuesday at Charlotte Sports Complex In Port Charlotte, FL.

Nova, who is vying along with David Phelps for the No. 5 starting spot for the Yankees, tossed four shutout innings and gave up four hits while striking out two batters.  His mound opponent, Cobb, pitched five shutout innings and gave up two hits and struck out six.

The game remained scoreless until the eighth when the Yankees got a leadoff single from Francisco Cervelli and a one-out single from Thomas Neal off Dane De La Rosa (0-1). Slade Heathcott followed with a potential double-play ball that Rays shortstop Hak-Ju Lee botched for an error that allowed Walter Ibarra – pinch-running for Cervelli – to score the game’s first run.

Wilson then followed with a sharp single to left to score Neal and Heathcott.

The Rays scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning off right-hander Brett Marshall (1-0), which broke the Yankees’ 25-inning scoreless streak. However, the Yankees still have not given up an earned run in 27 innings and they have allowed only two earned runs over their last 41 innings.

Matt Tracy pitched a scoreless ninth to earn a save.

With the victory, their third in a row, the Yankees improved their spring ledger to 6-11. The Rays fell to 11-7.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Though Nova held the Rays scoreless he needed a lot of help from his defense to do it. Melky Mesa made a outstanding back-handed grab at the wall in center off Rays leadoff hitter Desmond Jennings in the first inning. In addition, Nova had to wriggle out of a major jam in the fourth. Kelly Johnson laced a single to right that Zoilo Almonte bobbled to allow Johnson to reach second. Johnson then advanced to third on a Leslie Anderson single. But Ryan Roberts lined out to third baseman Jayson Nix, Cervelli threw out Anderson as he attempted to take second and Nova struck out Sean Rodriguez swinging to end the threat.
  • In addition to throwing out Anderson in the fourth, Cervelli also threw out Mike Fontenot attempting to take second in the first. In both cases, Cervelli partially blocked pitches in the dirt and threw out both runners because they thought the ball had rolled to the backstop. Cervelli is solidifying his candidacy for the starting catching spot with his defense and throwing.
  • Neal, 25, was 2-for-3 in the game and has quietly raised his spring average to .333 with a homer and three RBIs. Neal was signed as a free agent out the Cleveland Indians organization and he is a non-roster invitee to camp. He has virtually no chance of making the 25-man roster but he could be valuable as a future call-up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • The Yankees continue to commit errors in bunches. They were charged with three but only Ronnier Mustelier’s error in the eighth hurt. The other errors were charged to shortstop Eduardo Nunez and Almonte. For Nunez it is only his second error of the spring and both have been on throws.
  • Travis Hafner continues to struggle mightily at the plate this spring. Hafner was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and all came looking. Hafner is hitting .167 with no homers, one RBI and seven strikeouts thus far in spring. It is true that Raul Ibanez struggled through spring training in 2012 and ended up having a great season for the Yankees. But Hafner is either be pressing or may be taking things for granted since he has a major-league contract.
  • Though Mesa is playing excellent defense and he has been hitting for power this spring, he is in a bit of a hitting funk. He was 0-for-4 in the game is his spring average has dipped to .194. Even with all that, Mesa has a great chance to make the team as a spare outfielder because he is such a great defensive outfielder.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees’ decision to sign veteran outfielder Ben Francisco does not bode well for the hopes of non-roster invitee Matt Diaz. Francisco, 31, will make his first start in left-field with the Yankees on Wednesday. Diaz, 35, is hitting only .190 with no homers and two RBIs  Francisco, meanwhile, was hitting .400 with six doubles for the Indians when he requested his release so he could sign with the Yankees.

ON DECK

The Yankees will play host host to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Fans who plan to attend the game will see two important debuts. Left-hander Andy Pettitte will make his first start of the spring and Derek Jeter is expected to shortstop for the first time.

The Phillies will start left-hander Cliff Lee.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be telecast live by the YES Network and on tape delay by the MLB Network.

 

2 Yankee Errors Hand Cardinals Walk-Off Victory

GAME 12

CARDINALS  7, YANKEES 6

I am fully aware that the players the Yankees are playing this spring are not the players who who will be playing for the team on April 1. But these players seem to have a great knack for snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.

After the Yankees took a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, right-hander Kelvin Perez served up a two-run homer to Kolten Wong.  Then Zoilo Almonte and Dan Johnson committed a pair of errors that allowed Adron Chambers to single in the winning run off left-hander Josh Spence as St. Louis came from behind to down New York in walk-off fashion on Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL.

Despite the fact he gave up an RBI single to Ramon Flores and an RBI double to J.R. Murphy in the top of ninth, Edward Mujica (1-0) was credited with a victory. Perez (0-1) was saddled with the loss.

Although he was not as sharp as his first outing, right-hander Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and threw three innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk and striking out two.

The Yankees’ Grapefruit League record slipped to 3-9. The Cardinals are now 6-5.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Francisco Cervelli continues to shine this spring. Inserted as the designated hitter and batting fourth – that is not a typo – Cervelli was 1-for- 2 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI single. Cervelli is hitting a respectable .286 this spring and is showing off a fine arm behind the plate having nailed 5 of 6 attempted base-stealers. 
  • Cervelli’s catching competition did not let him get too far ahead of them. Chris Stewart stroked a one-out ground-rule double in the sixth and is hitting .308 so far. Rookie backstop Austin Romine entered the game in the seventh and ripped an RBi single that tied the game in the eighth. Romine is also hitting .286.
  • Matt Tracy, a 24-year-old left-hander, was the only Yankee pitcher not to surrender a run or hit. He pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. It was Tracy’s first outing this spring and it came against his hometown team. Tracy was born in St. Louis.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Johnson is in competition with Juan Rivera for taking Mark Teixeira’s place at first base while he is out for the next 10 weeks. He is already proving he is not even in Teixeira’s league as a fielder. Johnson’s botch of a routing grounder followed Almonte’s drop of a routine fly ball. Both errors cost the Yankees the game. The question is when will manager Joe Girardi start laying down the law on the rash of errors this spring?
  • Brett Marshall came in after Nova in the fourth and recorded two shutout innings. Unfortunately he pitched four innings. Marshall was tagged for a solo home run in the fifth by Pete Kozma and a two-run blast in the seventh by Daniel Descaiso. Those two players have combined to hit a total of seven major-league homer runs. Marshall, 22, is still considered one the Yankees’ best young minor-league starters.
  • Brett Gardner took a rare 0-for-3  with a strikeout and a walk. The leadoff walk in the first inning was erased quickly when Gardner was picked off first base by starting pitcher Joe Kelly. Even with the 0-for-3 day Gardner is still hitting .500 this spring.

BOMBER BANTER

The Yankees have scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field where future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera is expected to announce his plans to retire at the end of the 2013 season. Rivera, 43, was hinting that he was planning to retire after the 2012 season but he suffered a knee injury in May that required surgery and he missed the rest of the season. Rivera is also scheduled to make his 2013 spring debut the same day when the Yankees play host to the Atlanta Braves.  . . .  In a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Teixeira expressed relief that his injured right wrist will not require surgery and is hopeful that he can come back to play by mid-May or sooner. Teixeira suffered a strained right wrist swinging a weighted bat in Arizona prior to a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Chicago White Sox.  . . .  Shortstop Derek Jeter has been cleared by the Yankees’ medical staff to begin full baseball activities. It is unclear when Jeter will be able to play in a spring training game.  . . .  The Yankees’ infirmary is in need of a major expansion. Girardi said Thursday that left-hander Clay Rapada has been shut down indefinitely with bursitis in his left shoulder. He joins Boone Logan (sore left elbow) and David Robertson (sore right shoulder) on the sidelines while starting right-hander Phil Hughes is rehabbing a bulging disk in his upper back.

ON DECK

The Yankees are staying in Jupiter overnight so they can play an exhibition on Friday against the Miami Marlins.

Right-hander Adam Warren will start for the Yankees. He will be opposed by Nathan Eovaldi.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will not be telecast.

 

Cano Helps Lead Dominicans Past Ailing Yankees

EXHIBITION GAME

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 8, YANKEES 2

The Yankees got a glimpse of what life might be with Robinson Cano in another uniform on Wednesday and they did like what they saw.

Cano slashed an RBI single to rightfield to score Jose Reyes in the fifth inning and the Dominican Republic went on to roll past New York in an exhibition game at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Cano was not the only Yankee to hurt his team. Left-hander Vidal Nuno (1-0), who was loaned to the Dominican Republic because they were short on pitchers, tossed four innings of no-hit, no-run baseball to get credit for the victory. Reliever Codty Eppley took the loss.

The Yankees were held hitless in the game until the bottom of the seventh, when Zoilo Almonte followed a walk by Atahualpa Severino to Dan Johnson with a line-drive into the right-field bleachers for his second home run of the spring.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Hiroki Kuroda started his second game of the spring and pitched sensational. Kuroda gave up no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out four in his three innings of work. Kuroda threw 44 pitches and 30 were strikes for a percentage of 68 percent. Kuroda basically got ahead of the hitters and finished them off with his split-finger fastball.
  • Almonte, 23, is making as big an impression this spring as he did last spring. He is batting .500 and the switch-hitting outfielder has two home runs and four RBIs. Though it is unlikely he will be allowed to make the jump past Triple-A to the big-league roster, he could become a factor next season.
  • During the course of the game no Yankee starters were injured. Of course, the lineup the Yankees featured had only four potential starters in Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner, Francisco Cervelli and Juan Rivera. The funny thing is the only starter who was with the team last season was reserve infielder Jayson Nix. Eduardo Nunez and Cervelli played most of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Either the pitchers the Yankees are facing are so good that they can’t get hits off them or the hitters are so bad they couldn’t hit anyone. In the last two days the Yankees have scored two runs on seven hits. I am beginning to lean toward the latter explanation.
  • Yankee third basemen continue to field the position like butchers. Johnson came in the game as a replacement in the sixth inning and made two errors. That means third basemen have now committed 13 of the 21 errors the Yankees have been charged with in 12 games. Ouch!
  • Relievers Eppley, Clay Rapada and Jim Miller combined to give up five runs on six hits and six WALKS in just 2 2/3 innings and they were the reason the game turned into a rout. Of course, specialists like Eppley are Rapada are more exposed in their spring outings because Eppley is pitching to more lefties than he normally would and Rapada faces more righties than he would during the season.

BOMBER BANTER

If you are die-hard Yankee fan and you are fed up with the bad news concerning the injuries the team is suffering please do not read any further. Mark Teixeira has strained tendon in his right wrist and he will miss eight to 10 weeks. Teixeira was examined in New York by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and hand specialist Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser. Teixeira has been advised to rest his wrist completely for four weeks. Teixiera suffered the injury on Tuesday in Arizona preparing for a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Chicago White Sox. The Gold Glove first baseman felt a “pop” in his wrist while taking batting practice. He will be unable to play for Team USA in the WBC and now faces the prospect of missing the first seven weeks of the regular season.  . . .  Reliever David Robertson had to be scratched from a scheduled appearance on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves because of soreness in his right shoulder. Robertson attributed the problem to sleeping awkwardly on the shoulder the night before and he listed as day-to-day.

ON DECK

The Yankees will take to the road on Thursday for a game in Jupiter, FL, against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Right-hander Ivan Nova will make his second start of the spring for the Yankees. He will be opposed by right-hander Joe Kelly.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will not be telecast but will be available live on WCBS and MLB Radio.

 

Yankees Launch Opening Volley In Red Sox Rivalry

GAME 10

YANKEES 5, RED SOX 2

It hardly can be called a Yankee-Red Sox rivalry without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz playing can it? Well, whatever it was, New York managed to fire the first salvo across the bow in the 2013 season with a victory over Boston in a Grapefruit League game played on Sunday at JetBlue Field in Fort Myers, FL.

Eduardo Nunez keyed a three-run sixth inning with an RBI single and Yankee pitchers only allowed four hits as they came from behind to defeat the Red Sox.

Jose Ramirez (1-0) pitched three shutout innings to earn credit for the victory, Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan (0-1) was the losing pitcher  - although two fielding errors by third baseman Drew Sutton led to all three Yankee runs in the sixth being unearned.

The Yankees began the sixth trailing 1-0 on the strength of a leadoff home run by Mike Napoli in the second inning and five dominant shutout innings from starter Ryan Dempster and relievers Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller.

But Corban Joseph started the frame with a one-out, broken-bat single. Bobby Wilson then reached on the first of Sutton’s two errors and Hanrahan walked Brett Gardner to load the bases.

Nunez then stroked a single into right-field to tie the game at 1-1. Jayson Nix then scored Wilson on a RBI fielder’s choice and Gardner scored when Sutton was unable to glove a shot off the bat of Juan Rivera.

The Yankees added a single run in the eighth on a two-out double by Jose Pirela and an RBI double by J.R. Murphy. They added another run in the ninth on a leadoff home run by Thomas Neal.

With the victory the Yankees are now 3-7 this spring and the Red Sox dropped to 5-5.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Though starter Adam Warren did give up the home run to Napoli, he was extremely sharp otherwise. The 26-year-old right-hander surrendered only the one hit and walked one while striking out two batters. Warren has opened the spring with a sparkling 1.80 ERA. In fact, Warren set the tone for the day because Ramirez followed with his three shutout innings and Chase Whitley, Preston Claiborne and Josh Spence combined to keep the Red Sox off the board until the ninth inning.
  • Nunez is making a strong bid to make the team with his clutch hitting and improved fielding. Nunez had hit into a double play and ground out in his first two at-bats before slapping a bases-loaded single just past a diving attempt of second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Nunez may only be hitting .176 this spring but he has committed just one throwing error. That deserves kudos because Nunez has been shaky in the field throughout his career.
  • Murphy continues to impress with his hitting this spring. He was 1-for-2 in the game and he is now hitting .500 with a home run and three RBIs in limited playing time. Murphy, 21, is catcher but he is overlooked because of prospects like Austin Romine and 20-year-old Gary Sanchez.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Melky Mesa had been having a fine spring until Sunday. He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and one of the punchouts came with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. Mesa is now hitting .222 but he still leads the team with two home runs this spring. Mesa is bidding to make the team as either the replacement for Curtis Granderson while he recovers from a broken right forearm or as a reserve outfielder.
  • Right-hand reliever Kelvin Perez made it more interesting than it had to be in the ninth inning. Perez entered the inning with a 5-1 lead and gave up two walks and uncorked a wild pitch to allow a run to score before retiring the last three batters to end the game.
  • Errors have been killing the Yankees all spring and they made two more on Sunday. But the real culprits have been the third baseman. After third baseman Rob Segedin committed an error in the eighth, Yankee third basemen now have combined to make nine of the 17 errors the Yankees have been charged with in their first 10 games. They don’t call it the hot corner for nothing.

BOMBER BANTER

Ichiro Suzuki was able to avoid injury after his sports utility vehicle was totaled in a car crash in Tampa on Saturday. Suzuki was traveling south on Dale Mabry Highway at about 4 p.m. EST when his Land Rover was struck by a vehicle attempting to turn left from West Kennedy Boulevard about three miles from George M. Steinbrenner Field. Suzuki emerged from the vehicle unhurt and the driver of the other car was cited by the Tampa Police Department for failure to yield. Suzuki was not scheduled for the trip to play the Red Sox and he is not expected to miss any Grapefruit League action.  . . .  Manager Joe Girardi said on Sunday that when Granderson returns to the team he will play centerfield and Gardner will stay in leftfield. Girardi had planned to shift Granderson to leftfield this spring but he was struck in the right forearm by a pitch from J.A. Happ of the Blue Jays in his first at-bat of the spring. He will miss about 10 weeks. Girardi believes it would be too much to ask Granderson to adapt to left during the regular season. Girardi said if Mesa makes the team and starts for the Yankees that he will play center. However, Gardner will play center if the any of the other candidates win the job (Zoilo Almonte, Matt Diaz, Ronnier Mustelier or Juan Rivera).  . . .  Left-hander Andy Pettitte and closer Mariano Rivera threw simulated games on Sunday at the Yankees’ spring complex in Tampa, FL. Rivera threw 21 pitches and Pettitte threw 34. Neither pitcher has appeared in a spring game but both said they are on track to pitch in a game soon.  . . .  Phil Hughes began throwing again on Sunday as part of his rehab work after discovering a bulging disk in his upper back on Feb. 18. Hughes, 26, threw 25 tosses at about 60 feet and he pronounced it a “positive first step.”  . . .  An MRI on left-hander Boone Logan’s left elbow showed minor inflammation and he is expected to be back on the mound sometime within this week.

ON DECK

The Yankees will have a day off from exhibition games on Monday.

They will resume their schedule on Tuesday by playing host to the Atlanta Braves.

David Phelps will make his third start of the spring for the Yankees. Left-hander Paul Maholm will start for the Braves, which will make it a rematch of the opener of the Yankees’ spring schedule on Feb. 23 at Champion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

Game-time will be 7:05 p.m. EST – the Yankees’ first home night game this spring – and the game will be televised live by the YES Network and on tape delay by the MLB Network.

NOTE: In my previous post I indicated that Sunday’s Yankees-Red Sox game would be broadcast by WCBS Radio in New York. This was incorrect information that was listed in the yankees.com web site’s 2013 Broadcast Schedule. I apologize for any inconvenience. The game only was broadcast by WEEI in Boston, which also was available on MLB Radio.

 

 

Nova Shines As Yanks Maul Tigers To Snap Skid

GAME 9

YANKEES 10, TIGERS (SS) 3

TAMPA  -  It was as if Yankees manager Joe Girardi was getting just as tired of all the losing as the fans so he played pretty much all of his starters against an inexperienced Tigers split squad on Saturday. The result was an end to a horrific seven-game losing streak.

Ivan Nova pitched two scoreless innings in his spring debut and Chris Stewart cracked a two-run home run in the fourth inning to break a 2-2 tie as New York blasted Detroit on a chilly and windy day at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Nova (1-0) gave up just an infield hit and struck out one in his effort to claim the No. 5 spot in the rotation. The 26-year-old right-hander threw 22 of his 27 pitches for strikes and looked extremely sharp in his first outing.

Left-hander Kyle Lobstein (0-1), who gave up the tie-breaking home run to Stewart, took the loss.

The Yankees are now 2-7 in Grapefruit League play. The Tigers are 3-5.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Nova, it would appear at first blush, has put behind a 2012 spring training in which he was 1-2 with an 8.06 ERA and a regular season in which he was 12-8 with a 5.02 ERA. With Phelps 1-0 with 0.00 ERA in his first two spring starts, Nova is serving notice he is not giving up that No. 5 rotation spot without a fight. It is going to be a great competition between the two.
  • Brett Gardner has hit in each of his six spring games and was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored on Saturday. Gardner is hitting a red-hot .571 this spring and doing exactly what a leadoff hitter is supposed to do: Get on base and score runs.
  • Stewart’s home run was his first of the spring and he was 1-for-2 in the game to raise his spring average to .429. Stewart also gunned down Don Kelly attempting to steal in the sixth inning so he is not conceding the starting catching spot to Francisco Cervelli just yet.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Matt Diaz came up with the bases loaded and two out in the third inning against left-hander Kenny Faulk and promptly struck out looking on a 2-2 pitch. Though the pitch may have been close, Diaz should have been ready to protect the plate in that situation and he did not. Diaz, who is seeking to start in left-field while Curtis Granderson is recovering from a broken right forearm, is hitting just .231 so far this spring.
  • Mark Montgomery, 22, walked the leadoff batter in the sixth inning and then gave up a single to Torii Hunter and an RBI single to Andy Dirks that brought the Tigers to within 5-3. But give the team’s top reliever prospect credit for inducing Kelly to hit in fielder’s choice and – after Stewart gunned down Kelly at second – Montgomery struck out Kevin Russo swinging to end the rally.
  • Ichiro Suzuki had an uncharacteristic 0-for-3 day at the plate with a strikeout. Even though Suzuki took the collar he is batting .421 this spring and picking up where he left off from when he joined the Yankees in June last season.

BOMBER BANTER

Outfielder Melky Mesa has decided that he will not play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Mesa, 26, wants to stay with the Yankees to compete for the starting leftfield job. Mesa is the best defensive option among candidates Diaz, Juan Rivera, Zoilo Almonte and Ronnier Mustelier.  . . .  The Yankees have six players participating in the World Baseball Classic: Second baseman Robinson Cano and left-hander Juan Cedeno are playing for the Dominican Republic, infielder Walter Ibarra and infielder Gil Velazquez will play for Mexico, first baseman Mark Teixeira is playing for Team USA and switch-pitcher Pat Venditte will pitch for Italy.  . . .  After Saturday’s game the Yankees sent nine players to their minor-league camp: right-handers Corey Black, Matt Daley, Nick Goody, Shane Greene, Bryan Mitchell, Zach Nuding, Mikey O’Brien and Ryan Pope and infielder Kyle Roller. That leaves the Yankees with 75 players on the roster including injured starters Alex Rodriguez and Granderson.  . . .  The Yankees announced that outfielder Slade Heathcott has a sprained right thumb and left-hander Boone Logan has been shut down with a tender elbow. Neither injury is considered serious.

ON DECK

The Yankees head out on the road to Fort Myers, FL, as the Yankees will tangle with heated rival Boston on Sunday.

Right-hander Adam Warren will start for the Yankees. He will be opposed by veteran Red Sox right-hander Ryan Dempster. Gardner, Rievra and shortstop Eduardo Nunez are scheduled to make the trip.

Game-time will be 1:35 p.m. EST and the game will not be broadcast on television but is available via WCBS Radio.

 

Philly Homers Drive Late Stake In Yankees’ Hearts

GAME 4

PHILLIES 4, YANKEES 3

Domonic Brown blasted a solo home run with one out in the seventh inning and three batters later Tommy Joseph followed with a two-run shot off right-hander Zach Nuding as Philadelphia rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat New York on Tuesday at Bright House Field in Clearwater, FL.

Despite the fact he was tagged by a two-run home run from catcher J.R. Murphy in the top of the seventh inning, Zach Miner (1-0) was credited with the victory. Jeremy Horst escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the ninth to earn a save. Nuding (0-1) was charged with the loss.

The Yankees behind s strong start from right-hander Jose Ramirez kept the Philiies scoreless and with only one hit until the sixth inning when Kevin Frandsen stroked a two-out double off Jim Miller to score Jimmy Rollins with their first run and tied the score 1-1.

The Yankees scored in the first inning on a one-out single by Ichiro Suzuki – one of his three hits in the game – and Mark Teixeira followed a Suzuki stolen base with a RBI double to right.

The Yankees are 1-3 on the young Grapefruit League season while the Phillies won their first game after an 0-3 start.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Other than a walk to Ryan Howard in the second inning, Ramirez was perfect in his spring debut. The 23-year-old right-hander was 7-6 with an excellent 3.19 ERA in 18 starts for High-A Tampa last season with 94 strikeouts in 98 2/3 innings. He is worth keeping an eye on in the future because he throws an excellent change-up and slider. Manager Joe Girardi was raving about him after the game.
  • Suzuki’s 3-for-3 afternoon gives him a .667 average in the early spring. He slapped one single to the opposite field in left and two up the middle. He also looked amazingly spry for his 39 years in stealing a base in the first inning to set up Teixeira’s RBI double.
  • Both relievers David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain made their spring debuts and they each threw a scoreless inning. Chamberlain looked especially sharp in striking out the first two batters he faced.
  • Though Austin Romine is trying to make the team and Gary Sanchez is a several years away, Murphy is a minor-league catcher the Yankees believe is being overlooked. He drew some notice for himself on Tuesday by stroking a 400-foot home run to center in the seventh and he added a 400-foot double off the centerfield fence in the ninth. Murphy had a disappointing season in 2012 in hitting a combined .248 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 110 games between Tampa and Double-A Trenton.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Nuding, 23, was obviously a little out of his element on Tuesday. With one out he missed his location on a fastball and Brown made him pay with a mammoth 450-foot blast. Then with two out he gave up a double to Cody Asche and the game-winning homer to Joseph. Nuding was 8-3 with a 3.89 ERA at Tampa last season.
  • Miller, 30, looked shaky in his second outing of the spring. The two-out double by Frandsen followed a walk to Rollins. Miller was 2-1 with  2.89 ERA in 49 2/3 innings in 33 appearances with the Oakland Athletics last season. He is a longshot to make the team but could provide veteran depth at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
  • The Yankees, once again, had no trouble getting runners on base. They had at least one hit in every inning and ended up with 12 in the game. But they only scored three runs because they did not get a hit that would break the game open. It also did not help they hit into three double plays and committed a batter interference to kill another rally.

BOMBER BANTER

Soon Girardi is going to insist his players stay in hyperbaric chambers after games. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup for precautionary reasons with a sore left oblique. Youkilis, 33, will not require any tests but will re-evaluated in a couple of days. Youkilis said he felt a pain just above his left hip. He thought that it was not serious and said if it were a regular season game he would have been able to play.  . . .  General manager Brian Cashman said the team has no interest in bringing former outfielder Johnny Damon to compete as a potential replacement to the injured Curtis Granderson. Cashman said he no longer sees Damon as a full-time outfielder and he believes that the answer to left-field could be in-house between Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera, Melky Mesa, Zoilo Almonte and Ronnier Mustelier.  . . .  Phil Hughes, who is recovering from a bulging disk in his upper back, continued his aquatic rehab at the Yankees’ minor-league complex on Tuesday and continues to progress, Girardi said. Hughes is expected to resume throwing in about a week.

ON DECK

The Yankees return back home to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL, to face a Baltimore Orioles split squad.

Young left-hander Nik Turley will get the start for the Yankees. Turley, 23, who is compared to Andy Pettitte, was 9-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 21 starts between at Tampa. He will be opposed by veteran right-hander Jake Arrieta.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will be broadcast by the YES Network and on tape delay at 2 a.m. on Thursday by the MLB Network.

 

Yankees Lose Granderson, Game On Gloomy Day

GAME 2

BLUE JAYS 2, YANKEES 0

TAMPA  -  A dark cloud hung over the Yankees before spring training even began as they lost third baseman Alex Rodriguez for half the season due to hip surgery. They opened their home exhibition season on Sunday under a blanket of gloomy dark clouds that hung over George M. Steinbrenner Field throughout the game.

But that was nothing compared to the dark cloud casting a pall over the team upon learning that starting outfielder Curtis Granderson would be lost to the team until mid-May with a fractured right forearm after he was struck by J.A. Happ breaking ball in his very first at-bat of the spring in the first inning.

While the business of spring training will continue manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman will be tasked with trying to find a way to replace Granderson’s 43 home runs on a team that is already missing 109 home runs from last season’s squad.

The game was pretty much academic. The result did not matter.

Emilio Bonifacio followed an Anthony Gose triple with an RBI single in the third inning and Sean Ochinko doubled in a run in the eighth while the Yankees pounded out 11 hits but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base as Toronto blanked New York in front of a crowd of 10,184.

Happ (1-0) gave up three hits in two innings but got credit for the victory. Cody Eppley (0-1) took the loss. Rich Thompson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn a save.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • As far as we know no other Yankee starters were injured in the contest.
  • Kevin Youkilis made his debut in pinstripes and came within about 10 feet of a grand slam home run in the first inning but Jays outfielder Ryan Langerhans made a running catch on the warning track. Youkilis also slapped a screaming line drive to third with two on and two out in the third that was caught by Brett Lawrie. In his final at-bat, Youkilis led off the sixth by sending a drive to the warning track in center that was run down by Gose. That pretty much defined the Yankees’ day.
  • Robinson Cano followed his home run on Saturday with three line drives but he ended up with just one hit because his old pal Melky Cabrera robbed him of a hit in the first with a sliding catch.
  • Adam Warren, 25, started the game and pitched two scoreless and hitless innings. Warren looked sharp with his location and fanned two batters. Though Warren is ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he could be factor later in the season if does well this spring.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Eppley proved why he is a specialist used primarily against right-handers. After striking out the right-handed-hitting Lance Zawadzki, left-handed-hitting Gose tripled and the left-handed-hitting Bonifacio singled him in. Eppley showed why he is exposed as a pitcher when he has to face lefties.
  • Though Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki were on base after three of their six plate appearances neither of them stole a base. Suzuki did attempt a steal in the third inning with Cano up but Cano fouled the pitch off. Neither made another attempt to steal. It would seem that as home run hitters are dropping like flies for the Yankees that running the bases a lot would be a good idea.
  • This game had the look of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers. No home runs, plenty of chances with runners on base but no big hit came. This might be a repeating scenario and we will have to watch it closely this spring.

BOMBER BANTER

Derek Jeter is targeting March 10 for his first spring training action as he recovers from surgery on his fractured left ankle, Cashman said on Sunday. Jeter ran for the first on the infield at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday and he hopes to begin spring play as a designated hitter with an eye on being ready to start at shortstop at home on Opening Day on April 1 against the Boston Red Sox.  .  .  .  With Granderson out of action for 10 weeks the immediate outlook would dictate that non-roster outfielders Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz may now be vying for a starting outfield spot. The Yankees do have minor-league outfielders Zoilo Almonte and Melky Mesa on the 40-man roster but the Yankees may not elect to use either as starters, Almonte has not played above Double-A Trenton. Cashman could also look to engineer a trade but it is pretty clear the Yankees do not want to add much to the current payroll and other teams are going to drive hard bargain because they know the Yankees might be a bit desperate. Not making an offer for the Washington Nationals’ outfielder/first baseman Michael Morse is looking like a real bad move now. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners instead.

ON DECK

The Yankees head to Sarasota, FL, on Monday to face the Baltimore Orioles.

Left-hander Vidal Nuno, 24, will get the start for the Yankees. The Orioles are scheduled to start left-hander Brian Matusz.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will be telecast nationally on tape-delay at 9 p.m. by MLB Network.

 

Almonte, Cano Go Deep As Yankees Chop Braves

GAME 1

YANKEES 8, BRAVES 3

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL  -  Zoilo Almonte smacked a two-run opposite field home run in the third inning and Robinson Cano added a solo opposite-field shot in the fifth inning as New York opened its 2013 Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday with a victory over Atlanta at Champion Field.

David Phelps (1-0) threw two scoreless innings to pick up the victory. Jordan Walden (0-1) took the loss.

Almonte’s home run touched off a four-run inning aided by two Braves errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball. The Braves did narrow the score to 5-3 in the sixth inning on a two-run homer by Evan Gattis, however, the Yankees put the game away in the seventh with a three-run rally keyed by a bases-loaded two-out, two-run single by Austin Romine.

The Yankees are 1-0 while the Braves fell to 0-2.

PINSTRIPE POSITIVES

  • Almonte, 23, made an immediate first impression on manager Joe Girardi with his big home run in the third inning. The switch-hitting outfielder hit 21 home runs last season with Double-A Trenton. Almonte also showed off a terrific arm by throwing out Reed Johnson at third base after he fielded a Freddie Freeman single in the first inning. 
  • Francisco Cervelli, 27, flashed some superior glove work behind the plate by blocking several pitches in the dirt and he helped out Phelps by throwing out Todd Cunningham attempting to steal second base with a perfect peg to Cano in the second inning. Cervelli is battling Chris Stewart and Austin Romine for the starting catching job this spring.
  • Though Phelps, 26, gave up three hits in his two innings of work and he was aided by the throws from Almonte and Cervelli, he still did look sharp. He threw 18 strikes out of his 24 pitches. He also threw first-pitch strikes to seven of the eight batters he faced. Phelps is competing with Ivan Nova for the No. 5 starting spot.

NAGGING NEGATIVES

  • Brett Marshall struggled a bit in his second inning of work. He walked Dan Uggla, surrendered a double to Gattis and Uggla scored on a groundout off the bat of Chris Johnson. Marshall, 22, was 13-7 with a 3.52 ERA at Trenton last season and was the organization’s best minor-league starter. But the right-hander still needs to work on his command.
  • Mikey O’Brien gave up a leadoff single to Freeman and then a one-out homer to Gattis. O’Brien, who will turn 23 on March 3, was a combined 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA between High-A Tampa and Trenton. He also needs a bit of work on command.
  • Corban Joseph committed a fielding error in the third inning on a hard-hit ball off the bat of Christian Bethancourt. But Marshall was able to get out of the inning without giving up a run. Joseph, 24, is primarily a second baseman but he also is being tried out at third this spring.

BOMBER BANTER

Derek Jeter ran on the infield dirt at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL, for the first time since breaking his left ankle last October. ”He ran the bases a bit, slowly,” Girardi said. “He’s at least outside, doing some running, so that’s good.” Jeter has said that he expects to ready to play on Opening Day on April 1 against the Boston Red Sox. In the meantime, Nunez will play shortstop most of the spring and Jeter will be eased into the lineup as a designated hitter.

ON DECK

The Yankees will open their 2013 home Grapefruit League schedule with a contest against a Toronto Blue Jays split squad.

Right-hander Adam Warren, 26, will start for the Yankees. He was 7-8 with a 3.71 ERA in 26 starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season. The Jays will start veteran left-hander J.A. Happ.

New acquisitions third baseman Kevin Youkilis and designated hitter Travis Hafner are scheduled to make their debuts with the team.

Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EST and the game will be broadcast locally by the YES Network and nationally by the MLB Network.

 

Phelps Will Open Spring For Yankees On Saturday

With the first pitch of the Grapefruit League season on Saturday the Yankees are preparing for the game and the rest of the spring schedule. Here is some news, views and notes from Florida regarding the Yankees:

FOR STARTERS

Manager Joe Girardi has chosen right-hander David Phelps to open the spring schedule on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves at Champions Field in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

Phelps, 26, is coming off a rookie season in which he was 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 33 games, 11 of those were starts. Phelps is competing this spring with Ivan Nova for the team’s No. 5 starter spot.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has scheduled left-hander Paul Maholm to pitch against Phelps. The game will begin at 1:05 p.m. EST and there are still tickets available through Ticketmaster.

The Yankees will open their home spring schedule at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Sunday against an American League East rival in the Toronto Blue Jays. This will be a split squad for the Blue Jays.

Girardi has named rookie right-hander Adam Warren to start for the Yankees. Warren, 26, was 7-8 with a 3.71 ERA in 26 starts last season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has selected veteran left-hander J.A. Happ to pitch for the visitors.

The YES Network will broadcast the spring home opener against the Blue Jays beginning at 1:05 p.m. EST.

LACK OF STARS

If you are planning to attend spring training to see the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field and throughout their road schedule, be advised that this spring you will not see whole lot of Yankee stars.

Alex Rodriguez is recovering from hip surgery and is not even in Florida. He is rehabilitating in New York and and is not expected to attend any games.

Derek Jeter is just in the early stages of his recovery from surgery from a fractured left ankle he suffered in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers. Although Jeter has made assurances he will be ready for Opening Day it is unlikely he will play much in the early stages of the spring schedule.

Mark Teixeira will be playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and will not return until the team is eliminated. In addition, Robinson Cano is playing for his home Dominican Republic team in the classic and he will not be around much.

Just feel lucky that catcher Francisco Cervelli reneged on his plan to play for Team Italy and Andy Pettitte also declined an invitation from Team USA.

In addition to the World Baseball Classic, fans will also have to navigate around a series of split-squad games. The Yankees will split their squads twice this spring.

On Feb. 28, the Yankees will play at home against the Houston Astros while playing a road game against Blue Jays. On March 16, the Yankees will host the Philadelphia Phillies will a road squad will face the Braves.

In addition, opposing teams will send a total of three split squads to Tampa, FL, to face the Yankees: The Blue Jays on Saturday, the Orioles on Feb. 27 and the Tigers on March 2. So do not expect to see many stars from the opposing teams on those dates either.

So just get used to watching a lot of Ronnier Musteller, Zoilo Almonte and Addison Maruszak this spring and feel lucky if you can get a autograph from Preston Claiborne.

Can you tell I am not much of a fan of the World Baseball Classic? Thanks, Bud Selig!

BROADCAST INFO

Thanks to the MLB Network and ESPN the Yankees will have a total of 22 games in Florida broadcast on national television this spring and a 23rd game against the Washington Nationals from Washington, DC, will be broadcast on March 29 by the MLB Network.

To open the spring schedule, the MLB Network will pick up the YES Network broadcast of the Yankees against the Blue Jays on Sunday. That will be among the nine games that will be broadcast live while the others will be shown on tape delay by the MLB Network.

The Yankees’ home contest against the Boston Red Sox will be broadcast live on March 20 by ESPN.

So if you can’t come to Florida or you can’t get a ticket for a spring game, the game will come to you on television.

HUGHES TO IT

The first injury of spring belongs to right-handed starter Phil Hughes, Hughes, 27, reported pain in his upper back just below his shoulder blade on Monday after he participated in a drill covering first base. The injury is not considered as serious but he will be sidelined for several days.

Hughes was 16-13 with a 4.23 ERA last season and he can become a free agent after the 2013 season.

Hughes saw a doctor on Tuesday and he is hoping to be able to resume workouts within a few days.

NOTES

  • Musteller got the attention of Phelps by rocketing a line drive right at him on Tuesday. Phelps was able to get out of the way but was shaken a bit. Musteller, 28, hit a combined .314 with 15 homers and 69 RBIs in 114 games between Double-A Trenton and Scranton last season. Musteller is listed as a non-roster outfielder but has experience as an infielder as well. “He’s a good hitter,” Phelps said. “He can swing it.”
  • Girardi is still mulling over whether to move Curtis Granderson to left in order to play Brett Gardner in center this season. Girardi said he has not made up his mind but he said if he does make the move it likely would come early in spring in order to allow Granderson to get used to playing in left. ”I think Curtis has done a good job for us,” Girardi said. “The question for us to sit here and stew over is, ‘If you flip-flop them, does it make you better defensively?’ That’s what we have to figure out.”
  • Highly touted right-handed reliever Mark Montgomery resumed throwing on Tuesday. He had been sidelined for a short time due to back spasms. Montgomery, 23, is considered the team’s best reliever prospect after going a combined 7-2 with a 1.54 ERA and 15 saves Advanced-A Tampa and Trenton.
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