The Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 on Monday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways…
– Righty Clarke Schmidt got the start for the Yankees, going 4.1 innings while allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Schmidt didn’t have the best spring, pitching to a 5.03 ERA, but he ended his exhibition slate on a high note.
– Fresh off of officially making the Opening Day roster and winning the staring shortstop job, Anthony Volpe made a couple of nice plays in the field, turning a nice 6-4-3 double play on a ball to his right and then cutting down a runner at third base on a grounder later in the game.
Volpe went 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk, with his spring batting average at .302.
– Oswaldo Cabrera started in right field, doubling home a run in the bottom of the fourth with a liner into the right field corner, giving the Yanks a lead. Cabrera leads the team with 14 RBI this spring, and he figures to play a key role this year, although he may end up playing all over the diamond.
– Outfielder Rafael Ortegafighting for one of the final roster spots, helped his cause with a monster go-ahead solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Ortega, 31, went 1-for-2 with a homer and a walk. While his .162 average this spring isn’t much to write home about, he could provide some pop off the bench.
– The Yankees used their high-leverage relievers, with Wandy Peralta, Jonathan Loaisiga, Clay Holmes, and Ron Marinaccio all appearing. That group combined to go 2.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits with four strikeouts.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees play one final exhibition game against the Nationals in Washington on Tuesday at 12:05 pm
Their regular season starts on Thursday, when they host the San Francisco Giants at 1:05 pm