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As the skies morphed from overcast to full-on sunshine hot, the entire visiting Yankee squad stretched and prepped for the game ahead.
Arriving early, we were surprised by the huge crowds already filling the ESPN sports complex at Disney, but the constant sight of large groups of young girls in heavy makeup and cute cheerleading outfits during our stroll to the ballpark confirmed that baseball was not the only activity dominating the scene. Perhaps this preponderance of competing youth foretold what we were about to see, because veteran Braves right-hander Jair Jurrjens, continuing a comeback from injury and arm surgery, would struggle mightily with his control at the game’s outset, while Yankee second-year man Michael Pineda, the newest jewel in the pinstriped pantheon, managed to impress despite a rocky start.
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Michael Pineda prepares to deliver a pitch in an almost 1-2-3 second inning in the Yankees' win. Michael came up with the big pitch more often than not.
The lone tally against Pineda, on the other hand, came on back-to-back hits from Michael Bourn and Martin Prado leading off the home first. Yankee right fielder Raul Ibanez stumbled and fell to the warning track at the wall pursuing Bourn’s full-count double, and when Prado’s first-pitch shot caromed off the mound and into center, the Yankee two-run lead was immediately halved. Gardner ran down Brian McCann’s follow-up liner to center, and Pineda struck out Dan Uggla on three pitches on the way to escaping further trouble. The young hurler then got some help from his catcher in a four-batter second inning, as Francisco Cervelli’s perfect peg nailed speedy Jose Constanza trying to steal after a two-out single.
But although it wasn’t a perfect outing from Pineda, he did show he has the tools, with a fastball that topped out at 94 mph, combined with an effective slider and an occasional change, a pitch that continues to be a work in progress. His line wasn’t great, as he was replaced after 57 pitches by lefty Cesar Cabral two outs into a one-hit, two-walk third inning, but no Brave had an easy at bat once their two-hit opening rally had passed. The Yankees, by the way, haven’t headed North with what’s known as a LOOGY, a southpaw on staff with the defined role to retire one lefty batter at a key moment, for some time, but Cabral is making the case to be that guy in 2012.
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Cesar Cabral, working from the port side, has a genuine chance to make the 2012 Yankees as a LOOGY.
But the home team’s loss and dispirited play notwithstanding, the large crowd thrilled to an enjoyable game. The Braves have a feature where a ring of fans are allowed to hang out behind the backstop and watch batting practice on the field of play. Also on hand, Hall of Famer Don Sutton, one of the team’s broadcasters, was generous in signing autographs before his game duties commenced, and the Braves also make five or six players available to sign for fans in the second level pregame, although oddly, they allow no one to photograph the players while this is going on.
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A-Rod made a fine play in the field and here he prepares to stroke an rbi double to right center in the second inning.
With the visiting Yankees and their fans in full assault mode, this saxophone foursome provided the background music, while
… Orlando Burned
BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!