The Yankees are giving their regulars one last time to shine, as Joe Girardi and the Phillies come to town.
On Sunday night, the Yankees wrapped up a two-game preseason slate against the Mets with authority, rapping out five home runs to cement the sweep. Those two victories go in the “nonexistent wins” column, but they were fun to witness nonetheless.
Now, just three sleeps before their regular season opener against the Nationals (can you believe we really got here?), the NYY are giving their starters one final tuneup, backing young Deivi Garcia on the mound against Joe Girardi and the Phillies.
Just days after his arrival at camp, DJ LeMahieu is starting at second base and leading off once again, and he’ll bring a whole cavalcade of familiar names alongside him.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1285284603004149761?s=20
Yankees lineup vs. Phillies for Monday’s exhibition finale
LeMahieu got only two at-bats in Sunday’s game, which came in rapid succession, as the Yanks hit the ball with such authority that he plowed through his expected allotment in just two innings.
Turns out, the Yanks are going the extra mile to get DJ a little more run on Monday.
DJ LeMahieu will stay in tonight's game to get at-bats even after he is done playing 2B. Aaron Boone & Joe Girardi agreed to allow the Yankees to bat 10 men at some point.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 20, 2020
Judge did the most damage in the team’s most recent contest, pulling his hands in and socking two homers to deep left field, which is turns out is less of an issue for him now that he’s not nursing a pair of prohibitive maladies.
An Aaron Judge who isn’t nursing a pulled oblique and fractured rib pulls homers.
— Rich (@RAKcity27) July 20, 2020
Urshela slots into the nine-hole; he was the only regular who didn’t get any run in Sunday’s fun, replaced by Matt Duffy. He enjoyed Saturday’s romp at Citi Field, making several exemplary plays from varying positions, even after shaking off a baseball to the groin from the pregame festivities.
Clearly, it didn’t affect him too badly, and we thank Duffy for his service, even though it didn’t look too graceful on Sunday night at the Stadium.
When New York dons their road grays for real on Thursday, this should be the lineup you watch, amid all the Opening Day “pomp and circumstance” to a virtual crowded house. We’re going to enjoy the sneak preview, but we can’t wait for the real thing.