The New York Yankees had their third game of the 2021 spring season. Today they had their first game away, at Ed Smith Stadium 42 miles away in Sarasota, Florida, against the east rivals, Baltimore Orioles. Jordan Montgomery made his first start of spring training, facing the Orioles John Means. It was another beautiful day for baseball on Florida’s west coast; it was 80 degrees for most of the game with partly sunny skies and a light breeze.
The “Machine” DJ LeMahieu got a hit to start the game, followed by a Gleyber Torres’s hit. Luke Voit battled Means, but Means won out, leaving two on base. Clint Frazier got a hit and recorded an RBI to give the Yankees the early lead. Yankees 1 Orioles 0. In the bottom, the Oriole center fielder Trey Manchini got an RBI driving in Mullens to tie it up at one run apiece.
To start the second inning Miguel Andujar flew out to center, Kyle Higashioka popped out, and Mike Tauchman sharply hit a grounder to center for a single. Tauchman immediately stole second base, but DJ LeMahieu flew to Cedric Mullens in center, ending the half. Last season Tauchman led the New York Yankees in stolen bases with six steals. In his second inning, Montgomery made quick work of the Orioles, going one-two-three to end the inning. Orioles 1 Yankees 1.
Aaron Judge doubled at the top of the third, Gleyber Torres, singled followed by a single by Luke Voit, Judge scored on the play, and Torres moved to second base. Then Mike Ford doubled to far-right looked like it might have been a triple, scoring both Torres and Luke Voit for the Yankee 4-1 lead. The 34-year-old Luis Garcia relieved Jordan Mongomery on the mound. Garcia pitched a clean inning. At the top of the fourth, the Yankees were scoreless in the half. Cedric Mullens singled against Tyler Lyons at the bottom of the inning, causing Yolmer Sanchez to score and Ramon Urias to go to third. Lyons managed to get out of the inning just given up the one run. Yankees 4 Orioles 2.
Brooks Kriske pitched the fifth and allowed no runs. Tanner Scott came out for the Orioles in the sixth escaping any scoring by the Yankees. The Yankees sent out 24-year-old Glenn Otto to pitch the bottom of the frame. He left the Orioles scoreless in his inning. The New York Yankees came to the plate at the top of the seventh inning with the Orioles seventh pitcher of the day, Cole Sulser, on the mound; he shut the Yankees down in their last inning of play. With the last licks on the line for the Orioles, the Yankees sent out Trevor Lane to close it out. Yankees 4 Orioles 2.
By the end of the fourth inning, the game was basically over as there was no further scoring in the seven-inning game. There were no homers in the game; each team had an error apiece. The Yankees were 4 for 12 with runners in scoring position, leaving 5 runners on base. DJ LeMahieu increased his spring training batting average to .500, and in encouraging news Gleyber Torres, who hit so badly last season, increased his batting average to .750. The winner was Montgomery, with Lane getting the save.
Tomorrow’s New York Yankee game will be back at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees lost their first game of the season against the Jays. It will be another non-televised game and will be an unusual spring training night start at 6:35 pm. Corey Kluber is scheduled to start that game.