The New York Yankees ended on the wrong side of the final score in their first spring training game. They lost 7-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. However, the first game in the 2023 Grapefruit League witnessed a stand-out performance by the Yankees’ rookies.
Yankees Jasson Dominguez signals his arrival
Jasson Dominguez played his first game for the Yankees on Saturday. The player, who had a stellar 2022 in Double-A, signaled his progress to the big-league class with a home run.
The 20-year-old started in the Yankees center field, but what he did with his bat made the news. The Dominican player grounded out in his first at-bat. In the fifth inning, he went on to hit the first homer for himself and that of this spring. Dominguez lifted a first-pitch slider with a massive strike and it crosses the fence for a home run. This tied the game at two. The Philly broadcast was right to say that “The Martian” sent the ball to Mars.
Torres stood out
Gleyber Torres had a good game. He is in the last year of his contract and is trying to get a starting spot. In his first at-bat, Torres hit a double. In the third inning, he hit a solo home run to get the Yankees on the board and cut the Phillies’ lead to 2-1. The player went 2-for-3, drove in a run, and scored a run.
Cabrera failed to impress Yankees fans
Oswaldo Cabrera did well at bat, but his on-field performance was far from being called an impressive show. He helped the Yankees gain a 4-2 upper hand after hitting a single in the fifth inning that drove in two runs. But in the bottom half of that inning, he missed a single that went to the wall because he was running too fast. This allowed the Phillies to make a comeback. The Yankees aren’t sure if they can trust Cabrera to play left field, so they’re giving him a chance to show that he can do it. But the first spring training game wasn’t a good one for him.
Bader got a new role
The Yankees tried Harrison Bader as a designated hitter. The player, who had a great postseason, went 0-for-3. However, his new role opened the outfield for Cabrera, Dominguez, and Estevan Florial. Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-3.
Weissert did well but Vasquez baffled hopes
Greg Weissert, who pitched one inning and gave up only one walk and one strikeout, was one of the team’s best. Weissert pitched for the Yankees at the end of the season, and now he is trying to get a spot in the bullpen. However, Randy Vasquez gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in one inning.
Tyler Danish also gave up two runs on two hits. Alex Mauricio did a great job in his one inning, where he got two outs.
The Yankees will play two games against the Braves and the Blue Jays with two different teams on Sunday.
