The Yankees couldn’t replicate their afternoon success against the Phillies, falling 4–0 to the Atlanta Braves in Wednesday night’s split-squad matchup.
Here’s how things unfolded in the second game:
- Yankees hitters combined for just five hits while striking out 14 times.
- Dominic Smith, Jorbit Vivas, and Braden Shewmake each struck out twice.
- The bottom half of the Yankees’ lineup struggled significantly, producing minimal offense.
Quiet Night at the Plate
It was a tough offensive performance overall for the Yankees. Austin Wells, Alex Jackson, and Brendan Jones collected three of the team’s five hits at the top of the order, but beyond that trio, production was essentially nonexistent. The rest of the lineup couldn’t muster much against Braves pitching, resulting in a quiet night offensively.
Carlos Carrasco Continues to Impress
On the positive side, veteran starter Carlos Carrasco delivered another outstanding performance. Carrasco, who has an opt-out in his contract on March 22, threw five shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out three.
Given his impressive 1.69 ERA this spring and the Yankees’ growing injury concerns within their rotation, Carrasco has almost certainly earned himself a spot. The Yankees will likely rely on him early in the season until he shows signs of fatigue, at which point Will Warren could step in to provide reinforcement.
Mixed Results from the Bullpen
Newly acquired reliever Fernando Cruz had another difficult outing, allowing two runs in less than an inning of work, continuing his rough spring. Tim Hill managed to toss a scoreless frame, but Luke Weaver struggled again, surrendering two hits and an earned run despite striking out one.
While inconsistent results can be typical in spring training—when pitchers are refining mechanics and grips—Cruz and Weaver’s ongoing struggles might raise some eyebrows as Opening Day nears.