MLB Weekly Recap: Another Week Down, One To Go

Paul Pagnato

Published

March 19, 2018

Week in Review

Monday 3/12: vs Minnesota Twins (L 1-2, 11-6)

The Yankees were on the short-end of a low scoring affair on Monday evening. Bobby Wilson connected for a two-run home run off Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka in the top of the second inning to give Minnesota a lead they would hold onto for the rest of the game. New York’s lone run came off the bat of ‘Baby Bomber’ Tyler Austin. Austin crushed a Phil Hughes 0-1, 82-mph slider over the right-center field wall. Other than Tanaka’s lone blunder, the righty struck out six and walked one over four innings of work. The Japanese native looked much better on Monday than in his disastrous spring debut last week. Dellin Betances entered in relief of Tanaka, going on to strike out both batters that he faced. Chasen Shreve, Domingo German, and Tommy Kahnle went on to complete the rest of the game, combining to allow just two hits, no walks, and struck out four. Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade both led the offense with two hits apiece.

Tuesday 3/13: vs Detroit Tigers (T 2-2, 11-6-1)

CC Sabathia was brilliant on Tuesday afternoon, pitching four innings of one run ball. The southpaw struck out one, walked one, and have up just four hits. The lone run was a result of a Leonys Martin home run to right-center field in the top of the third inning. Reliever Giovanny Gallegos blew the save in the top of the ninth as Tigers right fielder Victor Reyes singled to center field, scoring JaCoby Jones. The Tigers held the Yankees scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning when Didi Gregorius smashed a solo shot off pitcher Drew VerHagen. Aaron Hicks scored the second Yankees run on a Shane Robinson 5-4 groundout. Adam Lind and Gleyber Torres both finished 1-2 with a walk, while Aaron Hicks accounted for the fourth and final Yankee hit of the contest in his 1-3 effort. Adam Warren, Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, and Chad Green all tossed a scoreless inning of relief, and each recorded at least one strikeout.

Wednesday 3/14: at Baltimore Orioles (L 4-7, 11-7-1)

The third time was not a charm for prospect Chance Adams. The 23-year old let yet another chance slip away Wednesday in Sarasota, FL to make a case for a 25-man roster spot. The righty out of Dallas Baptist university was plagued again by command issues and a dip in velocity. In just 1.2 innings, Chance gave up five earned-runs on seven hits. Jonathan Schoop and Adam Jones tagged Adams for a home run, each with one on and two out. Offensively, New York scored three runs in the top of the second and one in the top of the fourth. The main highlights were a Shane Robinson double in the second that scored two and an Erik Kratz solo shot in the fourth. No Yankee recorded a multi-hit game. Cody Carroll had his worst outing of the spring, allowing a run on three hits in one inning pitched. David Hale struggled with command but had his strikeout stuff working as he walked three and struck out four in three innings. Wade LeBlanc continued to allow runs, his ERA has now risen to 5.40 this spring. J.P. Feyereisen finished off the game pitching a scoreless eighth inning.

Thursday 3/15: vs Pittsburgh Pirates (W 9-5, 12-7-1)

The big bats of Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge woke up in a big way on Thursday. Judge went 2-2 with a double, two runs batted in, and two walks. Sanchez drove in five runs in his 2-4 effort that saw him smack a double and a home run. Tyler Wade also had a great game at both the plate and in the field. Wade dazzled with the glove making a couple nice plays to rob Josh Harrison and Colin Moran of base hits. He also worked a quality at bat against lefty-reliever Felipe Rivero that resulted in one of his two walks. Tyler Austin continues to make a case for a roster spot when he sent a line drive over the left-center field wall for his fourth home run of the spring in the bottom of the eighth inning. Take the good with the bad pitching wise in the contest. Adam Warren, Tommy Kahnle, Chasen Shreve, and Ben Heller all looked fantastic in their scoreless innings of work. Dellin Betances and Sonny Gray didn’t look so great. Betances allowed two earned runs on two hits, one of them being a Jose Ozuna two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning. Gray permitted three runs (two earned) on two hits and three walks. He was hurt by the long ball as well, as former Yankee backstop Francisco Cervelli went yard for a two-run dinger in the top of the first.

Friday 3/16: vs Houston Astros (L 0-2, 12-8-1)

Lance McCullers dominated the Yankees the last time they faced each other in Game 7 of the 2017 American League Division Series, and Friday was no different. In 4.1 innings of work, McCullers struck out five and just allowed one walk and a single. The Bombers could only muster one lone hit (single) in the following 4.2 innings of the game, leading to a two-hit shutout. Jordan Montgomery looked much better than he did in his prior outings. The lefty pitched four innings, struck out four, walked none, and gave up two earned runs on three hits. Two of those three hits were solo home runs off the bats of minor leaguers J.D. Davis and Tyler White. David Robertson, Chad Green, Giovanny Gallegos, and Brady Lail went on to shut out Houston for the remainder of the game.

Saturday 3/17: at Detroit Tigers (L 3-9, 12-9-1)

Another spring start, another bad outing by Masahiro Tanaka. The Japanese righty only lasted 2.2 innings in the contest. The long ball continues to plague ‘Masa’, this time it was a two-run dinger by Leonys Martin and a solo shot from Miguel Cabrera. Tanaka gave up four earned on four hits. Oddly enough he struck out six Tigers in the game. Domingo German and J.P. Feyereisen both tossed two innings and were roughed up. German permitted three earned runs on two walks and four hits, while Feyereisen allowed two earned on a hit and walk. The Yankees got on the board early in the top of the first via a balked in run and Miguel Andujar RBI single.

Sunday 3/18: vs Miami Marlins (W 8-5, 13-9-1)

The Yankees rebounded in a big way on Sunday. Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird both hit towering homers in route to scoring eight runs. Brandon Drury, Giancarlo Stanton both collected RBI’s on singles and Neil Walker drove in two on a line-drive double. After being named the Opening Day starter, Luis Severino took the mound and looked pretty good. ‘Sevy’ struck out seven, walked none, and gave up three earned runs on seven hits.