Yankees 0, Phillies 15: Gio Urshela returns amid pitching implosion

The New York Yankees suffered a blowout loss on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies, 15-0 being the final score, and their win-loss record in spring training now falls to 3-2. Matt Moore got the win and Deivi García, making his spring training debut, was saddled with the loss — though the 21-year-old did not bear the brunt of most of the damage.

The game marked Gio Urshela’s return to action after undergoing elbow surgery to remove bone spurs in December. The infielder took a couple of at-bats and couldn’t get anything going, but the fact that he is playing so early in the spring means that he could have no limitations once the real games start.

Most of the Yankees’ regulars were rested for today’s game, as only Urshela, Clint Frazier, and Luke Voit took the field in Clearwater. After scoring one run each in the first and second innings off García, the Phils feasted on relievers Asher Wojciechowski and Albert Abreu, taking advantage of a nine-run fourth frame to put the Yankees away.

Garcia allowed a couple of runs in two innings, and both came in solo shots. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out three batters, but he caught a little too much of the plate on both home runs:

However, to be fair, Odubel Herrera deserves some credit, as he caught up to a high fastball:

In total, the Phillies hit six dingers against the Bombers: Herrera, Mickey Moniak (who went deep twice), Alec Bohm, Scott Kingery, and Luke Williams all went yard in a hapless display of pitching by the Yankees.

Wojciechowski and Abreu conceded four earned runs each in the nine-run frame. Later on, righty Reggie McClain surrendered a homer to Moniak, and lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. also allowed a couple additional runs — including two round-trippers — in one inning of work. All four pitchers likely hurt their already-slim chances of making the Opening Day roster.

It’s not like the Yankees’ offense was much better than their pitching, though. As a team, New York could only muster three base hits, one of them for extra bases (a double by Tyler Wade). Every pitcher who the Phillies sent to the mound threw at least one inning with no runs allowed and at least one whiff. Vince Velasquez, expected to be a big part of Philadelphia’s plans, struck out three in two scoreless frames.

There were, however, a few positive takeaways from the loss. The 21-year-old right-hander Yoendrys Gómez — one of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees’ system — threw a scoreless frame with one strikeout and no walks:

Veteran lefty Lucas Luetge also tossed a scoreless inning, and while he allowed a hit, he punched out three batters.

The Yankees will face the Tigers on Friday, as Domingo Germán will have his first spring outing of 2021. Left-hander Matt Boyd will toe the rubber for Detroit.

Box Score

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