Beltran, Nunez, Murphy go deep for Yanks

By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com | 3/2/2014 4:15 P.M. ET

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Eduardo Nunez and Carlos Beltran hit back-to-back homers in the top of the third inning to lead the Yankees to an 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

"That's why we're here, to try to get our swings and to try to get our timing back," Beltran said. "It always feels good every time you square a ball and hit it good."

Both homers came off Toronto right-hander Todd Redmond and started what would turn into a very productive day at the plate for New York. Catcher JR Murphy added a three-run shot to left off right-hander Neil Wagner in the eighth.

Right fielder Adonis Garcia was the other standout on offense for New York, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury went 0-for-3 but walked and scored in the third inning.

Left-hander Vidal Nuno got the start for the Yankees and allowed just two hits while striking out three. One of those hits was a big one, though, as Jose Bautista crushed a towering fly ball over the wall in left field for his second homer of the spring.

"He just takes hacks," Nuno said of Bautista. "I've got to do a better job with him next time; even other guys who are power hitters, I can't be leaving the ball up in the zone."

Melky Cabrera had another productive day for Toronto, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Jose Reyes and Adam Lind also doubled, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit, and the Blue Jays lost for the first time this spring.

The battle for the Blue Jays' final spot in the rotation was on full display early. Right-hander Esmil Rogers allowed one run in the second on a Dean Anna single before Redmond surrendered the two homers in the third inning. Neither pitcher looked all that impressive but will have plenty of other chances this spring in a competition that also includes Drew Hutchison and Marcus Stroman.

"I just left a couple of pitches up," said Redmond, who allowed three runs on three hits over two innings. "I got underneath my slider to Nunez and just left the fastball over the plate to [Beltran]. Just a couple of pitches that I got underneath, and the second inning I got more on top of it and was able to finish my pitches better."

Up next: Derek Jeter is likely to be in the lineup and playing shortstop as the Yankees host the Nationals on Monday for a 1:05 p.m. ET contest at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. Brett Gardner, Brian McCann and Brian Roberts should also highlight the lineup behind starter Ivan Nova. Ross Detwiler draws the start for Washington.

Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pineda confident as spring progresses

TAMPA, Fla. -- Three years ago, Scott Sizemore and his Athletics teammates gathered for a hitters' meeting on the morning of July 4. The reports warned them that they'd be seeing a right-hander with terrific fastball velocity and a devastating slider that could snap off at will.

That pregame intelligence didn't help much. Then wearing a Mariners uniform, Michael Pineda enjoyed his afternoon in Oakland, striking out seven to log his eighth big league win.

And if the impressions from a simulated game on Sunday are to believed, Pineda may finally be returning to that 2011 form.

"It's been a couple of years since I saw him, but today the ball was popping out of his hand," said Sizemore, now in camp with the Yanks, who grabbed a bat to face Pineda on a diamond behind George M. Steinbrenner Field. "As a right-handed hitter, it kind of comes out from behind your head, so it's tough to feel comfortable in the box."

Standing at his locker after the session, Pineda laughed loudly and grinned widely, clearly pleased with his progress. He threw the equivalent of two innings to Sizemore and Zoilo Almonte, and though he has yet to throw a regular-season pitch as a Yankee, he is confident he'll be tossing plenty in 2014.

"I want to be on the Yankees right away," Pineda said. "I don't want to go to Triple-A. But I don't have control of the situation, you know? I want to be ready to go."

Pineda will have his first opportunity to state his case for the rotation on Friday, as he is scheduled to make his spring debut in relief against the Tigers. He is expected to throw three innings behind Hiroki Kuroda, who is starting the 7:05 p.m. ET contest at Steinbrenner Field.

"[Pineda's] been great," said manager Joe Girardi, who watched Sunday's session from behind the mound. "Everything we've asked him to do, he's been right on."

The Yankees did not have a radar gun set up, but Sizemore estimated that Pineda's fastball was coming in the low to mid-90s. Pineda was most pleased with his control, including a hard inside fastball that shattered Almonte's bat.

"It cut a little bit," catcher Peter O'Brien said. "Every time I caught him, I was telling one of the other guys, 'It looks like he's turned it up a notch every single time.' It's going to be fun once he gets into games."

O'Brien caught Pineda a little bit last season at the Yankees' Minor League complex, giving him some perspective to rate the progress of Pineda's fastball, slider and changeup.

"You could tell he had good stuff, but it's nothing compared to now," O'Brien said. "He just looks so much smoother and so much more comfortable out there. He's just going out there and going after guys."

There were no hard-hit balls in the sim game, and Sizemore said that Pineda's 6-foot-7 stature and arm slot still make it tough for a right-handed hitter to have a comfortable at-bat.

"It's coming from behind you, and you just have a tendency to kind of open up a little bit," Sizemore said. "It's hard to stay in there and really try to stay through the ball."

Girardi said that the version of Pineda he saw on Sunday is much closer to the All-Star talent that the Yankees thought they were acquiring from the Mariners in January 2012, when they dealt top prospect Jesus Montero to the Mariners in a four-player deal.

"I can tell you, his stuff's a lot closer than it was to when we got him ... a couple of years ago," Girardi said.

Pineda went to Spring Training 2012 out of shape, acknowledging that he weighed 280 pounds and needed to drop at least 10. His velocity never looked quite right, and by late April he had been diagnosed with an anterior labral tear, an injury that required surgery.

"It just wasn't coming out like we saw during the middle of the [2011] season," Girardi said. "For a power guy, early on in Spring Training, you're not too worried about it, because it takes time. But it just never increased much."

At the time, general manager Brian Cashman said he was "devastated" by the news and called it a "tragic diagnosis." But there is a history of pitchers recovering from similar injuries: Chris Carpenter, Curt Schilling and Ted Lilly represent some of the best-case scenarios.

"I want to pitch in the game and see what happens," Pineda said. "Right now I'm feeling good."

The Yankees thought that Pineda might have been ready to help at the tail end of last season, promoting him as high as Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts.

Though he finished the season healthy, he did not appear at Triple-A after Aug. 2. He revealed on Sunday that he had been feeling "a little tight" while tossing at the Yanks' complex in September, but that no longer seems to be an issue.

Now, one year and 10 months removed from surgery. he finally feels prepared to return to game action.

"I'm so excited. It was a long time ago," he said. "I've been practicing, working hard, so now I feel ready to go. I feel very excited about it."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Beltran concerned with timing, not stats

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/2/2014 6:12 P.M. ET

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- It has been a long time since Carlos Beltran gave much thought to his Spring Training statistics, but it still feels great to square up a ball and hit it well.

Beltran's first hit in a Yankees uniform carried over the right-field wall, a solo shot off Todd Redmond in the third inning of New York's 8-2 Grapefruit League victory over Toronto on Sunday.

"As long as I physically feel good and I'm healthy, that's what I care about the most," Beltran said. "The timing will come: keep working in the cage, keep taking extra BP, extra hitting. You keep facing pitchers, and live pitching also will make it better."

"You want to see guys swinging the bat well, obviously," manager Joe Girardi said. "It's really important at the end, but it doesn't really matter sometimes. You can be swinging the bat horrible at the end of Spring Training and get off to a hot start, and vice versa, but it's always nice to see."

A switch-hitter, Beltran said that his timing always seems to come faster from the left side of the plate than the right. His homer on Sunday, the second of a back-to-back duo with Eduardo Nunez, came off a right-hander.

"You face more righties than lefties, that's why you've got to go to the cage," he said. "When you're a switch-hitter, you have to keep things balanced. There's a lot of work that has to be done, but at the same time, you've got to do it."

Tanaka tabbed to start against Phillies

TAMPA, Fla. -- Masahiro Tanaka's next assignment will come as a starter, as manager Joe Girardi has announced that Tanaka is scheduled to start on Thursday against the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.

Tanaka, 25, made his debut as a reliever in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field, throwing two scoreless innings. He allowed two singles and struck out three, with no walks.

"I think he handled it really well," Girardi said. "I know he's pitched out of the bullpen, but the way he did it yesterday, he's not used to doing [that] all the time.

"But I think he handled the situation really well, because I think there's been a lot of anticipation for that, and I think there will be a lot of anticipation for his first real start."

Girardi said that Tanaka's poise has been encouraging. Tanaka has not seemed to have any issues dealing with the attention surrounding his arrival in camp or the seven-year, $155 million contract he signed.

"It gives you a belief that he can handle it," Girardi said.

With Tanaka drawing Thursday's starting nod on the road, left-hander CC Sabathia will remain behind to throw in a simulated game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Sabathia threw two scoreless innings in his spring debut.

Tex set to take the field on Thursday or Friday

TAMPA, Fla. -- Mark Teixeira will play in his first game of the spring on either Thursday or Friday, manager Joe Girardi said.

Teixeira has been slightly behind the rest of the Yankees' position players as he wraps up rehab following surgery on his right wrist, though he has been taking batting practice and ground balls at first base.

Girardi should be able to put Teixeira in the field for either game. The Yankees will visit the Phillies on Thursday in Clearwater, Fla., and are scheduled to host the Tigers for a night game on Friday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"I think sometimes you worry about their anxiousness to get out there," Girardi said. "I think Tex has been pretty smart about the way he's gone about his work. I think guys miss it so much that they rush things back. He's been right on track. We haven't been worried about that."

Teixeira had planned to miss the first week of exhibition games but said that he would get started on the field early in March. He played in just 15 games last season after injuring the wrist hitting off a tee while preparing for the World Baseball Classic.

Remnants of flu keep Soriano on the bench

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano's spring debut will be delayed until early next week as he continues to recover from a nasty bout with the flu.

Soriano had been scheduled to play on Sunday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., but was scratched after telling the trainers that he still feels dizzy and weak.

"I want to play some games," Soriano said. "There's a lot of games left, but this is the right time to play these games. It doesn't matter if you're not feeling good at home plate; at least I'd see some pitching to get my timing right."

Soriano took batting practice all last week, and said he would probably be able to play if this were the regular season. The Yankees put him through a full workout on Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"He did a lot [on Saturday]. I kind of want to see how he feels [on Monday]," manager Joe Girardi said.

Bombers bits

• Vidal Nuno allowed a solo home run to Jose Bautista on Sunday, accounting for the only damage in his two-inning outing. Nuno allowed two hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

"It went fine, just got a little bit happy with the fastball today," Nuno said. "Overall, [I'm] pleased a little bit how the outcome came. Just one pitch, and Bautista just hit it out."

Girardi has said that he would consider Nuno for the bullpen if he does not win the fifth spot in the rotation.

• Girardi will start evaluating his starters more seriously during the next turn through the rotation.

"You think about a day like today, you only go through a lineup once," Girardi said on Sunday. "You don't get to throw a ton of pitches, so maybe you throw four curveballs instead of 10 or 12."

• There was a small fire near the visitors' clubhouse at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium before Sunday's game, causing smoke to fill the room and prompting most of the Yankees to gather their belongings.

"We had to clear out," Girardi said. "I guess it's the grounds crew clubhouse that's attached to our clubhouse, and I think a towel caught on fire in the dryer. It was a little smoky in our clubhouse. Nuno didn't move, though."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flu delays Soriano's first Grapefruit appearance

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/1/2014 6:51 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano's spring debut is on hold. The veteran had been scheduled to play on Sunday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., but he is not completely over a battle with the flu.

"We don't feel like he's quite at full strength, and we don't want to run him out there," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Soriano has missed the first five games of the spring and was also held out of workouts early in camp. He was seen by a doctor on Saturday to update his medication, and told reporters that his energy is at about "80 percent."

Diminished velocity doesn't concern CC or Girardi

TAMPA, Fla. -- CC Sabathia has grown tired of discussing the diminished velocity of his fastball, so the Yankees left-hander shrugged when he was informed that it had topped out at 88 mph in his first start of the spring.

"My fastball is what it is. If it gets better, it will," Sabathia said. "If it's not, it won't. I can pitch. I'm fine. As long as I'm healthy, I'll be good."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that any chatter about Sabathia's velocity does not concern him.

"I don't make much of it," Girardi said. "That was something people wanted to make a ton about last year, and I'm not going to make much of it. To me, if he's downhill and locating, I don't care what his velocity is. He's going to get people out."

Sabathia looked solid as he faced the Phillies for two scoreless innings in Saturday's 4-0 win at George M. Steinbrenner Field, scattering two hits with a strikeout. Sabathia threw 16 of 24 pitches for strikes.

"I thought he looked good," Girardi said. "I loved the downhill plane. His location today, I thought, was really good."

In a conversation with pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Sabathia said that his first outing of the spring felt a lot like his final spring start of 2013, when he was trying to work back from left elbow surgery.

"I'm definitely ahead of where I was last year, so I feel good," Sabathia said. "I'm going to keep working, keep going out there trying to get better."

Girardi said that he saw Sabathia make some late-season mechanical adjustments last year, which have carried into his early work this spring. Sabathia said that he already feels like he has more arm strength. He wants to work on throwing strikes and being around the plate, staying behind his fastball and not allowing it to cut.

"I threw a lot of fastballs last year in the dirt," Sabathia said. "It was just about getting my release point back and getting a good feel. I was able to do that with a football, throwing a football, and then carry that over to the baseball this year in the offseason throwing program, so I feel good."

Not to be overlooked, Kuroda sharp, efficient

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hiroki Kuroda was the Yankees' best pitcher for most of last season, but he was able to fly under the radar on Saturday, coming out of the bullpen in the third inning and overshadowed by the spring debuts of CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka.

"I don't get to relieve much, so today was quite an experience for me," said Kuroda, who pitched the third and fourth innings of New York's 4-0 win over the Phillies. "And to have Tanaka follow me, it was an overall good day."

Kuroda turned in arguably the sharpest outing of those three pitchers, limiting Philadelphia to a single with two strikeouts. He threw 11 of 17 pitches for strikes, and said that his sinker and two-seamers were working well.

The outing was so efficient, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, that they had to send Kuroda to finish up with more pitches in the bullpen so he would reach his prescribed count of 35.

"From the hitters' reactions, I could tell that the ball was moving well," Kuroda said.

Kuroda said that he could not recall his first spring outing with the Dodgers seven years ago, but it's safe to say it was less hyped than Tanaka's debut. Kuroda said that he had been impressed by Tanaka.

"The biggest thing was he looked calm up there, and the command was there. So he looked good," Kuroda said.

Bombers bits

Derek Jeter went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored on Saturday, and Girardi joked that he "had to do a lot of things to get him under the radar." Jeter also played flawlessly in the field, including turning a double play where he had to tag Cesar Hernandez on the bases and then throw to first.

"I thought that was a big play," Girardi said. "It shows me that his mobility is there. He's not favoring anything, not wincing. He just did what he had to do."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Not to be overlooked, Kuroda sharp, efficient

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/1/2014 6:51 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hiroki Kuroda was the Yankees' best pitcher for most of last season, but he was able to fly under the radar on Saturday, coming out of the bullpen in the third inning and overshadowed by the spring debuts of CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka.

"I don't get to relieve much, so today was quite an experience for me," said Kuroda, who pitched the third and fourth innings of New York's 4-0 win over the Phillies. "And to have Tanaka follow me, it was an overall good day."

Kuroda turned in arguably the sharpest outing of those three pitchers, limiting Philadelphia to a single with two strikeouts. He threw 11 of 17 pitches for strikes, and said that his sinker and two-seamers were working well.

The outing was so efficient, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, that they had to send Kuroda to finish up with more pitches in the bullpen so he would reach his prescribed count of 35.

"From the hitters' reactions, I could tell that the ball was moving well," Kuroda said.

Kuroda said that he could not recall his first spring outing with the Dodgers seven years ago, but it's safe to say it was less hyped than Tanaka's debut. Kuroda said that he had been impressed by Tanaka.

"The biggest thing was he looked calm up there, and the command was there. So he looked good," Kuroda said.

Diminished velocity doesn't concern CC or Girardi

TAMPA, Fla. -- CC Sabathia has grown tired of discussing the diminished velocity of his fastball, so the Yankees left-hander shrugged when he was informed that it had topped out at 88 mph in his first start of the spring.

"My fastball is what it is. If it gets better, it will," Sabathia said. "If it's not, it won't. I can pitch. I'm fine. As long as I'm healthy, I'll be good."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that any chatter about Sabathia's velocity does not concern him.

"I don't make much of it," Girardi said. "That was something people wanted to make a ton about last year, and I'm not going to make much of it. To me, if he's downhill and locating, I don't care what his velocity is. He's going to get people out."

Sabathia looked solid as he faced the Phillies for two scoreless innings in Saturday's 4-0 win at George M. Steinbrenner Field, scattering two hits with a strikeout. Sabathia threw 16 of 24 pitches for strikes.

"I thought he looked good," Girardi said. "I loved the downhill plane. His location today, I thought, was really good."

In a conversation with pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Sabathia said that his first outing of the spring felt a lot like his final spring start of 2013, when he was trying to work back from left elbow surgery.

"I'm definitely ahead of where I was last year, so I feel good," Sabathia said. "I'm going to keep working, keep going out there trying to get better."

Girardi said that he saw Sabathia make some late-season mechanical adjustments last year, which have carried into his early work this spring. Sabathia said that he already feels like he has more arm strength. He wants to work on throwing strikes and being around the plate, staying behind his fastball and not allowing it to cut.

"I threw a lot of fastballs last year in the dirt," Sabathia said. "It was just about getting my release point back and getting a good feel. I was able to do that with a football, throwing a football, and then carry that over to the baseball this year in the offseason throwing program, so I feel good."

Flu delays Soriano's first Grapefruit appearance

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano's spring debut is on hold. The veteran had been scheduled to play on Sunday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., but he is not completely over a battle with the flu.

"We don't feel like he's quite at full strength, and we don't want to run him out there," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Soriano has missed the first five games of the spring and was also held out of workouts early in camp. He was seen by a doctor on Saturday to update his medication, and told reporters that his energy is at about "80 percent."

Bombers bits

Derek Jeter went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored on Saturday, and Girardi joked that he "had to do a lot of things to get him under the radar." Jeter also played flawlessly in the field, including turning a double play where he had to tag Cesar Hernandez on the bases and then throw to first.

"I thought that was a big play," Girardi said. "It shows me that his mobility is there. He's not favoring anything, not wincing. He just did what he had to do."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Diminished velocity doesn't concern CC or Girardi

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/1/2014 6:51 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- CC Sabathia has grown tired of discussing the diminished velocity of his fastball, so the Yankees left-hander shrugged when he was informed that it had topped out at 88 mph in his first start of the spring.

"My fastball is what it is. If it gets better, it will," Sabathia said. "If it's not, it won't. I can pitch. I'm fine. As long as I'm healthy, I'll be good."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that any chatter about Sabathia's velocity does not concern him.

"I don't make much of it," Girardi said. "That was something people wanted to make a ton about last year, and I'm not going to make much of it. To me, if he's downhill and locating, I don't care what his velocity is. He's going to get people out."

Sabathia looked solid as he faced the Phillies for two scoreless innings in Saturday's 4-0 win at George M. Steinbrenner Field, scattering two hits with a strikeout. Sabathia threw 16 of 24 pitches for strikes.

"I thought he looked good," Girardi said. "I loved the downhill plane. His location today, I thought, was really good."

In a conversation with pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Sabathia said that his first outing of the spring felt a lot like his final spring start of 2013, when he was trying to work back from left elbow surgery.

"I'm definitely ahead of where I was last year, so I feel good," Sabathia said. "I'm going to keep working, keep going out there trying to get better."

Girardi said that he saw Sabathia make some late-season mechanical adjustments last year, which have carried into his early work this spring. Sabathia said that he already feels like he has more arm strength. He wants to work on throwing strikes and being around the plate, staying behind his fastball and not allowing it to cut.

"I threw a lot of fastballs last year in the dirt," Sabathia said. "It was just about getting my release point back and getting a good feel. I was able to do that with a football, throwing a football, and then carry that over to the baseball this year in the offseason throwing program, so I feel good."

Not to be overlooked, Kuroda sharp, efficient

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hiroki Kuroda was the Yankees' best pitcher for most of last season, but he was able to fly under the radar on Saturday, coming out of the bullpen in the third inning and overshadowed by the spring debuts of CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka.

"I don't get to relieve much, so today was quite an experience for me," said Kuroda, who pitched the third and fourth innings of New York's 4-0 win over the Phillies. "And to have Tanaka follow me, it was an overall good day."

Kuroda turned in arguably the sharpest outing of those three pitchers, limiting Philadelphia to a single with two strikeouts. He threw 11 of 17 pitches for strikes, and said that his sinker and two-seamers were working well.

The outing was so efficient, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, that they had to send Kuroda to finish up with more pitches in the bullpen so he would reach his prescribed count of 35.

"From the hitters' reactions, I could tell that the ball was moving well," Kuroda said.

Kuroda said that he could not recall his first spring outing with the Dodgers seven years ago, but it's safe to say it was less hyped than Tanaka's debut. Kuroda said that he had been impressed by Tanaka.

"The biggest thing was he looked calm up there, and the command was there. So he looked good," Kuroda said.

Flu delays Soriano's first Grapefruit appearance

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano's spring debut is on hold. The veteran had been scheduled to play on Sunday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., but he is not completely over a battle with the flu.

"We don't feel like he's quite at full strength, and we don't want to run him out there," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Soriano has missed the first five games of the spring and was also held out of workouts early in camp. He was seen by a doctor on Saturday to update his medication, and told reporters that his energy is at about "80 percent."

Bombers bits

Derek Jeter went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored on Saturday, and Girardi joked that he "had to do a lot of things to get him under the radar." Jeter also played flawlessly in the field, including turning a double play where he had to tag Cesar Hernandez on the bases and then throw to first.

"I thought that was a big play," Girardi said. "It shows me that his mobility is there. He's not favoring anything, not wincing. He just did what he had to do."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

McCann hits first of four Yankees homers in victory

By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 2/28/2014 4:40 P.M. ET

Brian McCann rounds the bases after his first home run in a Yankees uniform on Friday. (AP)

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brian McCann hit his first home run in a Yankees uniform Friday, spearheading a four-homer barrage off Tigers pitching before New York's Minor Leaguers withstood a seventh-inning rally for a 7-4 win at Joker Marchant Stadium.

"It was a good game. We made some plays in the field that helped us get out of innings," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We had a couple of guys thrown out at home plate, and I thought we swung the bats pretty well."

On a day when the Tigers easily outhit the Bronx Bombers, the combination of Yankees homers and Detroit outs on the basepaths nullified any advantage. All seven Yankees runs scored on balls that left the yard. McCann's solo shot leading off the second inning was the only base hit off Max Scherzer in the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner's first start of the spring.

A year ago at this point, Scherzer was being held back a bit as a precaution for his shoulder. With no such restrictions this spring, Scherzer pitched strong, topping out at 94 mph on his fastball while throwing all four pitches in his arsenal. His one mistake was a fastball to McCann, who drove it over an infield shift and off the batting cage building beyond right field.

Scherzer struck out two batters to close his outing. Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez added to the advantage with a third-inning solo homer off Luis Ortega.

Yankees starter Adam Warren walked two and allowed two hits over his two innings, but escaped a first-inning jam with back-to-back outs on the bases. Warren picked speedster Rajai Davis off second base with Miguel Cabrera at the plate. Cabrera drew a two-out walk, but was thrown out trying to go from first to third on Victor Martinez's walk, hoping to catch Warren unattentive.

Zoilo Almonte and Ramon Flores later threw out Tigers baserunners at the plate, while Jose Pirela threw out Steven Moya trying to stretch a single into a double. The aggressive play reflects new manager Brad Ausmus' push this spring to try for extra bases. It won't always be successful, but Ausmus has said he's trying to change the team's mindset.

Pirela added a two-run homer off Luis Marte in the seventh inning, followed by a three-run shot by Yangervis Solarte to build a 7-0 lead. Moya's RBI single and John Murrian's two-run double cut it down in the bottom half, but never threatened to erase it.

Up next: Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to make his spring debut on Saturday against the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field, entering in relief for the fifth inning of the 1:05 p.m. ET game, live on MLB.TV. CC Sabathia is starting for New York and is slated to pitch two innings, or 35 pitches. Hiroki Kuroda is scheduled to enter in the third inning. Philadelphia has tabbed David Buchanan for the start.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Sanchez focuses on improving overall game

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Gary Sanchez, the Yankees' top prospect, was at his home in the Dominican Republic when he saw on TV that Brian McCann had agreed to a five-year, $85 million contract, immediately answering a need behind the plate for the big league squad.

Just a few weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday, Sanchez said that he did not panic. That decision was out of his control, and Sanchez said that his response would be to stay focused on his own game.

"I never thought of it as any sort of danger or anything to my own future with the team," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "I never saw that."

Rated as the Yankees' No. 1 overall prospect by MLB.com, Sanchez launched a solo home run in New York's 7-4 win over the Tigers on Friday, offering a reminder of the raw power that prompted the Yankees to give him a $3 million signing bonus in 2009.

"It was my very first Spring Training home run," said Sanchez, who hit the line-drive shot to left off Detroit's Jose Ortega. "It was very good."

Sanchez hit 15 home runs last season, playing 94 games at Class A Tampa and 23 more at Double-A Trenton, where he is likely to begin the 2014 campaign. Overall, Sanchez batted .253 with a .324 on-base percentage and a .412 slugging percentage, and said that he has been trying to polish himself behind the plate.

"I've been working a lot on blocking and throwing and catching balls," Sanchez said. "Every aspect of my defense, I think, could be improved."

Having McCann in the starting role, plus Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine and John Ryan Murphy -- all of whom spent time in the big leagues last year -- raises the possibility that Sanchez could be dangled as trade bait to fill other needs.

"I can't think about that," Sanchez said. "I can only focus on my own game."

Sanchez's home run on Friday landed on a grassy berm beyond the left-field wall, where it was quickly snatched up by a sunbathing fan. Sanchez said that he did not ask anyone to try and secure the ball as a souvenir.

"No, I'm going to get the one I hit at Yankee Stadium," Sanchez said.

McCann quickly showing slugging prowess

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brian McCann doesn't usually start hitting home runs until later in the spring, so the Yankees catcher hopes that it is a good sign that he has already cleared the fences in his new uniform.

McCann launched a second-inning solo homer off reigning Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in the Yankees' 7-4 victory over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday, a towering blast to right field that struck the batting cages about 20 feet beyond the wall.

"I knew I hit that one pretty good," McCann said. "I don't know if I've ever hit a home run this early in camp. I got in a good count [2-0] and got a pitch middle. I was happy with the result, with the swing I put on it."

Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter playfully tried to deke McCann, settling on the warning track and acting like he was camped over the ball. McCann said that he wasn't fooled, and Scherzer said that he'd thrown a cookie to a dangerous hitter.

"Right down the middle," Scherzer said. "It was 2-0, so I said, 'Let's see how hard you can hit it.' And he hit it out."

McCann's power was a major reason why the Yankees pursued him aggressively this winter, giving the seven-time All-Star a five-year, $85 million contract.

It was an area of major need, as New York's catchers combined to slug a Major League-low eight home runs in 2013. McCann hit at least 20 homers in seven of the last eight seasons while playing for the Braves.

"That's one of the reasons we brought him here," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Not just to add from the catching standpoint, but to add offensively, and he has that ability."

While McCann is honing his swing to assault the short porch in the Bronx, he is also continuing to work behind the plate, learning a completely new pitching staff. McCann said that it won't be an issue to get both jobs done during Spring Training.

"This is the only year I probably won't complain about it being too long," McCann said. "I'm going to use all eight weeks down here to get to know these pitchers. It's going to be good, a good eight weeks."

Joba reflects fondly on time with Yankees

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Getting settled in his new camp this spring, one of the first things that Joba Chamberlain did was peek at the schedule to see when he and the Tigers were going to visit the Bronx.

"It'll be August; yep," Chamberlain said. "Four-game series, Monday through Thursday. I haven't looked, though, in a couple weeks."

Chamberlain, 28, already looks the part of a motivated, freshly-minted ex-Yankee: he is about 20 pounds lighter, sporting a full beard and an amusing tattoo on his pitching arm that transformed a Tommy John surgery scar into a smiley face.

"I got it last year," Chamberlain said. "I guess when you're pitching terrible, nobody notices."

The one-time phenom will try to take advantage of a change of scenery this season as he closes the book on his eventful Yankees career. Chamberlain signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Detroit and hopes to serve as the setup man for closer Joe Nathan.

"I spent my whole adult life in a Yankee uniform," Chamberlain said. "My son [Karter] got to see a lot of stuff in New York. New York was home. We closed the old stadium, opened the new stadium, got to win a World Series. You go through the ups and the downs and everything that happened. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity. It was an awesome experience."

Chamberlain burst onto the scene as a rookie callup in 2007, helping Joe Torre's Yankees into the postseason before they ran into the Indians and a swarm of Lake Erie midges.

The Yankees bounced Chamberlain between the rotation and the bullpen for two years before he became a reliever for good in 2010. Reconstructive elbow surgery in '11 and a gruesome '12 ankle injury slowed the right-hander's final years in New York.

"This is a guy who came up and had a ton of success and went through some pretty serious injuries," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It was difficult on him and it was difficult on us because we had high expectations for him. He had some difficult injuries that he had to overcome. It's good to see that he's healthy and feeling good. Maybe it will be good for him."

Perhaps Chamberlain will be remembered most for his "Joba Rules" and the many T-shirts they spawned. Those may now be permanently in storage, but Chamberlain hopes that he will receive a positive reception when the Tigers get to Yankee Stadium.

"I couldn't thank the fans enough," Chamberlain said. "They're a huge part of me being there and the success that I've had. I can only hope for the best. I gave them everything I [had] every time. Sometimes it was short, sometimes I was terrible. I'll be the first one to admit it. But I had a great run and I was very thankful for all the fans that were there."

Bombers bits

• Adam Warren pitched two scoreless innings of two-hit ball on Friday against the Tigers, kicking off his spring bid to stick on the Yankees' big league roster. Warren said that he and good friend David Phelps have been amused by being lumped together in yet another competition.

"We joke about it a little bit," Warren said. "Sometimes people expect us to be clashing and enemies, and we joke about it, 'We're supposed to hate each other, right?' But no, other than joking around about it, we don't seriously talk about it. We know we're supposed to just go out there and get the job done."

• Right-hander Michael Pineda is slowly advancing to game speed. Pineda is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game on Sunday and will then progress to pitching in a Grapefruit League game, Girardi said.

"He's better than when we saw him a couple of years ago, that's for sure," Girardi said. "So we have been encouraged. I'm curious to see how it translates in a game."

• Girardi stuck out during pregame ceremonies at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday. He had brought the wrong uniform top for the trip, sporting a home spring jersey with the interlocking 'NY' on the left chest instead of the road version with a gray-outlined 'NEW YORK' across the chest.

"I noticed it right away when I was out there. What are you going to do?" Girardi said. "They need to help me a little more, evidently. During the season, you don't have two to pick from in your locker. I put the wrong pants on to start the day."

• The MRIs taken Thursday on right-hander Jose Ramirez's oblique and back came back with no reason for concern, Girardi said. Ramirez is still sore and it is too soon to tell when he will be able to get back on the mound.

• 21st Century Fox announced on Friday that it completed the acquisition of a majority stake in the YES Network. Under the agreement, which was initially announced on Jan. 24, 21st Century Fox now owns 80 percent of the network. Yankee Global Enterprises continues to own the remaining 20 percent.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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McCann quickly showing slugging prowess

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brian McCann doesn't usually start hitting home runs until later in the spring, so the Yankees catcher hopes that it is a good sign that he has already cleared the fences in his new uniform.

McCann launched a second-inning solo homer off reigning Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in the Yankees' 7-4 victory over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday, a towering blast to right field that struck the batting cages about 20 feet beyond the wall.

"I knew I hit that one pretty good," McCann said. "I don't know if I've ever hit a home run this early in camp. I got in a good count [2-0] and got a pitch middle. I was happy with the result, with the swing I put on it."

Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter playfully tried to deke McCann, settling on the warning track and acting like he was camped over the ball. McCann said that he wasn't fooled, and Scherzer said that he'd thrown a cookie to a dangerous hitter.

"Right down the middle," Scherzer said. "It was 2-0, so I said, 'Let's see how hard you can hit it.' And he hit it out."

McCann's power was a major reason why the Yankees pursued him aggressively this winter, giving the seven-time All-Star a five-year, $85 million contract.

It was an area of major need, as New York's catchers combined to slug a Major League-low eight home runs in 2013. McCann hit at least 20 homers in seven of the last eight seasons while playing for the Braves.

"That's one of the reasons we brought him here," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Not just to add from the catching standpoint, but to add offensively, and he has that ability."

While McCann is honing his swing to assault the short porch in the Bronx, he is also continuing to work behind the plate, learning a completely new pitching staff. McCann said that it won't be an issue to get both jobs done during Spring Training.

"This is the only year I probably won't complain about it being too long," McCann said. "I'm going to use all eight weeks down here to get to know these pitchers. It's going to be good, a good eight weeks."

Sanchez focuses on improving overall game

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Gary Sanchez, the Yankees' top prospect, was at his home in the Dominican Republic when he saw on TV that Brian McCann had agreed to a five-year, $85 million contract, immediately answering a need behind the plate for the big league squad.

Just a few weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday, Sanchez said that he did not panic. That decision was out of his control, and Sanchez said that his response would be to stay focused on his own game.

"I never thought of it as any sort of danger or anything to my own future with the team," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "I never saw that."

Rated as the Yankees' No. 1 overall prospect by MLB.com, Sanchez launched a solo home run in New York's 7-4 win over the Tigers on Friday, offering a reminder of the raw power that prompted the Yankees to give him a $3 million signing bonus in 2009.

"It was my very first Spring Training home run," said Sanchez, who hit the line-drive shot to left off Detroit's Jose Ortega. "It was very good."

Sanchez hit 15 home runs last season, playing 94 games at Class A Tampa and 23 more at Double-A Trenton, where he is likely to begin the 2014 campaign. Overall, Sanchez batted .253 with a .324 on-base percentage and a .412 slugging percentage, and said that he has been trying to polish himself behind the plate.

"I've been working a lot on blocking and throwing and catching balls," Sanchez said. "Every aspect of my defense, I think, could be improved."

Having McCann in the starting role, plus Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine and John Ryan Murphy -- all of whom spent time in the big leagues last year -- raises the possibility that Sanchez could be dangled as trade bait to fill other needs.

"I can't think about that," Sanchez said. "I can only focus on my own game."

Sanchez's home run on Friday landed on a grassy berm beyond the left-field wall, where it was quickly snatched up by a sunbathing fan. Sanchez said that he did not ask anyone to try and secure the ball as a souvenir.

"No, I'm going to get the one I hit at Yankee Stadium," Sanchez said.

Joba reflects fondly on time with Yankees

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Getting settled in his new camp this spring, one of the first things that Joba Chamberlain did was peek at the schedule to see when he and the Tigers were going to visit the Bronx.

"It'll be August; yep," Chamberlain said. "Four-game series, Monday through Thursday. I haven't looked, though, in a couple weeks."

Chamberlain, 28, already looks the part of a motivated, freshly-minted ex-Yankee: he is about 20 pounds lighter, sporting a full beard and an amusing tattoo on his pitching arm that transformed a Tommy John surgery scar into a smiley face.

"I got it last year," Chamberlain said. "I guess when you're pitching terrible, nobody notices."

The one-time phenom will try to take advantage of a change of scenery this season as he closes the book on his eventful Yankees career. Chamberlain signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Detroit and hopes to serve as the setup man for closer Joe Nathan.

"I spent my whole adult life in a Yankee uniform," Chamberlain said. "My son [Karter] got to see a lot of stuff in New York. New York was home. We closed the old stadium, opened the new stadium, got to win a World Series. You go through the ups and the downs and everything that happened. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity. It was an awesome experience."

Chamberlain burst onto the scene as a rookie callup in 2007, helping Joe Torre's Yankees into the postseason before they ran into the Indians and a swarm of Lake Erie midges.

The Yankees bounced Chamberlain between the rotation and the bullpen for two years before he became a reliever for good in 2010. Reconstructive elbow surgery in '11 and a gruesome '12 ankle injury slowed the right-hander's final years in New York.

"This is a guy who came up and had a ton of success and went through some pretty serious injuries," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It was difficult on him and it was difficult on us because we had high expectations for him. He had some difficult injuries that he had to overcome. It's good to see that he's healthy and feeling good. Maybe it will be good for him."

Perhaps Chamberlain will be remembered most for his "Joba Rules" and the many T-shirts they spawned. Those may now be permanently in storage, but Chamberlain hopes that he will receive a positive reception when the Tigers get to Yankee Stadium.

"I couldn't thank the fans enough," Chamberlain said. "They're a huge part of me being there and the success that I've had. I can only hope for the best. I gave them everything I [had] every time. Sometimes it was short, sometimes I was terrible. I'll be the first one to admit it. But I had a great run and I was very thankful for all the fans that were there."

Bombers bits

• Adam Warren pitched two scoreless innings of two-hit ball on Friday against the Tigers, kicking off his spring bid to stick on the Yankees' big league roster. Warren said that he and good friend David Phelps have been amused by being lumped together in yet another competition.

"We joke about it a little bit," Warren said. "Sometimes people expect us to be clashing and enemies, and we joke about it, 'We're supposed to hate each other, right?' But no, other than joking around about it, we don't seriously talk about it. We know we're supposed to just go out there and get the job done."

• Right-hander Michael Pineda is slowly advancing to game speed. Pineda is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game on Sunday and will then progress to pitching in a Grapefruit League game, Girardi said.

"He's better than when we saw him a couple of years ago, that's for sure," Girardi said. "So we have been encouraged. I'm curious to see how it translates in a game."

• Girardi stuck out during pregame ceremonies at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday. He had brought the wrong uniform top for the trip, sporting a home spring jersey with the interlocking 'NY' on the left chest instead of the road version with a gray-outlined 'NEW YORK' across the chest.

"I noticed it right away when I was out there. What are you going to do?" Girardi said. "They need to help me a little more, evidently. During the season, you don't have two to pick from in your locker. I put the wrong pants on to start the day."

• The MRIs taken Thursday on right-hander Jose Ramirez's oblique and back came back with no reason for concern, Girardi said. Ramirez is still sore and it is too soon to tell when he will be able to get back on the mound.

• 21st Century Fox announced on Friday that it completed the acquisition of a majority stake in the YES Network. Under the agreement, which was initially announced on Jan. 24, 21st Century Fox now owns 80 percent of the network. Yankee Global Enterprises continues to own the remaining 20 percent.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Phelps focused on strikes, not his role with Yanks

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 2/27/2014 7:16 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- David Phelps is coming into camp competing to win the fifth-starter vacancy in the Yankees' rotation, but the right-hander feels confident that he will help the pitching staff no matter how he is utilized.

"It's kind of the same thing I've been saying -- this is the third year now," Phelps said. "My job is to go out there and get guys out, regardless of my role. I haven't changed the way I approach the season anyway, I'm just going out there and trying to get on a roll, throw strikes. Regardless of my role, that's how I'm going to approach it."

Phelps started for the Yankees in Thursday's 8-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Pirates, serving up a solo home run to Gregory Polanco in two innings. Phelps allowed two hits with no walks and four strikeouts, throwing 20 of 30 pitches for strikes.

"I felt really good today," Phelps said. "I was throwing strikes, and that was the biggest thing I wanted to take out of today. I didn't get behind too many guys, and the fastball command was there. For day one, I'll take it."

Phelps is competing with Michael Pineda, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno to win the final slot in the rotation. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has suggested that some of those contenders could wind up in a relief role, which is an assignment that Phelps has also filled.

"It's great just being back out there," Phelps said. "It's one thing throwing BP and throwing sim games, but when you're out there with an actual umpire, and no screen, no nets, and you're really playing the game, it definitely gets your heart pumping a little bit more."

Cervelli posts photo calling for peace in Venezuela

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli engaged with social media to show support for his troubled homeland on Thursday, posting a picture with several teammates pleading for peace in Venezuela.

It has been reported that 16 people have died as protests of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government become increasingly violent. In the photo Cervelli posted to Instagram, he is clutching a corner of Venezuela's flag among hand-written signs reading, "Paz," or peace.

"All of my friends have been doing that on the other teams," Cervelli said. "I think we're not trying to be in politics or whatever, because I don't believe in politics, I just play baseball.

"But I care about my people. My mom and dad are still there, and I'm always praying for them to be safe every day. It's a little message just for peace and no more people dead."

Four other Venezuelan members of the Yankees' roster are in the picture: catcher Francisco Arcia and infielders Jose Gil, Jose Pirela and Yangervis Solarte. Bullpen catcher Roman Rodriguez also took part.

In addition, Yankees stars CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki posed for the photo. Cervelli said that his teammates wanted to show support for the cause.

"Latin people have always been one," Cervelli said. "We are brothers, and everywhere we go, we make noise. We talk loud. That's the way we do things; and the music. We had other guys, [Ichiro] from Japan, [Sabathia] from here.

"I spend more time with these guys than my family, so we are a family. These are the people I have been working [with] for the last four years, so I think everybody feels the same thing."

Johnson: Teaming with Jeter is amazing

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Derek Jeter was on these same fields in the spring of 1996, convincing Yankees officials that he was a starting shortstop, Kelly Johnson was an eighth-grader at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas.

So as Jeter took the field for his final spring home opener nearly two decades later, Johnson said that it was a surreal moment to turn his head left and realize that he was playing third base with Jeter at shortstop.

"I was in high school watching these guys step out on the field for the first time. I was their biggest fan," Johnson said. "I'm watching everything they do, Derek absolutely included. To be playing next to him and being on the same team is pretty amazing."

Johnson said that he was a shortstop in high school, so he paid close attention to all of the young shortstops around the league -- Jeter, of course, as well as players like Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra.

"Anybody that plays for the Yankees, you know who they are, even if you're not a fan," Johnson said. "When he was a rookie, you were definitely aware of Derek Jeter. Remember, that was also when all the other big-time shortstops, that was the big thing."

Johnson said that as an opponent, Jeter always made time to say hello to players on the other team, even rookies with only a few days of big league service under their belts. Johnson said that he has already learned that Jeter seems to be even more fun as a teammate.

"It's a long year. He keeps it light and has fun," Johnson said. "You can tell that this is where he's wanted to be his whole life. It really shows."

Bombers bits

• Dressed in his full pinstripes for Thursday's Grapefruit League game, Brian Roberts said that he got a strange look from the Pirates' Chris Dickerson, who was a teammate of Roberts' with the Orioles last season.

"Dude, you just look weird,'" Dickerson told Roberts.

Roberts acknowledged that it is an adjustment to be dressing in navy blue pinstripes instead of black and orange, but he said that staying in the American League East and knowing Yankee Stadium well should help.

"I think in some ways I just feel strange," Roberts said. "But I think if I was putting on a San Diego Padres uniform, it would be even more weird."

• Left-hander Francisco Rondon (back) is "probably down for a couple of weeks," according to Girardi. Rondon felt stiffness while warming up on Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla.

• Right-hander Jose Ramirez had MRIs performed Thursday on his oblique and back. He was sidelined last season with an oblique injury that was originally thought to be a back issue.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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