Yankees Recap: Severino Sharp in Final Exhibition Game vs. Marlins

On Saturday afternoon, the New York Yankees (14-15) wrapped up their spring with an exhibition game against the Miami Marlins (10-14). Luis Severino took the ball for his final tune-up start, and Ronald Torreyes–the Yankees’ reserve infielder–was at 3B in place of Chase Headley (illness).

Yankees’ starting lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Brett Gardner, LF
3. Alex Rodriguez, DH
4. Mark Teixeira, 1B
5. Brian McCann, C
6. Carlos Beltran, RF
7. Starlin Castro, 2B
8. Didi Gregorius, SS
9. Ronald Torreyes, 3B

P: Luis Severino

Marlins’ starting lineup:

1. Dee Gordon, 2B
2. Marcell Ozuna, CF
3. Christian Yelich, LF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, RF
5. Martin Prado, 3B
6. Justin Bour, 1B
7. J.T. Realmuto, C
8. Adeiny Hechavarria, SS
9. Dustin McGowan, P

Ellsbury jump-started the game with a lead-off home run to right field. Severino toed the rubber in the bottom of the first with a 1-0 lead, but the right-hander gave up ground in the blink of an eye.

After allowing a single from Gordon and walking Ozuna, Yelich advanced both runners into scoring position with a soft ground out to Teixeira. With men on second and third, Stanton stepped up to the plate and lifted a sacrifice fly to Gardner that evened the score at 1-1. Severino escaped further trouble by striking out Prado for the third out.

Severino was sharper in the second inning, allowing one single by Hechavarria and collecting two strikeouts of Realmuto and Chris Narveson, who had replaced McGowan on the mound.

A throwing error by Didi would come back to haunt the Yankees in the third. With one out, the error advanced Ozuna to second base. Yelich flew out to center field and advanced Ozuna to third, where Stanton would drive him in with a 2-out RBI single. At the end of the third, the Yankees were down 2-1.

After throwing five sharp innings and 72 pitches, Severino’s day was done and he was succeeded by Aroldis Chapman. The LHP was gliding through the inning until surrendering two walks and a hit by pitch, all with two outs. With Marlins on every base, Chapman struck out Austin Nola on a 100-mph fastball to end the 6th inning.

The Yankees sent Andrew Miller to the mound in the seventh inning for his first game action since learning of his right-wrist chip fracture. Miller faced three batters, getting a strikeout, issuing a walk, and initiating a ground out before Kirby Yates came on to finish the inning. Yates, the Yanks’ final 25-man roster addition, struck out Miguel Rojas looking to turn the game over to the eighth.

Down by one run in the top of the ninth, Dustin Ackley gave hope for a Yankees rally by singling to center. However, New York failed to score any further runs, and with Saturday’s loss the Yankees tallied their final meaningless spring record at 14 wins and 16 losses.

• Yankees notables: Severino (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K), Ellsbury (2-2, HR, RBI)
• Marlins notables: Stanton (1-1, 2 RBI), James Buckelew ( 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K)

The dog days of spring are finally over! Monday kicks off Opening Day, and the Yankees will have Masahiro Tanaka face off against Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros at 1:05 PM ET, resembling a rematch of last year’s AL Wild Card. Here’s to the 2016 season and the Chase for 28!