The New York Mets defeat the Washington Nationals

The New York Mets defeated the Houston Astros on Tuesday afternoon.  The final score was 6-2. 

The game took place at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  Zack Wheeler made his spring

debut and Curtis Granderson had a big day. 

Wheeler started for the Mets and pitched three scoreless innings.  He gave up two hits and struck out three batters without walking any.  Kyle Farnsworth pitched an inning giving up a hit, Goeddel pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up three hits and two runs with two strikeouts and Vic Black pitched an inning giving up three walks and striking out one.  Walters pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings and Rice pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out two. 

Eric Young Jr. drew a walk, Matt den Dekker had a hit and Chris Young had a hit and an RBI.  Brandon Nimmo had a hit and an RBI, Granderson had two hits and three RBI and Puello had a hit.  Allen had a hit, Josh Satin drew a walk and Travis d'Arnaud had two hits.  Centeno had a hit, Taylor Teagarden drew a walk and Seratelli had a hit and drew a walk. 

Young, Seratelli and Puello each hit a double.  Granderson hit two homeruns and the Mets were 3-8 with runners in scoring position.  They left 11 men on base.  Muno had a stolen base and den Dekker was caught stealing.  Allen committed an error and Young had an outfield assist. 

The Mets will play  a split squad on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals. 

New York Yankees news and notes from the past couple of days

Andy Pettitte showed up in camp on Monday.  he is only sta ing a couple of days this time and no will not be coming out of retirement. He will be back with his family on Wednesday and stated that he is enjoying it and had no itch to go back to training and getting ready for the season this winter.  He stated as a competitor you will always miss it but he is happy with being home and spending more time with his family.  As far as Derek Jeter goes he said he was surprised but not surprised.  He said that they talked a lot about it last year and he knew Derek was different then in years past.  He said that he and Mo knew but just didn't know when it would be. 

Brian McCann is the new catcher so he hasn't seen Ivan Nova be great and also have his down times in the last couple of years.  He didn't see hit  have to go to AAA and then come back and dominate with a 2.78 ERA in the second half of last season.  What he has seen is what is happening so far in spring training.  Nova threw 36 pitches on Monday and 31 of them were strikes.  It was his second spring start. "When you've got good stuff, you can pund the zone all day long and you can go right at hitters."  McCann said.  "It doesn't matter.  He changes eye levels.  He does so many good things.  Today's outing was beyond impressive."  Those are very nice words from an all-star catcher who has seen his share of good pitching in Atlanta. 

Nova said that he has set some goals for this year but wouldn't exactly reveal them.  He did say this though "I don't want to be going back and forth every time.  I just want to be a pitcher that the team can trust every five days.  I just want to do my job every five days.  That's one of the goals that I really want, that I want to be consistent.  I think I can do that and be really good.  My body feels good, so I'll just wait until the season and prove what I can do." 

He also discussed winning a championship.  If he continues doing what he is doing it will help towards that. 

He is a number four starter and maybe number three if they break up the two Japanese pitchers.  He has the

potential to be a top of the rotation type guy though.

The Yankees play a night game Tuesday night in Tampa.  Derek Jeter will DH in that game instead of making

the long trip to Port Charlotte to face the Rays on Wednesday.  Mark Teixeira took live BP on Monday, he will

take more on Tuesday.  He will rest on Wednesday and then get in a game on Thursday.  Alfonso Soriano is

also expected to make his debut on Thursday. 

David Robertson made his spring debut on Monday.  There is no way to predict a save in spring and even if

you saved him for the ninth inning he would be facing all minor leaguers anyway.  He hit the first batter that

he faced and then got a double play and a fly ball out.  He stated it was ok.  "I got three outs, I can't complain

about that.  I didn't walk anybody.  I accidentally hit the first batter on my second pitch.  it was a decent

outing.  I felt like my velocity was good.  I was behind everything.  I pulled maybe five or six pitches that I

shouldn't have out of the zone.  That was really it."  He will get a lot of scrutiny because he is becoming the

closer following the iconic MO.  It wouldn't be a job that I would want but he has been on the team for a

while and has been a great set-up man.  He deserves the chance.  I don't think we will really know about him

until a couple of months into the season, I would bet on him being fine though. 

Nova only needed 36 pitches in three innings so eh went to the bullpen after the game to get up to 45

pitches.  In his first start 35 pitches wasn't enough to get through two innings.  He showed great

improvement and that is what you look for. 

Joe Namath was in camp today and the players seemed to enjoy it.  Namath seemed to really relish it

as well. He threw out the first pitch dressed in all Yankees gear.  He talked a lot about Jeter.  He said

he played baseball in high school but back then he wasn't allowed to play two sports at Alabama in

college. 

Steve Donahue knows him from being an interim trainedr with the Jets when Namath played.  When

Robertson was a freshman at Alabama he had a class with Namath's daughter Jessica who was also at

the game.  They did some catching up.  Brett Gardner is hitting 429 in the early going.  Francisco

Cervelli is hitting 571 in the early going. 

New York Yankees win third straight grapefruit league game

The New York Yankees won their third straight spring game on Sunday afternoon.  They defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by the score of 8-2 in Dunedin, Florida.  Vidal Nuno got the start and pitched ok in his couple innings of work.  Eduardo Nunez and Carlos Beltran hit back-to-back homeruns and John Ryan Murphy added a three run shot later in the game. 

Nuno pitched two innings giving up two hits and a run with no walks and three strikeouts.  Bryan Mitchell picked up the victory pitching two innings and giving up three hits with no runs.  He walked none and struck out three, Shane Greene pitched two innings giving up three hits and a run with a strikeout and Bruce Billings pitched an inning giving up a hit.  Fred Lewis pitched an inning giving up a hit and a walk with a strikeout and Matt Daley pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts. 

Jacoby Ellsbury drew a walk, Nunez had a hit and two RBI and Solarte had two more hits.  He is hitting close to 900 as the early standout in camp.  Beltran had a hit and an RBI, Murphy had a hit and three RBI and Adonis Garcia had three hits.  Garcia has been a standout in camp also but he is an outfielder with no place to go.  Solarte could play third base and could be an intriguing case if he keeps it up.  Austin Romine had a hit and drew a walk, Gary Sanchez had a hit and Brendan Ryan had a hit.  Corban Joseph had an RBI, Dean Anna had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Ramon Flores had a hit. 

Garcia hit a double,Nunez, Beltran and Murphy each hit a homerun.  Nunez and Beltran went back-to-back.  The Yankees were 3-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Garcia had a stolen base and Romine was caught stealing.  Nunez and Joseph each committed an error.  Garcia had an outfield assist.  The Yankees will be home in Tampa to take on the Washington Nationals on Monday afternoon.  Ivan Nova will get the start, Jeter will play in the game. 

New York Yankees Saturday notes

CC Sabathia started for the Yankees today and his velocity quickly became an issue again.  I wouldn't

really worry about it as it is the beginning of spring training.  The reason it comes up though is

because last year it was a big problem and he had the worst year of his career.  Sabathia can be

effective even without a great fastball, he just has to adjust to it.  He was sitting at 88 today but he

said he feels good and he was still effective. 

Sabathia said that last year he threw a lot of fastballs in the dirt and today the ball stayed true and he was behind everything.  He said his arm feels great.  The manager said he isn't going to make much of the velocity  and thinks if he is downhill and locating he will be able to get people out. 

Alfonso Soriano was originally scheduled to make his spring debut on Sunday.  He was scratched to still not feeling well enough to play.  He saw the doctor again as he has been hit hard with the flu bug.  Joe Girardi said it will be a few more days.  They don't feel he is quite at full strength and don't want to run him out there like that. 

Girardi has his pitching rotation mapped out but won't reveal it past Wednesday yet.  He said he will announce it soon maybe even on Sunday.  The people want to know when Masahiro Tanaka will make his first start and also when Michael Pineda will.  I would say probably by the end of next week for both of them.  Pineda is throwing a sim game on Sunday. 

Why was Brian McCann catching on Saturday and DH on Sunday??  Joe Girardi said it is just moving him around so he sees other pitchers.  Girardi also said maybe he won't make every road trip.  He also lines up to catch Ivan Nova on Monday. 

Derek Jeter had some chances in the field today and looked good.  His mobility is there and he isn't favoring anything.  It is night and day from last year and he appears ready to go for the season.  He will continue to get in shape like everyone else and should be fine for the regular season. 

Dellin Betances has a chance to make the team out of the bullpen and so far he has been impressive.  If he keeps it up he will be on the team.  Cervelli talked about Tanaka and said it is like he has pitched in the majors before.  That he has that calm demeanor and it's cool.  He said he has been doing really well in the clubhouse as well. 

The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday afternoon.  It was an

exhibition game that took place at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.  The Yankees had their top

three starters all pitching in the game.  CC Sabathia started followed by Hiroki Kuroda and then

finally by Masahiro Tanaka.  They all pitched well and Derek Jeter played in his second game. 

The final score was 4-0 and the Yankees won the game.  CC Sabathia started and pitched two scoreless innings.  He gave up two hits and struck out one.  Kuroda pitched two innings and only threw 17 pitches.  He gave up a hit and struck out two batters.  He was so effective that he had to throw more in the bullpen after his outing.  Tanaka pitched two scoreless innings giving up two hits.  He struck out three and was impressive for his first outing.  Dellin Betances pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up a walk and Cesar Cabral pitched 1 1/3 innings striking out two. 

Brett Gardner had a hit, Jeter drew a walk and reached on an error and Dean Anna had a hit.  Brian McCann had a hit and drew two walks, Francisco Cervelli had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and John Ryan Murphy drew a walk.  Kelly Johnson drew a walk, Yangervis Solarte drew a walk and Ichiro Suzuki had a hit and an RBI.  Adonis Garcia had a hit and two RBI, Corban Joseph had a hit and Antoan Richardson had a hit. 

McCann hit a double, the Yankees were 3-13 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base.  Anna had a stolen base and Joseph was caught stealing.  Anna committed an error.  The Yankees will travel to Dunedin on Sunday to face the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Yankees starter will be Vidal Nuno.