Phillips leads Yanks over Tigers

[NYHC GIANT]

YANKEES 4, TIGERS 2

at Lakeland, Fla.

Wednesday, March 29

 

Yankees at the plate: Russ Johnson had an RBI double to go with two walks, one of them a bases-loaded pass to plate Robinson Cano with the go-ahead run. Andy Phillips went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored, including an eighth-inning insurance run on a Felix Escalona double.

 

Tigers at the plate: Vance Wilson's sacrifice fly and Curtis Granderson's RBI double accounted for both Detroit runs in the second inning. Magglio Ordonez had a pair of doubles in his 2-for-3 performance.

 

Yankees on the mound: Jeff Karstens rebounded from his rough second inning to retire the last 10 Tigers he faced in his five innings of work. Scott Erickson and Ron Villone held Detroit scoreless before Kyle Farnsworth entered to face his old team.

 

Tigers on the mound: Kenny Rogers, originally scheduled to start on Tuesday but scratched with the flu, looked less than healthy on the mound. He walked five batters in four innings, walking three consecutive batters at one point to bring in the go-ahead run in the third. Roman Colon followed with two scoreless innings before he was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after the game.

 

Grapefruit League records: Yankees 14-15; Tigers 17-13-1.

 

Up next: The Tigers will conclude their Polk County rivalry against the Indians on Thursday with a 1:05 p.m. ET contest in Winter Haven, Fla. Jeremy Bonderman will make his final start of Spring Training before Todd Jones, Fernando Rodney and Bobby Seay are scheduled to take the mound. Jake Westbrook is slated to start for Cleveland.

 

The Yankees will host the Devil Rays at Legends Field in Tampa at 1:15 p.m. ET on Thursday.