Washington, D.C., March 29, 2013 — The Yankees played, and won, their penultimate 2013 Spring Training game a couple of hundred miles south of the Big Apple Friday, but considerably north of where they participated in a difficult camp, dominated by injuries, errors, generally light hitting, and a plethora of game losses. But if the results of this contest are any guide, this team is removed from the one that played its first game one month ago by a lot more than mileage.

Andy Pettitte, one of the team’s two veteran lefthanded starters, got the start and the win. And coming off a stellar World Baseball Classic, lefty-hitting Robinson Cano got the first of 10 hits on the day. A strong veteran crew of starters and All World Robbie were two of the team’s three strengths on February 25, with the masterful Mariano Rivera, who got a one-two-three ninth inning for today’s save, leading a solid bullpen that completed that threatening trinity.

But aside from a crew that is slowly aging playing on a highly paid team looking to trim expenses, the most yawning gap in the Yankee season’s expected fortunes was a dearth of talent and strength among righthanded hitters. They headed south missing power hitters from that side at third and catcher, and also lost two more batters who swing from both sides, Nick Swisher to free agency and Mark Teixeira to a season-threatening injury to his wrist. Finally, Captain Derek Jeter, a season and a half removed from his awe-inspiring assault on the 3,000-hit mark, and coming off another great year, is recovering from the ankle break that ended his last campaign a few games short of the end.

A midwinter signing of third baseman/first baseman Kevin Youkilis was a step toward solving the shortcoming but key additions and decisions made in just the last few weeks filled in several more blanks. And today, on what this spring passes for a quite pleasant day, the righty riflers acquitted themselves quite well against one of the better young righthanders in the National League. Youkilis got their four-run fourth-inning rampage started with the day’s lone home run, a deep drive to the Yankee bullpen in left center field.

But one of the team’s newest additions teamed with one who has been trying to stick on the pinstriped pateau for a few years in making the biggest contributions. Rendered unnecessary on the Angels, a team that has added two of the league’s best outfielders in the last two years, left fielder Vernon Wells was not only acquired a few days ago for roster remnants from the Yankee low minors, his former employer is paying much of the remaining freight on his contract. Vernon, in turn, was one of the league’s best young outfielders several years ago, and he punished Yankee pitching from north-of-the-border Toronto, but he has struggled since signing with Anaheim and playing on the West Coast. Two batters after Youkilis, Wells’s booming double to left center following a squib infield single is what took a scoring Yankee frame and made it a rally that decided the game.

But with Travis Hafner on third and Wells on second, the score was still just 1-0, and remained so as Jordan Zimermann recovered to strike out Lyle Overbay. And the young righty pressed his mini-advantage, getting two quick called strikes against shortstop Eduardo Nunez. Playing for the injured Jeter, Nunez is a puzzle, a very talented one. He almost played himself off the team through defensive lapses the last few years. But he runs like a gazelle, and has displayed a quick bat occasionally. He joined outfielder/DH Raul Ibanez, since departed from the team as a free agent, as the only two offensive bright spots in the otherwise dreadful four-game sweep the Tigers put on the Yankees in the 2012 ALCS.

Had Jeter been ready to answer the bell, Nunez’s roster status would have been tenuous, but Joe Girardi has confidently penciled him in at shortstop throughout March. It paid off this game. Youkilis hit the longest shot Friday afternoon, but it will have to settle for fourth in the evaluation of hardest hit ball, behind all three of Eduardo’s at bats. He had already drilled a laser over second for one base in the second and now, with two runners in scoring position, he sent another liner up the middle that threatened to decapitate Zimmermann. It scored two runs, and Eduardo came across on a Chris Stewart single for the 4-0 Yankee lead. Two innings later Nunez pounded a Henry Rodriguez fastball to deep center, but Denard Span ran it down.

The day featured some good defense and pitching too. In a bizarre and scary play for the injury-snakebitten Yankees, Wilson Ramos almost took Pettitte out with his flying bat in the third on a soft hopper toward short and, Cano, who is an old hand at running down balls across the infield, may have gone his furthest toward third ever before he pegged the throw against his body to nail the slow-footed catcher at first. And easily outdoing Span running down the Nunez drive in the sixth, Melky Mesa, in at center for Brett Gardner, made a running, diving grab of Danny Espinosa’s drive to the left center field gap leading off the home seventh in a two-run game.

That was the first of nine outs equally shared by Yankee bullpenners Joba Chamberlain, David Robinson, and Rivera once Pettitte left after six. Andy surrendered one earned run on five hits, with no walks and six strike outs, and kept his pitch count low throughout. And there was a nice moment when new Nats closer Rafael Soriano, who excelled in the role for the Yanks last year, presented Mariano with a No. 42 jersey signed by his new team before the game. Honors will be coming to the one and only Mo all season.

Nationals Park was gorgeous and sparkled in the sun, when the clouds allowed it. It’s a fun destination for baseball with plenty of sitdown space for fans of opposing teams to share great food, drink, and taunts before the game. Every Nationals employee greeted every fan, even those of the “Evil Empire,” as if they were truly delighted each had attended the game that day.

And “game” it was, even more than it will be come Monday. The games count in the standings then, but not this one. Not too much should be read into these performances just yet. But after months of second guessing and fearful misgivings, it was good to see the righty side of the lineup come through with seven of the 10 hits, with three runs scored and all four rbi’s. It just seemed “right.”

BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!