Friday, February 28, 2014

After impressing in their spring debuts on Wednesday, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann will be back in the Yankees lineup on Friday when they head on the road to Lakeland to take on the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Carlos Beltran, who went 0-for-3 in his debut, will also be among those getting on the bus. It'll be pretty much the same squad that faced the Pirates in Bradenton on Wednesday.

Adam Warren will be on the mound for the Yankees, making his first start of the spring. The Tigers will hand the ball to reigning Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer.

Warren is one of the four starters fighting for the fifth starter job. Even though he pitched very well for the Yankees out of the bullpen last season, moving to the rotation is something that the Yankees might not be looking to do with Warren.

Warren had 3.39 ERA in 34 games, two starts, last season, but it might be because of that success out of the bullpen that the Yankees decide to keep him as one of their long relievers.

And, or course, many of you know Scherzer for the dominating pitcher he was in 2013 for the Tigers, winning 21 of his 32 starters -- losing just three -- and finishing with an ERA of 2.90. He'll likely be on the some pitching as Warren -- two innings, or 35 pitches.

You may have noticed that Ellsbury got on base three times in his first game, walking twice and singling once, but he didn't once attempted to steal a base.

"I kind of like to save (stolen bases) for the season," Ellsbury said. "Don't be looking for me to run too much in spring training. Maybe I'll go once or twice in spring. I just try when I get on base, try to give a little jab step maybe, simulate me going. In a given at-bat, I’ve went five or six times (by only practicing the first step). Instead of going once, I get a lot more reps that way to get my first step, and that’s the most important thing. I think I get a lot more work out of doing it that way instead of actually stealing the base."

Ellsbury looked good overall in his Yankee debut, and it'll be important for him to get off to a good start this season after signing a that big seven-year, $152 million contract. A lot of people don't understand why he was brought in, and he'll how to prove right away why he should be in New York.

Today's lineup vs Tigers:


Your bullpen for today will consist of Dellin Betances, Bruce Billings, Dan Burawa, Preston Claiborne, Matt Daley, Brian Gordon, Shawn Kelley, Fred Lewis, and Chase Whitley.

Francisco Arcia, Jose Gil, Pete O’Brien, and Austin Romine are the catchers also making the trip.

The backup infielders will be Corban Joseph, Jose Pirela, Yangervis Solarte, Zelous Wheeler.

And the outfielders: Ramon Flores, Adonis Garcia, Antoan Richardson, Mason Williams.

Today's game will not be on TV or radio once again, but you can follow along on Twitter for updates at @GavinEwbank or @YanksBeatBlog.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog

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