New York Yankees sweep the split squad games on Sunday

The New York Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves at home in Tampa by the score of 7-3 on Sunday

afternoon.  In Panama they defeated the Miami Marlins by the score of 7-0 on Sunday afternoon. 

The pitching was very good on Sunday.  Masahiro Tanaka started in Tampa and was very good and

CC Sabathia was great in Panama.  Francisco Cervelli and Yangervis Solarte continued their hot

hitting in Panama.  In Tampa Brian McCann had a couple of RBI. 

Tanaka pitched 4 1/3 innings giving up three hits and a run with two walks and six strikeouts.  Matt Thornton picked up the win pitching 2/3 of an inning.  He gave up two hits and a run, Shawn Kelley pitched an inning striking out two and Greene pitched two innings giving up a hit and a run with four strikeouts.  Dellin Betances pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and a strikeout. 

In Tampa Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, an RBI and drew a walk.  Suzuki was filling in for the injured Jacoby Ellsbury.  Eduardo Nunez had two hits and drew a walk, Mark Teixeira drew a walk and McCann had a hit and two RBI.  Kelly Johnson had a hit, Rob Segedin had a hit and Ramon Flores had two hits and an RBI.  Ben Gamel had a hit, Pete O'Brien drew a walk and Wilson had a hit.  Mason Williams had a hit and an RBI.  Suzuki and McCann each hit a double.  The Yankees were 6-15 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.  Nunez had a stolen base.

In Panama CC Sabathia pitched five no hit innings.  He retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced.  Only 1 reached base on an error.  He walked none and struck out five and picked up the win.  David Robertson pitched a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout, Preston Claiborne pitched a scoreless inning giving up a hit and Cesar Cabral pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout.  Chris Leroux pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts. 

Antoan Richardson had two hits, Derek Jeter drew a walk and Gary Sanchez had a hit and two RBI.  Carlos Beltran had a hit and an RBI, Adonis Garcia had a hit and Zoilo Almonte had two hits.  Francisco Cervelli had three hits and an RBI, Yangervis Solarte had three hits and two RBI and Zelous Wheeler had a hit and an RBI.  Corban Joseph had a hit, Wheeler, Joseph and Richardson each hit a double and Sanchez hit a homerun.  The Yankees were 4-15 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Wheeler and Solarte each committed an error and Almonte had an outfield assist. 

The Yankees are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Florida on Monday afternoon.  The regulars that made the trip to Panama will get the day off and then get back to work on Tuesday. 

New York Yankees notes

The Yankees scratched Jacoby Ellsbury from the lineup and he will be out from a couple of days to

maybe even a week.  It is a sore calf and everyone is downplaying it but the Yankees say they want

to be cautious.  Ellsbury said if it was the regular season he would of played. 

Mashahiro Tanaka started on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.  It was a good test for him as they had their A lineup in the game.  Freddie Freeman, the Upton Brothers, Dan Uggla and more.  Tanaka was really good only giving up a run and pitching 4 1/3 innings.  He had a couple of long innings that got his pitch count up.  He did strike out six batters and continues to impress.  He seems to have the poise and control which is important.  He needs to build up more and he looks like a guy who isn't going to want to come out of games.  It will be interesting to see how everything translates to the regular season games but so far so good with him. 

Manny Banuelos was optioned to high A today.  It may not be where he ends up but for now he will be in minor league camp and getting regular work.  He actually seemed happy and excited about it.  The Yankees are still talking about where to place him for the season.  He may start in A Tampa because of the warm weather but it still hasn't been determined.  Brian Cashman the GM said they plan on him staying a starter but he didn't rule out the possibility of him being a reliever at some point this season. 

CC Sabathia was dominant in Panama on Sunday.  He pitched five no hit innings and retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced.  The only man to reach base was on an error.  He struck out five batters.  There wasn't much talk about his velocity after this game. 

David Robertson pitched a scoreless inning and Francisco Cervelli and Yangervis Solarte continued their hot hitting in Panama.  Cervelli was 3-3 on Sunday and Solarte was 3-5.  Dellin Betances finally gave up a run this spring.  He still didn't lose it completely though.  He gave up a hit and a walk and a run on an RBI groundout.  He got through the inning though. 

Brendan Ryan went through fielding drills and indoor batting practice as planned.  He should be back in games by the end of the week. 

The Yankees other half will be back to playing by Tuesday/Wednesday.  They are just coming back from Panama on Sunday night and will be off on Monday.  They should be ready to go on Tuesday and then they have a couple more full weeks in Tampa before camp breaks and they head to Houston to start the season.  There are some tough decisions to be made for final roster spots.  The guys competing for spots have all been pretty good, it will be a tough decision but that isn't a bad thing. 

The New York Yankees lose both ends of a split squad

The New York Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles and they lost to the Miami Marlins.  The final score in Sarasota, Florida against the Orioles was 2-1 and the final score in Panama against the Miami Marlins was 5-0.  The Yankees were no hit in the game in Panama.  Adam Warren started that game and pitched well.  In Florida Vidal Nuno started and pitched well.  Brian Roberts and Ramon Flores each had two hits. 

Warren in Panama pitched 4 1/3 innings giving up one run on two hits.  He didn't walk a batter and struck out six.  Warren took the loss, Chase Whitley pitched an inning giving up two hits and a run with a walk and a strikeout, Matt Daley pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings striking out one and Robert Coello pitched 1/3 of an inning and gave up a hit, three runs with two of them being earned.  He walked two and struck out one.  Yoshinori Tateyama pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and striking out one and Jim Miller struck out one and walked one in one inning. 

Brett Gardner and Zelous Wheeler each drew a walk.  The Yankees left three men on base.  Adonis Garcia committed an error.

In Florida Nuno pitched four innings giving up a hit and no runs.  He walked one and struck out three.  Burawa pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up three hits and a run, Mark Montgomery pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up a hit and a run and took the loss.  Brian Gordon pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. 

Dugas had a hit, Roberts had two hits and Kelly Johnson drew a walk.  Austin Romine drew a walk, Flores had two hits and Francisco Arcia had a hit, RBI and drew a walk.  Flores and Dugas each hit a double and Arcia hit a homerun.  The Yankees were 0-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. 

The Yankees will play another split squad on Sunday afternoon.  They will take on the Atlanta Braves in Florida and play the final game of the Legends Series in Panama against the Miami Marlins.   

New York Yankees lose to the Minnesota Twins

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Minnesota Twins on Friday afternoon.  The game took place at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida and the final score was 7-3 Twins.  David Phelps made the start and was ok.  He had a 75 pitch limit and only got through four innings.  Dellin Betances pitched great again.  The Yankees got hits and runs in the first inning and then didn't get either the rest of the game. 

Phelps pitched four innings giving up two runs on five hits.  He walked one and struck out four.  David Herndon pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and a strikeout, Banuelos took the loss pitching 1/3 of an inning and giving up two hits and four runs with two walks and a strikeout.  Fred Lewis pitched an inning giving up three hits and no runs with a walk and a strikeout, Betances pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings with two strikeouts and James Pazos pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. 

Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit, Brian Roberts had a hit and an RBI and Mark Teixeira had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk.  Eduardo Nunez had an RBI, Ramon Flores drew two walks and Ellsbury and Roberts each hit a double. 

The Yankees were 2-5 with runners in scoring position and left two men on base.  Segedin committed an error.  The Yankees will play two games on Saturday.  They will play the Miami Marlins in Panama honoring Mo as part of the legends two game series.  They will also play the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Florida. 

New York Yankees Friday notes

Brian McCann was scheduled to go to Panama and he said he was looking forward to it.  The

Yankees then decided to change it at the last minute and keep him in Florida.  He has never been

there and any other spring a trip like that he said would be good to break up the monotony that is

spring training.  He said though when the Yankees approached him about changing plans he was on

board. 

He said he is catching a lot because he needs to get to know the pitchers.  He is going to start doing back-to-back and by the end of spring probably do three games in a row.  He said you don't usually do that in spring training but he wants to catch everyone and really have a feel for them.  He stayed in Tampa specifically to catch Masahiro Tanaka on Sunday and Hiroki Kuroda on Monday.  He said he will probably get two more starts with each of them and then be ready to go for the season.  He expects to have caught each of the Yankees starters at least twice and some of them three times before camp breaks.  He would have caught CC Sabathia in Panama but the Yankees decided to prioritize him catching the two Japanese starters. 

Manny Banuelos made his second appearance on Friday and got knocked around again.  The results really don't matter at all right now.  The important thing for him is that he is getting in games and feeling good.  He will start the year in AAA Scranton and if he has a good year be knocking on the door to the big leagues.  The Yankees in Panama were scheduled to see the Panama canal on Friday and then have a big dinner Friday night for a charity that Mo is involved in. 

Mark Teixeira played on Friday and spoke about his lack of power.  He basically said he isn't worried about it.  He said it won't bother him if he leaves Florida without a homerun.  He said the important thing is that he feels good and is taking good swings and making good contact.  He said he knows the power will come because it is naturally there.  Eduardo Nunez making the final out of the fifth inning was spiked in the thigh.  Nunez said the slide was unnecessarily  rough and Rob Thomson the acting manager said he thought the runner forgot how many outs there were.  Nunez didn't think he did it on purpose though and wasn't that upset.  Nunez was pulled from the game as a precaution but he is fine. 

Brendan Ryan was able to hit and take ground balls on Friday.  He did them inside and is expected to do the same outside on Saturday.  David Phelps was ok but not great, his pitch count was 75 and he only lasted four innings.  I felt all along that Michael Pineda was the favorite for the fifth spot and so far going by the stats which you don't always do in spring he is winning.  I still say that he is going to be the fifth starter with Phelps as the new age Ramiro Mendoza and Adam Warren as the true long man. 

Dellin Betances threw another 1 2/3 scoreless innings on Friday.  He has been great all spring throwing eight shutout innings.  Fred Lewis is another guy who has pitched well for them this spring.  Betances when he got moved to the pen last year really showed maturity and took to it well.  He maybe has finally grown up and is ready to show the Yankees and their fans what he is capable of. 

New York Yankees news and notes from Tuesday/Wednesday

CC Sabathia did take his new cutter into the game on Tuesday.  He seemed happy with the results. 

He guessed he threw about eight or nine of them and didn't have a problem.  He said he will still use

the four seam fastball but as he gets up there in his career this is another weapon.  He said he

doesn't know if it will come right away or take a whole season but he will continue to work on it and

see what happens. 

Mark Teixeira still hasn't swung and missed and hasn't checked his swing.  He is happy so far though and stated he is feeling good.  He also said though that the more he plays the less those things seem like significant milestones.  He said he has swung at good pitches  and is taking good swings as well as getting good work in BP. 

Brendan Ryan swung with a broomstick on Tuesday.  He still has a mild oblique problem although he said it is more of a back issue and they are just being really cautious.  Masahiro Tanaka faced 18 batters in his sim game Tuesday and struck out nine.  The AP stayed behind in Tampa to document this.  He gave up four hits and a run in five innings.  He at one point threw 16 straight strikes.  I don't know about anyone else but what I am most impressed about is his control.  I think he will be a very good pitcher.  He has a good personality and has met every challenge so far. 

Brian McCann will catch Sabathia again on Sunday in Panama.  He is trying to learn all the pitchers.  He has already got high marks from a couple of the pitchers.  CC Sabathia who said he noticed something in his start Tuesday and made an adjustment with him that worked right away and also from Ivan Nova. 

Joe Girardi announced that McCann, Dean Anna, Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Beltran, Yangervis Solarte, Zelous Wheeler, John Ryan Murphy, Gary Sanchez and Jose Gil.  He said he isn't sure about the pitchers other then Sabathia and Adam Warren who are starting the two games.  That is entirely up to Larry Rothschild the pitching coach. 

Teixeira said he isn't going to Tampa because they don't have the training room that is ideal for him.  He needs a lot of extra work and staying back in Tampa is better for him.  The team that is going to Panama will be leaving at 6PM on Thursday. 

Jose Campos will make his spring debut in Wednesday's game.  He was added to the 40 man roster this spring and is the other pitcher in the Michael Pineda Seattle trade.  Dellin Betances was scheduled to throw a simulated game on Wednesday.  Ervin Santana has come off the market to sign with the Braves who had a couple of pitching injuries to throw them in the mix and sign him. 

The Yankees will have a bunch of minor leaguers come up to camp to fill the roster while the other half of the team is in Panama.  The call-ups will start on Thursday with the split squad.  Tyler Webb and Pat Venditte are coming up for the day as pitchers.  Wes Wilson, Rob Refsnyder, Carmen Angelini, Rob Segedin, Ali Castillo, Ben Gamel and Taylor Dugas. 

The games will start getting more interesting and the starters playing longer next week.  This is the kind of boring mundane part of the spring but Opening Day is quickly approaching so hang in there.   

New York Yankees Saturday notes

The New York Yankees are mourning the loss of Carmen Berra.  She is Yogi Berra's wife and she

passed away on Thursday night after complications from a stroke.  Here is the official

announcement from the Yankees.  "On behalf of the entire New York Yankees organization, we offer

our deepest condolences to the Berra family,"  Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement.  "Having

known Yogi and Carmen for so long, it is almost impossible to imagine two people who

complemented each other better then they did.  We will always remember Carmen's smile and

sense of humor, and her kindness and genrosisty will be dearly missed."

Vidal Nuno last started a game on Sunday, he threw a simulated game on Friday.  There aren't as many starts as there used to be and he eventually will get sent down to minor league camp.  He will make a start though when half of the team is in Panama for the legends series honoring Mariano Rivera. 

It looks like the travel squad for Panama is starting to take shape.  Dean Anna said he has been asked to go.  We know Derek Jeter is going, Dave Robertson said on Friday that he is going.  CC Sabathia, Brian McCann, Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran and Alfonso Soriano are all going also apparently.  We should find out the full travel roster this week. 

Mark Teixeira didn't take live BP on Friday but he is scheduled to play in the game on Saturday.  Adam Warren and Matt Daley each threw bullpens on Friday.  Michael Pineda came out of the bullpen to pitch his first two real innings of the spring.  He looked really impressive last night giving up a hit and striking out four.  The scouts had him at 91-93 with a good sharp slider.  He looked confident and really healthy according to the reports.  This is a great sign for the Yankees and if he is their fifth starter that is a huge plus for them. 

Brendan Ryan is being shut down for about a week.  He has soreness in his oblique, the tests came back clean but the Yankees just want to be cautious.  The first spring cuts are probably going to come a little later this year.  Girardi said the Yankees will probably wait until after the trip to Panama.  There are a bunch of split squads in a row so they want those guys to be in camp in Tampa to get through those games while the other half of the team is playing in Panama. 

Adam Warren and CC Sabathia will start the two games in Panama.  Jeter was 2-2 with a walk in Friday nights game.  He has now reached base in five straight plate appearances.  Tanaka next game will be a simulated game on Tuesday.  Nova will pitch on Saturday, Sunday will be Phelps, off day on Monday, Tanaka sim game on Tuesday with CC pitching the real game.  Kuroda will pitch Wednesday, Pineda at home on Thursday and Nova on the road.  Phelps Friday, Nuno Saturday at home and Warren in Panama with Tanaka in Florida on Saturday and CC in Panama. 

Kuroda allowed one hit, one walk and struck out five in his second spring start.  It looked pretty good to me but he wasn't happy with it.  "I struggled with my precise control today, so that caused a high pitch count."  He said "I think I was too cautious and trying to get both corners, but it didn't really work."  He threw 52 pitches and 30 for strikes.  He only lasted 2 2/3 innings. 

David Robertson was working on his changeup on Friday night.  He threw two of them and said he would like to incorporate that pitch a little more this season.  He always had it and used it more in 2012 then last season.  Alfonso Soriano played right field for the first time in his career last night.  The first ball that was put in play was of course at him.  He caught it and also hit a deep fly ball to left in his first at-bat.  He was 0-3 but this time only had one strikeout.