The Yankees tied the Boston Red Sox, 4-4, on Tuesday afternoon in Tampa.
Here are the key takeaways…
–Max Fried looked dialed in and ready for the start of the regular season. Showcasing a nasty pickoff move to nab Kristian Campbell in the first inning, Fried looked ready to take on the role of ace in Gerrit Cole’s absence.
The lefty went 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out three without a walk. He threw 68 pitches, 44 of which were strikes, and lowered his spring ERA to 2.53.
-Legendary manager Joe Torre came out to take the ball from Fried, and both Torre and Fried received a nice ovation from the crowd.
–Aaron Judge has had a rough spring at the plate, but after punching out in the first, he roped a double off of Walker Buehler in the fourth, slamming it off the wall in left-center for the Yanks’ first hit of the game.
-On the other end of that hitting spectrum has been Cody Bellinger, as he continued his red-hot spring with an RBI single to score Judge and put the Yankees on the board.
–Anthony Volpe has also had a tough going at the plate this spring, but he stung an RBI single to center in the fourth to score Bellinger and increase the lead to 2-0.
Volpe came up clutch again in the sixth, sneaking a single up the middle to score two more (one on a bobble by the center fielder) and break a 2-2 tie.
The young shortstop went 2-for-3 to raise his batting average to .179.
-Some notes on a couple of players on the roster bubble:
- Dom Smith had a tough first inning in the field. After he couldn’t scoop a would-be double play ball, he then dropped a routine throw from Oswald Peraza at third base, and was charged with an error. Smith went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Also on the bubble is J.C. Escarra, who served as the DH on Tuesday. Signed to a minor league contract this offseason, Escarra’s bat has made him a very viable option for the Opening Day roster. Escarra went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Who was the game MVP?
Fried, who wasn’t overpowering, but had batters off balance for the first 4.1 innings.
Highlights
Belli brings home Judge 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gBvQWt7SoK
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 18, 2025
Volpe knock 👊 pic.twitter.com/F6SzzOLASx
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 18, 2025
AV at it again 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BOHrCdiYLX
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 18, 2025
What’s next
The Yankees host the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday evening at 6:35 p.m.
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