Yankees and Dutchies in Spring Training, Saturday April 4

First of all I’d like to wish you all a happy Easter. Today a rather short report because hardly any Dutchies saw action yesterday.

Yesterday, the very last Spring Training games were played. Today the season will officially start in Chicago, where the arch rivals Cardinals and Cubs will face each other in a Wrigley Field that is far from ready.

In the very last Spring Training game, the Yankees took on the Nationals in Washington DC. Nathan Eovaldi was the starter and pitched a decent game in general. But in the first inning he gave up three runs, just like C.C. Sabathia the day before. Two singles, a walk and a sac fly by Ryan Zimmermann made Michael Taylor score the opening run. A single to center field by Wilson Ramos drove in Yunel Escobar and Bryce Harper. But Eovaldi recovered in the following innings. in the remaining four he allowed just one more hit and gave up two more walks. He fanned six batters.
Didi Gregorius got one hit out of three at bats and ended Spring Training with a batting average of .271. But he wasn’t quite sharp for a moment as he wanted to trot to first base on the third ball. Stephen Drew homered in the fifth with Brian McCann on base to put the Yankees on the board. In some way Didi Gregorius was responsible for one of the next two runs that the Yankees scored in the eighth inning. After Rob Refswho nyder popped out to second base, Didi hit a double on a fly ball to center field. Then he was replaced by Nick Noonan scored on Chris Young’s homer. Matt den Dekker went 1 for 2 with a triple after he entered the game as a defensive substitution.
FInal score 4-3 Yankees.

In Boston’s 4-2 win over Minnesota, Xander Bogaerts went 1 for 2 with a single in his first at bat and a runner left on base.

Christopher Garia debuted with the Texas Rangers as they took on the Mets in a game that ended with a 4-4 tie. Garia entered the game as a pinch runner for Delino DeShields in the bottom of the sixth inning and he went on to score on a single hit by Jake Smolinkski.

Finally the long wait is over. Play ball!!!