It was an offensive day down in Florida today as the Yanks and Reds hammered out 33 hits and 24 runs. While three home runs paced the Yanks’ offensive, two unearned runs emerged as the difference as Cincinnati eked out a sloppy 13-11 win over New York in Sarasota.
For the Yanks, the game had two story lines: bad pitching and good hitting. Staked to a 2-0 lead, Al Aceves gave up three runs in the first. Jonathan Albaladejo, J.B. Cox, Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Christian Garcia and Mark Melancon followed, and every pitcher gave up at least a run. Melancon’s was unearned, and the darkhorse candidate for the ever-important 8th inning role racked up another two spring K’s.
Offensively, the Yanks blasted four doubles and three home runs as the team’s 19-hit onslaught led to 11 runs. Brett Gardner homered for the second time this Spring. He really wants that center field job. Robinson Cano, who had a hot spring in 2008 also, added four RBI on a double, a home run and a single. A-Rod also doubled twice, and Jeter had a three-single day.
In the end though, players who, Mo willing, won’t see the Bronx this year decided this game. An error by Eduardo Nuñez led to one earned run and a passed ball by Jesus Montero led to another. At this early point in the Spring, the Yanks’ bats are doing all we hoped, and while Damaso Marte’s surrendering two home runs isn’t a good sign, I like the results I’m seeing from Melancon.
Mike will have updates on some minor injuries to Albaladejo and Jesus Montero later this evening. The Yanks’ next game is set for tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 p.m., and the Yanks will now be sans A-Rod, Jeter and Cano as those three are off to the WBC. We’ll keep an eye on their Classic results.
Just 4 days 'til pitchers and catchers report.
Should the title be “Offense excels”, instead of “Offensive excels?”
Thanks. Corrected. In the future, could you please just shoot the post author a quick note about any typos? That’s a better way to tell us than via comments.
Sure thing.
I caught another typo, Ben.
You wrote ” Robinson Cano, who had a hot spring in 2008 also, added four RBI on a double, a home run and a single.”
I believe you meant to write ” Robinson Cano, who had a hot spring in 2008 also, added four RBI on a double, a home run and a single, but none of that matters because he’s a lazy Dominican with no passion for the game and he’ll never amount to shit and Cashman is a fool for not trading him to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp and signing Orlando Hudson instead.”
Simple mistake; don’t beat yourself up about it, buddy.
I make that mistake all the time!
I think it’s a good sign that most of the guys are hitting, especially Gardner. We can only hope he can keep this up, he’d be a huge asset at the bottom of the order setting things up for the top. It makes me excited for opening day.
I was listening to the game on mlb radio. They said the wind was fierce and everything that had any lift on it was carrying deep. Many of the HR’s on a normal day would have been routine fly balls according to the Reds’ announcers. Apparently Montero’s injury was a groin injury.
Montero got hurt?
Yea apparently he hurt it diving for a ball or something like that. Too bad, I wanted to see him play against team USA.
Me too. Why did this have to happen. Damn you fate, damn you!
Yeah, on the passed ball he tweaked his groin. They pulled him right away. May just be precautionary. The announcers said he was walking fine. Albaladejo was pulled too after he took a comebacker to the leg.
Someone please teach this kid how to catch.
Dont worry, apparently he in enrolled in the Tony Pena school of catching, as Michael Kay likes to say
Don’t worry on Marte he unlike Melchon has expirence as a closer and set-up man.Melchon looks good but don’t hype him up remember isn’t this the same site the one that had those stupid “Save the Big three” shirts?
Melchon looks good but let Hughes,Joba and Kennedy be a reminder of pushing your pitchers to hard.Let Melchon and Jackson take their time before they come up.We don’t “Need” Melchon don’t throw him into the fire like Kennedy,Melky and Wright.
M-E-L-A-N-C-O-N
This.
Heh.
M-E-L-A-N-C-O-N.
TSJC – 1
Mike Pop – 0
It’s all in the bible, son… it’s the prankster’s bible.
Do you see anyone agitating for melancon to make the team out of spring training? Nope.
Also, the situation is very different. Relievers don’t need as much development time as starters, and his stuff is way better than wright or Kennedy, though he really only has two pitches.
Did I forget to Melchon?
OH NOEEESSS!!!! We lost another one and the bullpen stinks, move Joba to the pen ASAP!!
Exactly. Hes chubby and that reminds me of Goose.
I don’t think you should worry too much about Marte. It’s very early, he is probably just getting back into his motion….I would hope.
I sure hope so, although last year he wasn’t too good. especially against lefties, the fact that he got righties out better in a yankee uniform is cause for concern. good thing we got the brunester
Ugly outing for Garcia
yanks all the way gardner for centrefield. I dont know about the giants though.
we need manny to take the heat off arod
Hey what do you guys think the Giants will do this year. Ya thin dere goin to a repet a las year. Ar a betta year dis year. Please reply.
[...] of CC, giving up just one hit and one walk in 2.2 innings of work, a considerable improvement over his last outing. Steven Jackson gave up a pair of runs in an inning-plus of work, while Jose Veras, Anthony [...]
I like the move a lot. I agree it might be a tad bit of an overpay, but Haynesworth’s deal really threw everything out of whack. Bernard’s not the greatest run-stopper but I think Canty is very solid against the run, and as you said, on passing downs our entire defensive front is gonna be a massive pain to handle. I just love how deep we are across the D-Line now. Sounds like Fred Robbins could get cut though, with Tuck, Osi, Canty, Bernard, Kiwanuka, and Cofield forming the d-line rotation, especially considering Robbins is 32, in a contract year, and coming off a variety of injuries. I think I read cutting him would save $1.3M.
I am very surprised to say the least… I figured after Bernard they were done with the DLine, especially since Canty was talking about cancelling his trip to NY last night.
I also just read that Ward called the Giants and offered to come back for $3 million per year but the Giants turned him down. If his price drops any further I hope the Giants grab him, Ward would solidify the RB core.