3.26 Yankees at Phillies

Today the New York Yankees made the short trip from Tampa to Clearwater to face the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. The game was played at beautiful Bright House Field, the Phillies new spring home. One of the nice features of the stadium is the way they use the OF areas, sprawling lawns and a gigantic bar called Frenchy's.

Both teams were playing the majority of their starters, and each was sending a highly regarded young pitcher to the mound. Carlos Carasco started for the Phillies and Joba Chamberlain took the ball for the Yankees.

The game also featured the two starting shortstops for the American WBC team, Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins.



Yankees Notes and Pictures

Derek Jeter, captain of the Yankees, had a nice day at the plate in his new role as lead off hitter, with a couple of hits and a stolen base.

Mark Teixeira, the latest addition to the Bronx Bombers, hit the ball hard a couple of times. Equally important, Teixeira brings his Gold Glove first base skills to the Yankees infield.

Hideki Matsui got the Yankees scoring going with a first-pitch home run pulled on a line drive down the right field line, scoring himeself and Jeter.

Yankee 3B Alex Rodriquez, um, Cody Ransom, hit a long home run to LF.

Joba was hit hard by the Phillies in the first inning, getting behind both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard who took him deep. He settled down for a couple more innings then was lifted after giving up a walk and double in the 5th.

Late in the game Melky Cabrera and Nick Swisher each homered. The Yankees ended up winning 10-2.

Phillies Notes and Pictures

Carlos Carasco got off to a poor start as well, surrendering the home run to Matsui. He was lucky to escape the first having given up only two runs. After that he settled down and pitched easy second and third innings before giving up Ransom's solo homer in the fourth.

This was Jimmy Rollins' first game back in the lineup after the WBC. I'm sure the Phillies fans are anxious for him to return to form, alongside 2B Chase Utley who had major offseason surgery on his hip.

Utley hit a long home run to right field in the first inning.

Later in the first, Ryan Howard, the Phillies 1B, hit a gigantic opposite field home run - probably the longest homer I've seen this spring. The woman sitting in front of me turned around to say that Howard was going to have a big year because he had lost a lot of weight.

The Phillies didn't score again after the two first inning home runs. Chase Utley took a called third strike with two on and two out in the fifth inning, ending their best chance to add to the first inning runs.

Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge, who didn't blow a save through the entire 2008 season, came in to pitch a clean 7th inning.