The off-days have been frustrating for us, but they’re a boon for the pitching staff. Because the team didn’t play Monday and Thursday, they can skip the No. 5 starter and head right back to the top of the rotation. Heck, CC’s even getting extra rest here, five days instead of the regular four.
Meanwhile, the fifth starter, Phil Hughes, pitched in his final extended spring training outing today. I’ll spare you the stats, but everyone seems pleased enough with his performance. He’ll pitch Thursday in the series finale vs. the Angels.
Rookie Wade Davis takes the hill for the Rays. The 24-year-old will make his seventh career start. His sixth career start, incidentally, was also against the Yankees. He pitched five innings on the season’s final day, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out five. All three came on A-Rod’s first home run of the inning. He then allowed two more batters to reach, both of whom scored. It was on an error, though, so he wasn’t charged. This, I think, helps illustrated the absurdity of the earned run.
Posada predictably sits on a day game after a night game. Swisher leapfrogs Granderson into the No. 6 spot, and everything else looks pretty much the same. The Rays have a bit of a different look, playing Zobrist at second and Gabe Kapler in right field against the lefty Sabathia.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Nick Johnson, DH
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Robinson Cano, 2B
6. Nick Swisher, RF
7. Curtis Granderson, CF
8. Brett Gardner, LF
9. Francisco Cervelli, C
And on the mound, number fifty-two, CC Sabathia.
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