The Yankees faced the Blue Jays on Tuesday in Dunedin after winning three straight spring games. With Toronto
giving José Berríos the ball and the Yanks fielding a roster nearly entirely made up of non-regulars, it was going to be
difficult. The Jays were able to connect hits together at the appropriate times, while the offense stayed largely silent.
Against Berríos, the Yankees started working straight away in the first inning. After a walk to lead off, two hitters
later, Jose Trevino pushed Trent Grisham to third base with a single up the middle. Then, Jose Rojas took advantage
of the situation, scoring the game’s lone run for New York with a ground ball single. In addition, Berríos reached 25
pitches after only two outs, which made the Jays bring on Nick Fraze to finish the inning.
But Toronto didn’t hold back when they responded in kind. After George Springer led off with a double, the Jays tied
the game at one with a Justin Turner single up the middle. Bo Bichette then replaced Springer at second base with a
fielder’s choice comebacker that may have been performed more skillfully. Turner would finish up doubled up at first
on a Daulton Varsho lineout to right, ending the inning.
Berríos was able to return to the field to start the second inning, when he settled down in a stunning display of spring
training beauty. Following a difficult start to his day, the two-time All-Star went two innings without giving up a run.
Dennis Santana, the right-hander for the Yankees, had a short day as well. In just 1.2 innings, he gave up three hits
and a run, but he finished the game with back-to-back strikeouts and a fastball mph of 98.
The Yankees’ next batter, Duane Underwood Jr., took Santana’s spot in the second. He got by on just one pitch to
close his first inning, but in the third he gave up some runs. Turner scored his second RBI single of the afternoon
after the Jays had two runners in scoring position. Turner struck again. After three innings, Varsho would add one of
his own to put the Blue Jays ahead 3-1.
After giving up a double to Rojas in the fourth inning, Berríos came back to the mound and finished the game with
3.1 innings of strong work, striking out three Yankees and giving up just one run. In the fourth inning, Clayton
Andrews started for the Yanks and gave his old friend Isiah Kiner-Falefa a walk. He also struck Santiago Espinal with
a pitch, but a double play ball saved him from harm. Grisham stole two bases on walks during the Yankees’ fifth-
inning turn, but he was unable to advance.
And thus the fifth-inning hit parade of the Blue Jays began. Bichette opened the scoring with a single while Andrews
was still in the mound, and Turner followed with his own, his third hit of the contest. After this, Toronto would score
five runs in a row, increasing their lead to 6-1. Espinal doubled to score two more after IKF K’d, bringing the score to
8-1.
Over the course of the fifth and sixth, substitutes started to make their way into both squads, and this one started to
move quickly. In the sixth, Jorbit Vivas reached for his third time; the first two were on hit-by-pitch plays, but the
Yanks were silent once more, matching the Jays’ action against Yorlin Calderon. Caleb Durbin was unable to score
for the Yanks despite having another chance in the seventh, and the pitching at least calmed down to put the Jays
down 1-2-3. The eighth was quiet for both teams, so the Yanks needed to put in a huge effort to close the gap. Both
Durbin and Benjamin Cowles hit in the game, but the Jays defeated the Yankees 8-1 thanks to another double play.
Grisham, Vivas, and Rojas all made many deep runs, as did Santana, who once again shown some impressive flashes.
Even though it wasn’t the longest outing, as Opening Day approaches, he might have a track to one of the final few
bullpen slots.
On Wednesday, the
Yankees will host the
Red Sox, another team
from the AL East, at
George M.
Steinbrenner Field.
They are scheduled to
play Nick Pivetta on
YES at 1:05 PM ET.
They have not yet revealed who will start for them.