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Ninth-inning home run bests Yankees in 4-2 loss to Blue Jays

Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery delivered solid performances, but it wasn’t enough to win.

By Madison Pavich
MLB: Spring Training-Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees couldn’t get it done late against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, falling behind in the final frame and failing to mount a comeback. The 4-2 defeat featured plenty of pitching performances, including two significant arms for New York.

In lieu of full-length recaps, we will run bullet-point highlights through spring training. Important contributions and players will get covered, plus a roundup of the team’s pitching lines, as well as news and notes from the club. Hope you all enjoy this format!

Game Highlights

  • Gerrit Cole got the ball to begin the game, making another tune-up before Opening Day. Cole pitched 3.1 innings in this appearance, allowing just two hits and a run while striking out six. Aside from his one terrible performance against Detroit, Cole has been as advertised this spring.
  • After Dan Otero bridged the gap between them, Jordan Montgomery took over and dominated for four innings. Montgomery did not allow a baserunner in his outing, striking out five in the process. Montgomery is making a strong case that he is back from Tommy John surgery, and can be a big help for the beleaguered rotation.
  • The offense, both the regulars and the stand-ins, didn’t have a lot of success against the Blue Jays’ pitching. The team totaled just five hits on the afternoon, and only Kyle Higashioka had an RBI hit with a solo home run in the seventh. Gleyber Torres added a sacrifice fly earlier in the fourth for New York’s only other run.
  • Ben Heller entered the ninth inning in a 2-2 tie, but he wouldn’t hold onto it for long. Heller walked Luis De Los Santos to lead off the inning, and then Santiago Espinal launched a two-run home run to left-center. The Yankees got a pair of baserunners on in the bottom of the inning, but couldn’t bring either home.

The Yankees will travel to Jupiter to take on the Marlins next. Deivi Garcia will get the start, after tossing two inning in each of his previous starts. The game will start at 1:05 p.m. EST, and will be broadcast on MLB Network.

Box Score.

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