Updates From The Grapefruit League Opener

1st inning:
Granderson looks like he is going to start where he left off last year. He hit the first pitch he saw and laced it for a double. Ibanez , with an assist from the wind, had a double two batters later to knock him in to make it 1-0 Yankees after a half of an inning. Here comes Ivan Nova.

Nova starts off the game with a K of Rollins. Nunez with an error at SS... no way. Another error on a pick off attempt by Ivan Nova and apparently Eric Chavez is no Mark Teixeira. Hunter Pence took Nova deep after that with a 2 run home run on a 3-0 count.  This wind is going to be a problem today, that was evident on that Bill Hall pop up catch.

2nd Inning:
Bill Hall with a base hit. Included this  because I really like what he did with his workout regime this offseason.

Nix with a throwing error at 3rd to keep the inning alive. Another K for Nova.

3rd Inning:
Granderson with an opposite field home run to tie the game at 2 each.

David Phelps is in for the Yankees to pitch now. Phelps looked good, 1-2-3 inning with a K.

4th Inning:

Yawn

5th Inning:
Papelbon is in? WOW... 1-2-3 inning for him. Gardner is 0-3 today with a K.

1-2-3 for Manny Banuelos

6th Inning:

Cole Garner (who?) with a double off Dontrelle Willis. RBI single by Jorge Vazquez knocks him in while Jorge takes 2nd on the throw. 3-2 Yankees take the lead.

Manny Banuelos is struggling, especially with his command. Bases loaded with two outs because of two walks. He gets out of it though!!!

7th Inning:
Chris Dickerson with a two out double off Chad Qualls. DeWayne Wise gets a rbi triple, with another assist from the wind, and the Yankees take a 4-2 lead with Dickerson crossing the plate. Cole Garner with a 2 run home run to follow the triple to take a 6-2 lead.

Dellin Betances sighting! Dellin is wild, that was his 3rd pitch to go back and hit the screen. He walked Pierre and a wild pitch allowed him to take 2nd base. Now another walk.. still no one out. Double play helps though in this situation. Dellin has always shown an ability to settle down from batter to batter.

8th Inning:
1-2-3 the Yankees go.

Cesar Cabral begins his case for the last bullpen spot here in the 8th inning. He had a couple hiccups but he pitches a scoreless inning. On to the 9th.

9th Inning:
Dickerson walks and is moved to third after a DeWayne Wise single. Two out , two rbi double by Zoilo Almonte to put the Yankees up 8-2. Zoilo has been tearing it up so far this spring.

Mike O'Connor is going to try to "close" it out. Gives up a 2 run home run to Kevin Frandsen to make it an 8-4 Yankees lead with one out. A two out rbi double makes it 8-5 Yankees and Clay Rapada is up in the bullpen. Strike out ends the game

Yankees win 8-5