Yankees Suffer Big Loss to Philadelphia in Clearwater

The New York Yankees were steamrolled by the Philadelphia Phillies 15-0 in the first of eight spring training games between the two clubs. Deivi García took the mound for New York while Matt Moore started for Philadelphia, but neither pitcher went beyond the second inning as both managers wanted to use the game to give multiple fringe starters a chance.

Despite including four regulars to start off the lineup, the Yankees were retired in order as Moore struck out Mike Tauchman and Luke Voit. Gio Urshela lined out to center field in his first spring training at bat of the year. Then in the bottom of the first, García started off hot recording two quick outs, one being a 94-mph 0-2 strikeout on Rhys Hoskins. However, in the next at bat, center fielder Scott Kingery got a hold of a low fastball on the inside edge and skied it out to left field for the first home run of the game.

In the top of second, New York had catcher Kyle Higashioka on first with two outs when Tyler Wade hit a solid line drive along the foul line in right field. The ball was heading to the corner when Phillies’ right fielder Odubel Herrera corralled it and hit his cut off man Nick Maton who threw home in time for Jeff Mathis to tag Higashioka at the plate. Moore would exit the game after the second inning with two strikeouts, one walk, and one hit. García gave up another homer in the bottom of the second, this time to Herrera who was making only his second appearance since returning from an 85-game suspension for his role in a domestic violence incident. Despite giving up the home run, García added two more strikeouts to his tally by getting Mathis and second baseman Nick Maton.

Overall, García finished with 27 pitches, three strikeouts, two hits, and two earned runs. Asher Wojciechowski would come in to replace García in the third and promptly sat the side down in order, striking out one batter in Adam Haseley. Although the game came apart for Wojciechowski and the Yankees in the fourth when Kingery hit a pop-up to center field that was dropped by Tauchman, allowing Kingery to reach second safely. Then, after a walk was issued to third baseman Alec Bohm, Herrera came up big for the Phillies once more on a single to shallow right that loaded the bases.

With the pressure on, Wojciechowski floundered and gave up a run on a single to C.J. Chatham that scored Kingery and making it a 3-0 game. Two at bats later, Maton hit a bases clearing double to put the game at 6-0 and effectively end Wojciechowski’s outing.

Albert Abreu of the Trenton Thunder replaced Wojciechowski after the Maton double and struggled as well. Abreu started off his appearance giving up a double to Phillies’ first baseman Luke Williams, then a single to Hoskins, with the two plays costing the Yanks two more runs. The poor performance was capped off by a three-run home run by Bohm making the score 11-0 in the fourth.

Ultimately, the New York offense put up zero fight in this one, only recording three hits while striking out 12 times — six of which were called strikeouts. Philadelphia continued to pile it on later in the game scoring four more runs off of two home runs by Mickey Moniak until the game finally concluded in the bottom of the eighth.

The Yankees will return to spring training action on Friday when they take on the Detroit Tigers at home.

(Photo: AP Photo/Adrian Krause)