The Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3, on Monday afternoon in Tampa.
Here are the takeaways…
– Once again, there was no Aaron Judge in the lineup for the Yankees. Judge was scheduled to take batting practice before the game, but he didn’t end up doing so. Judge did shag fly balls in the outfield, and Aaron Boone said during the broadcast that Judge should be in the lineup on Wednesday.
Carlos Rodon, facing a split-squad Phillies lineup that only featured a couple of likely Opening Day starters, didn’t allow a hit his first time through the order, issuing only a walk while striking out three.
The lefty was the big story of the day, as he twirled 5.2 innings of no-hit ball. Rodon walked just one batter while striking out five in what was easily his best spring outing. And with Gerrit Cole out to start the season, the Yankees are going to need everything they can get from last offseason’s big signing.
– In a pretty cool moment for Yankees fans, it was former manager Joe Torre who came out of the dugout to make the pitching change when Rodon’s day was done, drawing a huge ovation from the crowd in Tampa.
– The Yanks finally allowed their first hit of the game in the top of the seventh inning, when Kody Clemens took Jonathan Loaisiga deep for a solo home run.
Oswaldo Cabrera opened the scoring for the Yanks with a solo home run off of Seranthony Dominguez in the bottom of the third inning. The utility man’s first big fly of the spring was a no-doubt shot to right, coming off the bat at 101.3 MPH.
Cabrera then ripped a double into the right field corner in the fifth inning, giving him a nice day at the plate.
– Juan Soto singled in his fourth and final at-bat of the day, his only hit of the afternoon. He’s hitting .294 this spring.
