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Spring Training Game 17: Drew, McCann hit home runs

New York Yankees 12 — Atlanta Braves 5

Masahiro Tanaka made his second start of the spring and continues to be effective. In the first inning, Tanaka generated a ground out with a pair of strikeouts, one looking and one swinging. In the second inning, Tanaka did give up a one-out single but responded with a double play. After a scoreless third inning, he would get two more outs in the fourth inning before a two-out double would finish the night for him.

In 3 2/3 scoreless innings, Masahiro Tanaka allowed two hits while walking none and striking out three.

In the third inning, Chase Headley hit a single to score the first run of the game. In the fourth inning, the big hits started coming from the Yankees. Against a left-handed pitcher, Garrett Jones would hit a double to right field. Stephen Drew would hit a big fly with a two-run home run to right field to put the Yankees ahead by three. A third left-handed bat expected to struggle against left-handed pitchers succeeded in the inning with a single by Didi Gregorius but the three runs would be all the Yankees could generate in the fourth.

In the fifth inning, Chase Headley walked against another left-handed relief pitcher for the Braves. Once with the Braves, Brian McCann would hit a two-run home run to right field for his first of the spring. Mark Teixeira would hit a double after the home run and he would come around to score on a two-out Chris Young single. Didi Gregorius would hit a triple for the second two-out run of the inning. The Yankees had a seven-run lead after five innings.

Jose Ramirez finished the fourth inning for Tanaka and stayed in to pitch in the fifth inning. After getting the first two outs, Alberto Callaspo reached on an error by Garrett Jones at first base. The adventures at first base continued for Jones, who deflected a single off of his glove, extending the inning with two on and two out. Former Yankee Kelly Johnson would strike with a two-out, three-run home run to right field, getting the Braves on the board in a big way.

In the sixth inning, the Yankees would achieve an unusual feat, scoring three runs without the benefit of a hit. Brett Gardner, Jonathan Galvez and Brian McCann would all get on base by walk. A balk by the pitcher allowed a run to score and a pair of sacrifice flies by Tyler Austin and Garrett Jones extended the Yankees runs to 10 for the night.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, the Yankees were excited about for some time now. Andrew Bailey took the mound for his spring debut. Bailey would get the first two outs but an error by second baseman Rob Refsnyder kept the inning going. Andrelton Simmons and Alberto Callaspo would take advantage of the moment and hit a pair of line drive singles, scoring one run in the inning.

In one inning, Andrew Bailey allowed one unearned run on two hits.

The Yankees would add on two more as they displayed a much needed offensive outburst that was hard to find with the team put on the field last year.

 

Win – Masahiro Tanaka (1-0)

Loss – Mike Foltynewicz (0-2)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Brian McCann – 2 for 2, 2 R, 2 BB, Two-run Home Run (1) in the 5th, 2 RBI (3)

*Stephen Drew – 1 for 3, R, Two-run Home Run (1) in the 4th, 2 RBI (3)

Braves

*Kelly Johnson – 1 for 2, 2 R, BB, Three-run Home Run (1) in the 5th, 3 RBI (4)

*Alberto Callaspo – 1 for 3, R, RBI (2)

 

Current Yankees Spring Record: 10-6