The Yankees got a great start from Gerrit Cole but managed just four hits in their 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
Here are the takeaways…
– Cole made his second start of spring training and after giving up a leadoff single, he settled in and retired the next three batters. Cole opened the second with a strikeout on a 97 mph fastball, got a ground out, and then used his slider to strike out Moises Gomez to retire the side.
Cole plunked Masyn Winn to lead off the third, but then struck out three straight Cardinals to get out of the inning without any damage. Cole came back out for the fourth and gave up a leadoff single to top prospect Jordan Walker. He then struck out Juan Yepez (his last batter of the day), finishing after 57 pitches (40 strikes) over 3.1 innings while allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts.
– Aaron Judge singled to right with one out in the bottom of the first, pocket Anthony Rizzo grounded into the 4-6-3 double-play to end the inning. Judge finished the day 1-for-2 with a strikeout, while Rizzo went 1-for-2 as well.
– Giancarlo Stanton, playing right field with Judge playing left field, beat out a dribbler down the first base line in his first at-bat of the day, but was eventually left stranded on third. He went 1-for-2 before coming out of the game with the rest of the starters after the fifth inning.
– Greg Weissert replaced Cole on the mound in the top of the fourth and despite a wild pitch, got through the inning unscathed. Weissert was pulled for Aaron McGarity after walking a batter, and McGarity would go on to give up back-to-singles with a run coming across the plate.
– Clay Holmes tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning and was replaced by Wandy Peralta in the seventh. Peralta allowed a ground-rule double, a single and then a three-run homer to Brendan Donovan that gave St. Louis has a 4-0 lead.
– Young outfielders Oswaldo Cabrera and Estevan Florial both went hitless off the bench, while pinch-hitter Rodolfo Duran recorded the team’s fourth and final hit in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Highlights
What’s Next
The Yankees will take on the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Thursday at 1:05 pm