The Yanks‘ The 5-2 spring training loss at the Toronto Blue Jays was a rusty debut of 2023 Nestor Cortes as the left-hander returned from a hamstring injury.
Five things to know about Saturday’s game
1. Cortes fought and allowed five runs (all earned) on three hits (two homers) in 3 1/3 innings. He recorded four strikeouts, his three walks added up. Cortes threw 35 strikes from 52 pitches and gambled away a 2-0 lead New York had built up in the first inning.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched a hanging two-out, 0-1 off-speed pitch over the left field wall that dented the Yankees’ early advantage, 2-1. The second inning was similar when Cortes – again with two outs – gave up a two-run shot Whit Merrifield that gave Toronto a 3-2 lead.
2. How the Yankees got on the board was a positive development as a top prospect, however Anthony Volpe — leading away — still has an impressive source to walk to the base. Next, Aaron Richter just missed a two-run homer on a deep double to left-center field that previously gave the Yankees runners second and third places Anthony Rizzo And Gian Carlo Stanton got the job done in the next few bats.
Rizzo’s soft groundball down the middle made for a 6-3 putout, but not before Volpe scored. Stanton’s groundball down center found the hole and hit Judge, who advanced to third on the Rizzo groundout and presented a 2-0 cushion to Cortes.
3. Volpe stayed hot and continued his batting job in the third inning when he hit a groundball down the middle, though the Yankees couldn’t get him any further.
The judge’s fielder’s 6-4 selection put Volpe in second place, but the shortstop ended his day with a 1-for-3 line in the box. Volpe is posting .297/.422/.568 with two homers and three RBI in 13 games this spring.
4. Stanton also continued to shine with a leadoff double in the sixth inning as he cemented his 2-on-3 afternoon on the plate. In nine games this spring, Stanton is posting .280/.333/.360 with two doubles and three RBI.
5. In particular, according to Cortes, right-handed helpers Michael King And Jonathan Loaisiga fired from the bullpen the following 2 2/3 innings.
King came in for Cortes with an out and two ons in the fourth, allowing two of the runs that ultimately billed Cortes. After handing over the Danny Jansen RBI double and Merrifield RBI single that dug the Yankees deficit to 5-2, King worked from the inning Kevin Kiermaier‘s F7 and George Springeris P3. King settled in for fifth and hit the road Bo Bichette and fan a swinging Guerrero before he scores Daulton Varsho with a two-out pitch and Matt Chapman‘s F8 to end the frame. In 1 2/3 innings, King threw 18 strikes from 25 pitches.
Meanwhile, Loaisiga — who was returning from the World Baseball Classic with Nicaragua and making his first relief appearance for the Yankees since March 4 — was perceptive. He delivered a 1-2-3 sixth by swinging back Cavan Biggio vibrate, ground Stevie Berman too short and Davis Scheider for third place in the eight-pitch inning (six strike).
highlights
What’s next
The Yankees (9-13) host the Baltimore Orioles from George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
Source : sports.yahoo.com