J.A. Happ strikes out six in Yankees’ win over Phillies

Friends, I have sad news to pass along: Kelly Rodman, a trusted scout for the Yankees, passed away. You may remember her from representing the Bombers at the 2019 MLB Draft, or from this video package on the YES Network. Our thoughts are with the Rodman family tonight.

In light of a full recap, I’m going to cover the Yankees’ 3-2 win in bullet-point fashion. 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.

Game Highlights

• J.A. Happ’s impressive spring continued on Wednesday night. The 37-year-old allowed just two hits over four innings, striking out six in the process. Sam Briend and Matt Blake spent the offseason working on Happ’s mechanics, with a special focus on his kinetic chain, says Lindsey Adler. A handful of spring training starts don’t tell us much, but it’s nice to be encouraged by the southpaw’s outings.
• Mike King, a contender for the Yankees’ fifth-starter job, allowed the only runs for the Bombers. He served up a home run to Jay Bruce, but otherwise fanned three in two innings of work. Tyler Lyons and Dan Otero, meanwhile, closed out the game.
• The Yankees’ offense struck once, for three runs in the first inning, but that was enough to get the job done. Gleyber Torres and Chris Iannetta did the damage off Phillies right-hander Nick Pivetta. DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit were the only other Yankees with hits.
• Lastly, I’m starting to get worried about Aaron Judge. Brian Cashman revealed that the right fielder underwent another battery of tests today, and the club has no diagnosis. This went from routine shoulder soreness to something alarming in a hurry.

The Yankees are in action tomorrow afternoon, traveling to Lakeland to visit the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM, and you can watch it on the MLB Network.

Box Score