S.T. Game 1. Cano, Almonte HRs spark 8-3 Yankees win.

Robinson Cano and Zoilo Almonte each homered, and David Phelps pitched two scoreless innings as the Yankees beat the Braves 8-3 in their spring training opener.

Almonte is a 23 year old switch-hitter who had a good camp last year. He is expected to begin this season at AAA. In AA last year he hit .277-21-70 in 106 games, stealing 15 bases in the process. His BB/K ratio needs some work, 25/103.

Almonte also had an outfield assist in the game.

2B Jose Pirela, who replaced Cano, went 2 for 2 with an RBI. Pirela, a 23 yr. old, righty-hitting 2B, hit .293-8-33, 9 SB in 82 games at AA Trenton last year.

In the competition for righty-hitting OF (and we can’t count out the switch-hitting Almonte), Juan Rivera DH’d today, going 1 for 2 with a walk, while Matt Diaz went 0 for 3 as the left fielder.

In the catching competition, Francisco Cervelli started and went 0 for 2 with a walk while Austin Romine went 1 for 2 and drove in 2 runs. Cervelli did throw out a runner attempting to steal.

Phelps, battling Ivan Nova for the 5 spot in the rotation, pitched 2 innings, giving up 0 runs on 3 hits. He didn’t walk or strike out anyone.

Brett Marshall gave up a run in 2 IP, Nik Turley pitched a scoreless inning, Mikey O’Brien gave up 2 runs in his inning of work, and Kelvin Perez, Brandon Pinder and Chase Whitley each pitched a scoreless inning.

The Yanks will open the home part of their exhibition season tomorrow. YES will have the game, and it’ll be broadcast on WCBS 880 AM radio as well.

S.T. game 3: Pineda good, Almonte stays hot in 9-3 Yanks’ loss..

This is why you don’t pay to much attention to wins and losses in spring training.

Adam Miller and Joel Cedeno gave up 8 runs in 1 1/3 innings as the Yanks lost to the Phils 9-3 today.

“Who?”, you may ask. Precisely. Miller won 15 games between high A and AA back for Cleveland in 2006. He missed most of 2008, all of 2009 and 2010 and didn’t do too well in his comeback year last year. Cedeno was in independent ball and didn’t put up good numbers there in 2011. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if both are flat out released and not even sent to the minors.

So take that with a grain of salt. Those two gave up 8 runs.

As for Pineda, 30 pitches, 19 strikes. 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 2 K, and yes, he mixed in some of those changes he is working on.

David Robertson gave up a run in the third. With two out, he walked Jimmy Rollins (who had 2 hits, a walk, and 2 SB). Rollins stole second and third, and then Polanco (2 hits, rbi) singled him in for a 1-0 Phils lead.

Cesar Cabral pitched the fourth. 1 IP 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K, 1 HBP.

In the fifth, a walk to Martin, who stole second. Nunez HBP (appears to be just bruised, he has been taken for precautionary X-rays). A couple flyouts plated the run. SF by Jayson Nix. Ramiro Pena was a CS.

The Yanks took the lead in the sixth when Gardner tripled and scored on an E-4 on the play.

Dan Burawa pitched a scoreless inning in the fifth, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks or K.

Then Miller and Cedeno let it get away.

Miller 1/3 IP (and that was Gus Molina chalking up a CS, he didn’t retire anyone on his own), 5 R, 2 H, 3 walks, 0 K and a HBP. Just flat out ugly.

Cedeno 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 walk and a K.

Ryan Pope finished up, 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H 0 walk and 2 K.

In the seventh, Chavez and Gus Molina (2 for 2 with that CS) singled, and with two out, a single by Nix loaded the bases. Zoilo Almonte came through again with an RBI single. Almonte, 22 and ticketed for AA, is now 5 for 5 this spring with 6 RBI. He’s a switch-hitter who hit .276-15-77 with 18 sb between high A and AA last year.

Update: Nunez is ok. X-Rays negative, just a bruise. CC and Hughes will go 2 each tomorrow.

S.T.: Yanks 8, Phils 5

The young pitching did pretty well today, as for the first 7 innings, Nova, Phelps, Banuelos and Betances gave up 2 R, 1 ER, on 3 H. Nice to see.

Curtis Granderson had a double and a solo HR. In 3 at bats so far this spring, CG has a single, double and HR.

CG, DeWayne Wise and Cole Garner had two hits each. Garner, like CG, went yard.

In the first, Granderson doubled (nice to see him rip a double off a tough lefty in Hamels…remember when CG had trouble vs. lefties?) and Ibanez blooped a double.

Nova was pretty good today, I thought. In the first, Nunez made an error (shades of last season) and Nova gave up a HR on a 3-0 pitch. The Phils gave Pence the green light, Nova was trying to throw a strike…

It was very windy at Clearwater today. Anyway, Nova, for the first time out, threw some nice breaking pitches. 2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 walks and 2 K.

Granderson’s HR tied it in the 3rd.

David Phelps pitched two scoreless innings. Overshadowed by the killer B’s, Banuelos and Betances, Phelps is a decent prospect in his own right (25, 7-7, 2.99 last year, Rk/AAA). 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K.

Banuelos came in and had a 1-2-3 fifth. In the sixth, he ran into trouble. He gave up a one-out double, and with two out, walked two batters to load the bases. Girardi stuck with him, which I liked. After all, it is just spring training. Let’s see what moxie the kid (21 later this month) has. Let’s see him work his way out of it. It’s how he learns. Banuelos got a popup.

Banuelos 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 walks, 0 K.

Meanwhile, in the top of the sixth, Cole Garner doubled and Jorge Vazquez singled to give the Yanks a 3-2 win. Banuelos would end up getting the win. It was a nice piece of hitting by Vazquez, who went the other way with two strikes on him.

Garner, 27, is an OF that was in Colorado’s system. In 46 minor league games last year, he hit .330-8-35 (AAA). At AAA in 2010, he hit .304-13-61. He was .288-16-64 for AA in 2010. He only has had a cup of tea in the majors, going 2 for 9, six strikeouts, 3 RBI last year. He is a .286 hitter in the minors. Garner most likely won’t make the team, and is probably AAA bound, but putting up a good impression now could lead to a callup in case of injury come midseason.

In the top of the 7th,  Dickerson doubled, Wise got an RBI single, and Garner hit a 2-run HR. 6-2, Yanks.

Dellin Betances struggled a bit in the bottom of the 7th. He threw eight consecutive balls to walk the first two hitters before getting a DP and a flyout.

Settle down, Dellin. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 walks, 0 K.

So today we saw 7 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 hits from Nova (25, 16-4, 3.70 for the Yanks last year), Phelps (see above, 25), Banuelos (see above, 21 in a few days) and Betances (24 in a few weeks) combined. That was very encouraging.

Cesar Cabral, a rule 5 lefty from Boston, pitched the 8th. Flyout, single, flyout, single, flyout. 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks, 0 K.

In the 9th, Dickerson walked, Wise singled, and Zoilo Almonte (he of  yesterday’s 4 RBI) hit a 2-run double. Nice from Almonte, probably AA bound. (22, .276-15-77, 18 SB at A+/AA last year).  8-2.

Lefty Mike O’Connor finished up with a sloppy 9th. 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 walk and 1 K for the final score of 8-5.

Garcia starts tomorrow. Halladay for the Phils.

 

Yanks beat USF 11-0; mostly the AA players were used

The Yanks played the University of South Florida today in an exhibition game (the USF coach is the bro-in-law of Tino Martinez). It was mostly the A/AA players who played, but the Yanks still won 11-0.

The starting lineup was Jeter/Granderson/Teix/A-Rod/Ibanez DH/Swish/Gardner/Nunez (2b) and Gus Molina. They only played for 3 innings or so.

Granderson had an RBI single.

Nunez had a 2-out triple in the 2d, but was left stranded.

Ramiro Pena (sorry for mentioning him, Dennis) had 2 hits, rbi triple, sb. Doug Bernier had 2 hits.

Zoilo Almonte had 2 hits, bases-loaded triple, 4 rbi. Almonte, 22, hit .276-15-77 with 18 SB (A+/AA). Expect him to start the yr. at AA.

RBIs also by David Adams, Colin Curtis (2 hits), Cole Garner. Curtis and Garner will probably be in the AAA OF.

Here is the pitching. See the prev. post for info on Warren. Yankees pitchers did not walk anyone.

Warren, 2 scoreless IP, 1 H, 2 K. Will be starting at AAA.
Brett Marshall, 2 IP, 1 K, 1 H. (22 later this month, 9-7, 3.78 @ A+, expect him to begin 2012 at AA).
Dan Burawa, 23, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K. 5-4, 3.66 @ A, A+. Could begin at AA.
Juan Cedeno 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K. Was in independent ball in 2011. 28, LHP. ???
Graham Stoneburner 1 IP, 0 H, 1 K. 24, 1-5, 4.04 (RK, A+AA). Expect him to begin at AA.
Ryan Pope 1 IP, 0 h, 1 K. 25, 2-3, 5.12 in 2011, A+/AA/AAA. Even though he made AAA last year, abundance of talent could force him back to AA.
Kevin Whelan 1 IP, 0 h, 2 K. Made majors, 1 2/3 iP for Yanks, walked 5.   2-3, 2.75, 23 saves for AAA last year, but is 28.

Ivan Nova will start tomorrow’s game vs. the Phils.

Minors on 5/28

AAA: SWB lost 4-3. I’m not sold on Brackman. 4 1/3, 2 R, only 1 H, SIX walks, 8 K. ERA 6.35. Sanit the loss. Kanekoa Texeira back in the organization, one out. Ramiro Pena HR, 2 RBI, HR (15) by Maxwell.

AA: DH. Game 1 Trenton wins 8-7. 2 doubles, 2 RBI Corban Joseph. 2 hits, 2 RBI (.293) Austin Romine. Cody Johnson HR, 2 RBI. Addison Maruszak 3 for 3. Igawa 5 R in 4 IP.

Game 2: 7-5 loss. Jose Gil 2 RBI. Pat Venditte 4 1/3 scoreless. (3.38)

High A: Won 4-2. Zoilo Almonte 2 h, triple, all 4 RBI.

Low A:   6-3 win for Charleston. Kyle Roller 2-run HR.

The minors today.

AAA: SWB lost 6-3. Solo HR for Vazquez, his 6th. Justin Maxwell HR. D.J. Mitchell 5 R in 4 2/3.

AA: As you saw from the prior notes, Trenton won the first game of a DH with a one-hit seven-inning shutout by Millwood, 8-0 (If a DH, games are just 7 innings each). Two hits and 3 RBI by Austin Krum. 2 RBI by Austin Romine. 3 RBI by Brad Suttle. 3 hits, 2 RBI by Ray Kruml. 3 hits by Jose Pirela.

Game 2: An 8-2 loss. Pat Venditte gave up 2 R in 1 IP. Craig Heyer 3 R, 1 ER in 5 IP.

High A. 11-3 win for Tampa. Brett Marshall 3 R, 2 ER in 5 ip. Mike Solbach 3 scoreless IP. Luke Murton 3 hits, 2 doubles, HR, 3 RBI. Zoilo Almonte HR, 2 RBI. Abe Almonte 3 hits, Rob Lyerly 2h, 4 rbi.

Low A. Lost 6-1. Four runs unearned.

The prospects tonight.

AAA: 5-3 win for SWB with 3 in the bottom of the 8th. Montero is still red-hot. 3 for 5. 1 RBI. Now hitting .471. I can’t say what his D is, unfortunately. Adam Warren 3 R in 6 IP. Adam Sisco (W) two scoreless IP, Kevin Whelan the 9th and the save.

AA: 8-1 win for Trenton. 2 hits, 2 RBI for Austin Krum. Same for Austin Romine. Graham Stoneburner, 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H. Igawa 3 scoreless innings for the save.

High A: 6-4 win for Tampa. Zoilo Almonte HR, 3 RBI. Rob Lyerly and Luke Murton with HRs. Not a good night for Mark Prior, however. 2 R in 1 IP.

Low A: Charleston scored 4 in the bottom of the 9th to tie, and won it in the 10th, 9-8. Slade Heathcott 2 hits. JR Murphy 2 hits, 2 RBI. Rob Segedin 2 hits, 3 RBI.