League Baseball releasing stricter

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Ottavino said that it was “unacceptable” to issue two walks in the eighth, as Yoshi Tsutsugo and Kevin Kiermaier worked free passes, but the right-hander was also irked by his pitch selection in the Perez at-bat. Ottavino said that he shouldn’t have thrown a slider, which Perez lifted to center field for a sacrifice fly.
“I was thinking fastball up and in,” Ottavino said. “[Perez] had just fouled a ball off his foot. There was a little bit of a debate [over] what to throw there, but that was my initial thought. We went back with a slider, and I just threw a lousy one. I regretted that immediately Joe DiMaggio Jersey.”Gleyber Torres had an opportunity to snap his early-season doldrums in the seventh, but the infielder flied out to right field, extending his hitless streak. Torres skied to center field in the ninth for the final out and is hitless in his last 24 at-bats. “I thought he got some better swings off,” Boone said. “He's been putting the ball in play. He's had a little bit of tough luck, but I thought he slowed it down a little bit and wasn't chasing as much. He laid off some pitches.”
LeMahieu said that the Yankees are usually able to turn the page quickly after tough losses.
“I think we do a really good job of bouncing back when things don't go our way,” LeMahieu said. “I expect us to come out with a lot of energy tomorrow, play good baseball and get back to being ourselves.”Mike Tauchman has been pleased with the nature of his at-bats so far this season, and the Yankees’ coaching staff is taking note, with manager Aaron Boone saying that he is searching for opportunities to write the outfielder’s name in the lineup.
Tauchman stroked another two hits, including a two-run single, in Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Phillies. The 29-year-old was 7-for-19 (.368) entering play on Friday, continuing a run of above-average big league production that dates to last July.
“I feel competitive in my at-bats,” Tauchman said. “I think we're all chasing perfection a little bit, knowing that it's never going to come. I've been happy with the competitiveness of my at-bats and my two-strike approach. It's led to some results early, and I just want to keep working to get where I want to be.”Acquired from the Rockies in March 2019, Tauchman was sent down to the Minors twice last season, but his third promotion proved to be the charm. In 56 games since July 4, Tauchman has batted .329 with 12 doubles Jorge Posada Jersey, nine homers and 36 RBIs, compiling a .973 OPS.
“I think he's just finally gotten an opportunity at the big league level,” Boone said. “He’s done a great job of coming in here and learning how to prepare for a pitcher and game plan. That’s allowed his talent to finally show itself at the big league level. This is a guy that's had a lot of success through the Minor Leagues, and it clicks at different times for people.”
Tauchman’s progress could spell a tough decision for Boone in left field, as Brett Gardner has been swinging the bat better after a slow start. A devoted student of the game under normal circumstances, Tauchman said that preparation has taken on even more importance during this shortened season.
“I think it’s about finding ways to slow things down and simplify,” Tauchman said. “There's a lot of distractions; there's a lot of new rules and little different things. Something is going to sneak up on you and surprise you, but if you prepare as best you can, you can kind of limit that.”
Friendly skies
This weekend’s visit to Tropicana Field marked the first air travel of the season for the Yankees Lou Gehrig Jersey, who utilized trains and buses for their first trips to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore. Boone said that each passenger was provided with pre-packaged food and players could not freely mingle while on board, permitted to get out of their seats only to use the lavatory.
“It was a different [larger] plane for us, so we could have more rows and guys could have their own row,” Boone said. “Those things were different, but it was a familiar flight crew and I think it all went pretty well.”
With Major League Baseball releasing stricter protocols this week, players are required to remain in the team hotel when they are not at Tropicana Field. Tauchman said that he believes those protocols will help players remain healthy.
“I’m a pretty boring guy as it is; I spend about 90 percent of the road trip in my room anyway,” Tauchman said. “Doing things like cleaning the surfaces in your room and just making sure stuff is wiped down, that remains a priority.”Gerrit Cole said that he would have enjoyed the Old-Timers’ Day festivities, which were originally scheduled to be held this weekend in The Bronx. He was in the visitors’ dugout last year as a member of the Astros.
“It would have been special to be wearing the pinstripes and watch it from the home side, being able to get to meet some new faces, some Yankees heroes and some great Yankees. Fortunately, I’m here for a while, so I'll catch one sooner rather than later.”
Cole said that he was able to spend time with David Cone Luke Voit Jersey, Reggie Jackson and Bernie Williams this spring, and is looking forward to a chance to meet Paul O’Neill. He also mentioned chatting with Chris Chambliss during last year’s festivities; Chambliss and Cole both attended UCLA.
Keeping tabs
During a typical season, Boone would pore over daily box scores and reports from each of the Yankees’ Minor League affiliates. There are no official games being played, but he is tracking players’ progress with similar content from the club’s alternate training site in Moosic, Pa.
“We're getting information from the coaches down there,” Boone said. “The ballpark in Scranton is outfitted with all our technology and video, so we're able to see every outing and every live at-bat, reports on what guys are doing. It’s all in there, just like it would be during a Minor League season.”
Bombers bits
Infielder/outfielder Miguel Andújar, right-hander Albert Abreu Mariano Rivera Jersey, infielder/outfielder Thairo Estrada, right-hander Ben Heller and catcher Erik Kratz accompanied the Yankees to Florida, serving as the club’s taxi squad. They are permitted to work out with the team but must be out of uniform when games begin.
Up next
The Yankees will continue their series with the Rays on Saturday, playing a doubleheader that will begin at 2:10 p.m. ET. Cole is scheduled to start the first game, with the second game’s starter listed as TBD. Tampa Bay’s pitching is listed as TBD for the two games, both of which will be seven innings. Gary Sánchez showed signs of snapping his early-season skid, helping the Yankees extend their season-opening franchise record by homering in a 12th consecutive game, but their late surge stalled in a 5-4 loss to the Phillies on Thursday evening at Citizens Bank Park.
Sánchez launched a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Nick Pivetta, marking the catcher’s third hit in 30 at-bats. The Yankees have mashed 24 homers through their first dozen games, with 45 of the club’s 65 runs thus far being scored via the long ball.
“I definitely think I was due, noting how things were going for me,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “It was my time to put a good hit on the ball, [because] they've been getting me out.”
Longest team HR streaks to start a season
Sánchez credited long hours with hitting coaches Marcus Thames and P.J. Pilittere for helping his approach. Manager Aaron Boone said he is encouraged that Sánchez appears to be turning the corner after a rough opening to his year, pointing to Sánchez’s career track record of home run power.