About Yesterday: Mets 5, Yankees 4
March 6, 2024
By Derek McAdam
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During yesterday’s first Spring Training matchup this season between the New York Mets and New York Yankees, the crosstown rivals from Queens defeated the Yankees by a score of 5-4.
Quick Stats: W: Tylor Megill: 3 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K
L: Terry De Los Santos: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K
S: Yohan Ramirez: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
The Big Story: Tanner Tully started on the mound for the Yankees, and while he was able to give the Yankees two scoreless innings, Terry De Los Santos came in and got himself into trouble quickly. The Mets were able to string a few hits together, and push a couple of runs across the board before Harrison Cohen came in to replace De Los Santos. However, with two runners on, Cohen surrendered a hit, scoring Francisco Lindor and giving the Mets a 3-0 lead, before Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez scored on passed balls to make it 5-0.
For the Mets, Megill wasn’t at his best, but he kept the Yankees off the scoreboard. Of 49 pitches, he threw 29 strikes and did not allow a single hit while also striking out six batters. He would be a big contributor to the 13 total strikeouts the Yankees had, of which each starter had at least one.
However, in the 5th, the Yankees got a rally going with a couple of singles from Oscar Gonzalez and Ben Rortvedt. Jeter Downs then doubled down the right field line, scoring Gonzalez and cutting the Mets’ lead to 5-1. Trent Grisham then hit a two-run single to cut the Yankee deficit to 5-3. The Yankees would ultimately be able to get one run back in the 8th, but it was not enough to secure a tie, dropping their record to 5-5 so far this Spring Training.
Notable Performances: With the exception of De Los Santos, the Yankees’ pitching staff performed well yesterday. They used a total of eight pitchers across eight innings, and most of them were able to come in and perform adequately. On the offensive side, I like what I’m seeing from Anthony Volpe this spring. Not only has he been able to string a few hits together, but he’s also showing better discipline at the plate compared to last year. Volpe is going to be under the microscope for his sophomore season in the Bronx, so hopefully, his Spring Training offense can translate over to the regular season.
My Take: As I’ve previously said, I never want to put too much stock into Spring Training games. Yes, they are very important in some ways but shouldn’t be taken too seriously, still there are always some things to take away from games. First, the Yankees are striking out way too much in games. In six of their last seven games, they have struck out 10 times or more, which is abysmal. And in a couple of those games, they have struck out 13 or 14 times per game. It’s never good when 50% of the team's outs are coming via strikeouts.
Sure, the Yankees didn’t put their best team on the field today. There was no Aaron Judge, no Juan Soto, no Gleyber Torres, and several others didn’t play. But they’ve also been striking out a lot even with these players in the lineup. Unfortunately for baseball fans, this is the new state of the game.
I’m also curious to see if there are any players that are currently not slated to make the Major League roster on Opening Day that ultimately do. And specifically, I see a few options that may be coming from the bullpen. Once player that I like is Dennis Santana, who has made three appearances and delivered five innings of shutout baseball, walking no batters and striking out six. Santana also has several years of Major League experience, and could slide into the Yankee bullpen. Realistically, if the Yankees deem that Ron Marinaccio hasn’t improved enough to return to the big leagues, Santana could be the guy that takes his spot. Or maybe if Tommy Kahnle isn’t ready for the start of the season with his shoulder injury, this could be a chance for Santana.
There’s still several weeks of Spring Training remaining, so anything could happen during that time. Let’s see how everything plays out.
What’s Next?: The Yankees will host the Tampa Bay Rays at George Steinbrenner Field this afternoon. Taj Bradley is set to start for the Rays, while Carlos Rodon is set to go for the Yankees. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. from Tampa, Florida. Come and talk about the game in the Game Thread later!
