TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees sent a near-Opening Day lineup to the plate Wednesday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It took all of one inning to see what that group can do when it gets rolling.
Five runs in the first. Three home runs by the time it was over. And a pitching prospect who continues to turn heads on the mound. The Yankees cruised past the Atlanta Braves 7-3 in Grapefruit League play, delivering their most convincing offensive showing of the spring.
Rodriguez breezes through a seven-pitch first inning
Pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez set the tone before the Yankees even picked up their bats. The right-hander retired the side in the top of the first on just seven pitches. Brett Wisely popped to left on the first pitch of the afternoon. Nacho Alvarez Jr. grounded to first two pitches later. Dom Smith, a former Scranton product, managed only a check-swing tapper in front of the mound.
Rodriguez finished the day with three innings of work, allowing two earned runs on two hits with four strikeouts and a walk. He ran into trouble in the third when Alvarez roped a 1-2 sinker to right for a two-run double that scored both baserunners. But Rodriguez recovered quickly to retire Smith and preserve a 5-2 lead.
The Yankees erupt for five runs with two outs in the first
All five first-inning runs came with two outs and two strikes. That is the kind of damage that makes a lineup dangerous.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. got things started against former Yankee Carlos Carrasco. With Aaron Judge standing on first base, Chisholm launched a high drive to right field. Former Baby Bomber Ben Gamel had a chance to make the catch, but the ball bounced off the top of the wall and into the stands. Two-run homer. Chisholm’s first of the spring.
Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells followed with consecutive singles to keep the inning alive. Ryan McMahon then worked an 0-2 count full before slashing an opposite-field double down the line that plated both runners and doubled the Yankees’ lead to 4-0. McMahon also advanced to third on an errant throw to the cutoff man.
Jose Caballero brought McMahon home with a two-out double of his own to make it 5-0. Seth Brown finally ended the frame with a pop-up.
Goldschmidt continues to crush the ball early in camp
Goldschmidt added a solo home run in the third inning off reliever Elieser Hernandez for his second homer of the spring. The ball came off his bat at 102.4 mph. But it was his first-inning single against Carrasco that really stood out. That one was smoked at 108 mph.
Results in February can be misleading, especially for veterans. But quality of contact is a better measuring stick. In that department, Paul Goldschmidt has been consistently barreling the ball through the first week of Grapefruit League games. If the Yankees’ first baseman can carry that swing into the regular season, it would give the lineup another right-handed power threat alongside Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Spencer Jones adds to the power display
Spencer Jones reminded everyone why his raw power remains among the most tantalizing in the Yankees system. The outfield prospect crushed his second home run of the spring, keeping up a pattern of loud contact throughout the early exhibition schedule. Jones is fighting for a roster spot, and days like Wednesday make the conversation harder for the Yankees to ignore.
Doval works through a shaky spring debut
Camilo Doval, acquired from the Giants this offseason, made his spring debut in the fourth inning. It did not start well. Gamel greeted Doval with a solo home run to right field to make it 6-3. Keirsey Jr. then reached base, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
But Doval recovered. He struck out two batters to strand the runner at third and escape the inning. It was not a clean outing, but the ability to regroup after early trouble was encouraging for a reliever the Yankees are counting on in high-leverage spots.
The Yankees bullpen locks things down
Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest handled the fifth and sixth innings, working around consecutive singles to start the fifth by inducing a double play and retiring the side. His ability to pitch multiple innings could be valuable for a Yankees staff that will need flexible arms early in the season while Cole and Rodon remain on the shelf.
The Yankees pitching staff held the Braves to just three runs on the day, with the bulk of Atlanta’s damage coming on the Alvarez double and Gamel homer.
The Yankees head to Fort Myers on Friday to face the Minnesota Twins. Luis Gil will make his second start of the spring.
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