Yankees: Main takeaways from 5-3 loss to Tigers

yankees, gerrit cole, kyle higashioka
Mar 3, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) and catcher Kyle Higashioka (66) walk to the dugout before the game against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees faced off against the Detroit Tigers in their eighth spring training contest on Friday evening. While the Yankees walked away with their third loss of the spring, they gained plenty of information and live reps.

The Yankees featured Gerrit Cole on the mound, who pitched three innings, giving up just one hit and striking out four batters over 51 pitches. Michael King took the mound immediately after, enjoying his first action after suffering a season-ending elbow injury in 2022. He tossed two innings, striking out four batters in the process, showcasing his quality and bill of health.

Unfortunately, Clarke Schmidt, who is competing for the 5th starting spot, struggled in his 1.2 innings of action. He allowed three hits, four earned runs, a walk and struck out two batters. He gave up a home run to Zach Short at the top of the 6th inning, tying the game up at 1-1 apiece.

As for the rest of the Yankees’ bullpen pieces, Gray Fenter gave up a hit over just one out, and Deivi Garcia pitched two innings, giving up one earned run and striking out three batters. Aside from his two hits, he looked sharp on his Ks and showcased what seems to be a resurgence in his development.

The Yankees’ offense went quiet:

Offensively, the Yankees tallied seven hits and 12 strikeouts. Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton struck out twice each, but star slugger Aaron Judge enjoyed two doubles over three at-bats. Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ first-round pick from 2022, also picked up two hits and a run, showing off his athleticism and speed on the base paths. Willie Calhoun continued his impressive spring, enjoying a hit and run scored across two at-bats.

One of the more notable moments was an Isiah Kiner-Falefa error on a routine ground ball. That mistake further pushes the narrative that Oswald Peraza should start at shortstop to open the 2023 season. Manager Aaron Boone still favors IKF slightly but made a few comments earlier this week suggesting that Peraza could win the starting job, pushing IKF into a utility role.

Looking ahead, the Yankees will take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 PM.