Yankees Spring Training Game 15: Castro fuels the victory with homer

Starlin Castro provided the offense in tonight's win.

Toronto Blue Jays 1 – New York Yankees 2

The Yankees got just enough offense and a gritty finish to defeat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

After a scoreless first inning from Nathan Eovaldi and the Blue Jays' Drew Hutchison, the Yankees got a two-out single to center field by Chase Headley. With the inning staying alive, Starlin Castro seized the moment in the biggest way when he drove a fly ball over the right center field wall for a two-run home run.

The home run continues adding to Castro's fantastic Spring as the Yankees take the early two-run lead.

Despite a smooth first inning, Nathan Eovaldi created a rough second inning as he could not command his pitches as evident by the two walks in the inning, his last of the night.

In two scoreless innings, Nathan Eovaldi allowed no his but walked two with his two strikeouts.

Vinnie Pestano pitched a scoreless third inning and Aroldis Chapman followed with a dominant inning of his own, striking out two. Diego Moreno, Branden Pinder and James Pazos each added a scoreless inning of work as the pitching staff was strong tonight.

The combined shutout by the Yankees' pitching ended in the eighth against lefty Richard Bleier.

Bleier surrendered a pair of doubles in the eighth inning that put the Blue Jays on the board and cut the Yankees' lead in half. Kirby Yates got the ninth inning and the Spring save opportunity. After getting the first strikeout, Dalton Pompey hit a line drive down the right field line that outfielder Cesar Puello struggled to get, allowing Pompey to reach third with a one-out triple. After a walk put runners on the corners, Yates shut the door with a strikeout for the second out and a shallow fly out to right field to finish off the slim one-run victory.

Important to note, Brett Gardner made his Spring Training debut tonight and was hitless in his two at-bats but reported a clean bill of health following the game.

Win – Nathan Eovaldi

Loss – Drew Hutchison

Save – Kirby Yates

Notables

Blue Jays

*Roemon Fields – 1 for 1, 2B, RBI (3)

*Dalton Pompey – 1 for 1, 3B

Yankees

*Starlin Castro – 1 for 2, R, Two-Run Home Run (1) in the 2nd, 2 RBI (7)

*Chase Headley – 1 for 3, R