Yankees win 6-3 over the Nationals as Wade gets his second homer
Today’s New York Yankees spring training game was at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in Florida. It was 80 degrees with mostly sunny skies. Patrick Corbin started for the defending World Champion Washington Nationals. Corbin is one of the Nat’s pitching aces’. Mike Tauchman led off for the Yankees and ground out. Gio Urshela ground out, and Mike Ford struck out for a quick inning for Corbin. The Yankee starter was Jonathan Loaisiga, who has an ERA of 2.57 across seven innings.  Turner ground out, Eaton ground out, and Castro struck out matching Corbin’s three men up, three men down.
At the second inning, Miguel Andujar lined out, Clint Frazier struck out, and Kyle Higashioka hit a long fly out, and Corbin put down his sixth Yankee in a row. Soto faced Loaisiga in the bottom, who struck out, Thames walked for Loaisiga’s first of the season. Gomes hit into a double play to end the half. Iannetta flew out, Tyler Wade singled, Estrada ground out, and Tauchman ground out, making Corbin look good. For Loaisiga Hernandez ground out, Kieboom lined out to Estrada, and Robles got his first homer of the season over the left-field nets. Turner reached for a single. Eaton struck out looking. Nats 1, Yankees 0.
Gio Urshela started the fourth with a single. Ford was called out, and Miguel Andujar hit into a double play to end the half. Nick Tropeano took over for the Yankees and got Castro to pop out. Soto ground out, followed by a Thames walk. Gomes then drove in Thames with a long double. Hernandez finished the inning with a long fly out. Nats 2, Yankees 0. Sean Doolittle in for Corbin let Frazier hit a double to the left. Frazier reached third on a wild pitch. Higgy hit a towering fly out, Iannetta doubled for his 3rd RBI of the season as Frazier scored. Amburgey in to pinch run. Tyler Wade, with his second homer of the spring, a homer way out for the Yankee 3-2 lead. Ryan Harper replaced Doolittle. Estrada struck out, Tauchman singled, and Urshela ground out, but the Yankees took the lead. Kieboom popped out at the bottom. Robles flew out, Garcia walked, Stevenson singled for two on, and Sanchez struck out, keeping the score at 3-2 Yankees.
Hudson faced Granite in the sixth, Granite walked, Gittens, struck out losing the bat, Milone flew out, and Florial made the final out. David Hale out for the bottom, got Shuk, Noli, and Bonifacio to ground out. At the seventh, Sam Freeman got Amburgey to strikeout.  Holder popped out, Costillo singled, and Lopez struck out. At the bottom, Hernandez lined out, Difo ground out, Gushue singled, but Garcia struck out to end the threat.
The eighth inning started with Strickland pitching to Aguilar, who hit a long fly out. Granite stretched a single into a double flying across the bases. Gittens struck out, and Milone singled driving in Granite for the 5-2 Yankees lead. Florial doubled, and Milone scored for the 6-2 Yankee lead. Quackenbush replaced Hudson and Amburgey singled. Holder ground out, but the Yankees picked up three more runs. David Hale got Stevenson to strikeout, Sanchez popped out, and Shuk lined out for the fast half for Hale in his third scoreless inning.
At the ninth, pitcher Backus allow Castillo a single, Lopez ground out, but Castillo advanced to second. Aguilar flew out, and Zack Granite slow rolled to the pitcher for the final out. With last licks for the Nats, Albert Abreu came out for the Yankee save. Noll doubled, Bonifacio ground out, Noll to third, Snyder hit a sac fly driving in a run for the Nats. Difo flew out, and that was the game. Yankees 6, Nationals 3.
Take-a-ways:
With all the coronavirus hysteria, it was surprising to see the stands full at the ballpark.  With the suggestion by John Heyman that MLB was shutting down, the cell phone never left GM Brian Cashman’s right ear. Tyler Wade got his second home run of the season. The Yankees got excellent defense, and they used only four pitchers in the game to the Nats eight. The winning pitcher was Nick Tropeano, and the loser was Doolittle. Albert Abreu got the save in the Yankee 6-3 win. This will be the last spring training game and the regular season will be delayed at least two weeks. With what is going on in the world with the coronavirus, everything is day to day, and no predictions can be made as to when the season will start, if the games will be made up or if the season will be shortened. Stay tuned to EmpireSportsMedia.com.