New York Yankees tie with Detroit Tigers 1-1 – MLB Spring Training
New York Yankees tied with Detroit Tigers 1-1 at the George M. Steinbrenner Fielder in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, March 25 in their Grapefruit League encounter of the 2012 Major League Baseball Spring Training Session.
Michael Pineda, who was acquired by the Yankees during the offseason, tossed five strong innings, allowing just one run and five hits to help his team stay in the hunt. Pineda is considered as one of the top prospects in the game and he is looking to grab
a starting spot on Yankees’ pitching rotation this season. Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova and Pineda are the four candidates for three available spots.
"I'm focusing on making good pitches," Pineda said. "I feel a little more confident on the mound."
"My leg is fine," Jeter said. "I haven't run hard, but I haven't had to. I'm making progress. I'm happy where I'm at."
Yankees’ captain, Derek Jeter made a great comeback from his leg injury, hitting a leadoff home run in the first inning.
Tigers’ Duane Below, who is competing for the starting spot, pitched with great accuracy as he gave up just one run and three hits in just over three innings.
"I know I've got a fifth starter, I don't know who it is, but I know I've got one," Leyland said. "So, I'm really bearing down on this bullpen situation. I'm a big bullpen guy. To me, that is a huge piece of this puzzle."
The Tigers will be disheartened with the outcome of the game. Despite putting up a solid fight in a game that was stretched over ten innings, they were unable to cross the winning line. Tigers’ Manager Jim Leyland looked a bit disappointed at the end of
the contest and he aimed to end Spring Training on a high note.
The Yankees, on the other hand, have shown considerable improvement in the last couple of weeks. After making a poor start to their Spring Training campaign, it seems the Yankees have finally worked out their best hitting and pitching combinations. Manager
Joe Girardi will be hoping to give similar results throughout the season to reach the playoffs.
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