Today the New York Yankees would spit the squad and play two games. One was at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, and pitted the Yankee’s Masahiro Tanaka ERA 3.60, against the Atlanta Brave’s Sean Newcomb ERA 3.60. The other game was at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida home of the Baltimore Orioles, where the Yankee’s prospect Clarke Schmidt ERA 1.80 would face the Oriole’s Kohl Stewart in his first start of the season. The parks are just a few miles apart and experienced the same weather.  Game time for both games was 1:05 and was played under sunny skies with temperatures in the low 70s.
Yankees vs. Braves:
The Yankees Masahiro Tanaka took the mound to cheers of the Yankee faithful. Tanaka started by striking out Ronald Acuna, but Dansby Swanson singled. Travis d’Anaud ground out, with another out Tanaka got out of the half clean. Sean Newman pitched a 1-2-3 inning with the Yankees grounding out and striking out twice. Tanaka breezed through his second inning as well. Tanaka came out for the third with 13 pitches all strikes. In the third, he shut down the side with a total of just 19 pitches in all three innings of work
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Against Newcomb Brett Gardner singled, but in the end, Mike Tauchman ground out to keep the game scoreless through three. Tanaka pitched 3.2 innings with only 22 pitches and was replaced by Brooks Kriske, who used one pitch to end the inning. After four, Kriske kept the game scoreless. The New York Yankees got two on in the fifth but failed to score, and the game remained 0-0. Zack Britton pitched a perfect sixth using only seven pitches. In the bottom, Frazier singled, Stowers in to pinch run. A flyout allowed him to go to second, and Iannetta singed driving a run and breaking the six-inning scoreless game for the 1-0 Yankee lead. Tommy Kahnle, in the seventh, threw just seven pitches.
In eighth, Chad Green pitched using just eight pitches to put down the Braves. Domingo Acevedo pitched the top of the ninth, not allowing a run for the Yankee 1-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.
The take-away:
Yankee’s pitching was superb in the split-squad win against the Braves. It started with Masahiro Tanaka, who went 3.2 innings and only allowed 1 hit in his 22 pitches. The Yankees used seven pitchers in the game and only allowed 2 hits. Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, and Chad Green all used eight or fewer pitches in their innings. Zack Britton got the win, and with Tomlin taking the loss. Domingo Acevedo recorded his second save of spring training.
Yankees vs. Orioles:
Kohl Stewart faced the New York Yankees in the first in what might be a preview of opening day when the Yankees will meet the Oriole at their home park, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  DJ LeMahieu immediately got on base due to an Oriole throwing error, but Luke Voit hit into a double play. Gleyber Torres ground out for the final out of the half. Schmidt that has pitched very well so far took the mound in the bottom. Schmidt gave up a single that was immediately stolen. Chris Davis drove a run in and the Orioles got the early 1-0 lead. The Orioles then loaded the bases hit a single and drove in another run 2-0. Another single and it was 3-0 in an inning that Schmidt mightly struggled in. Chris Gittens struck out but Rosell Herrea singled, Florial doubled and Amburgey had a sac fly that drove in the first run for the Yankees. Milone doubled making it 3-2 and DJ had a sac fly to tie up the game at 3.
After getting hammered in the first Schmidt was back out for the second and showed his stuff by putting down the side. Stewart out for the third. Luke Voit singled off a long line drive, Torres ground out and Higashioka flew out to move Voit to third, Gittens ground out keeping the game tied at three. The third inning was scoreless for both teams. With one on Milone blasted one over the back fence for the 5-3 Yankee lead. Albert Abreu pitched an impressive fourth. Yankees failed to score in the bottom.
With two outs in the fifth Luis Medina loaded the bases with Orioles. On a Torres error, one run scored but a strikeout allowed Media to get out of the inning with just one run scored, New York Yankees 5 Baltimore 4. It took Trevor Lane 18 pitches but he shut down the O’s in the sixth. At the top of the seventh Thomas Milone singled going 3 for 3, but DJ and Voit failed to bring him home. Luis Gil pitched the bottom of the seventh using only 8 pitches. Alex Vizcaino was in for the bottom of the eighth and allowed a walk to Herrera, Martin singled, Diaz singled, Wilkerson reached and Herrera scored tying the game at 5.
At the top of the ninth, the Yankees failed to score leaving the game up to the Orioles in the bottom. At the bottom, Adonis Rosa the seventh Yankee pitcher of the game would try to hold down the O’s, and he did leave the game tied at 5 for the Yankee 10-5-2 record.
The take-away:
To start the game, highly touted prospect Clarke Schmidt gave up three runs in the first, although only one was earned. The Yankees then scored five unanswered runs. Abreu, Lane, Gil, and Rosa all pitched scoreless innings. Vizcaino gave up the tying run. The batter of the game was Thomas Milone, who went 3 for 3 and hit his first home run of the spring training season. With runners in scoring position, the Yankees went 4 for 8 in the tie. The Baltimore game was a sellout.