Daily Report – 4/8/26
Yankees
It may have been frigid in New York last night, but flowers were blooming in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium became a rose garden as Amed Rosario homered twice, including a go-ahead three-run blast in the eighth inning, to propel the Yankees past the Athletics.
In Rosario’s third career multi-homer game, and first since 2021 with Cleveland, the Yankees defeated the A’s 5-3 to begin a three-game series. What makes Rosario’s achievement especially remarkable is the fact that he doesn’t play every day. Due to his favorable stats against left-handed pitching, the Yankees usually deploy him as a platoon option for Ryan McMahon.
But because McMahon is batting .087 to start the year, Aaron Boone started Rosario, who rewarded his manager with a couple of pulled-up-and-in baseballs around the left-field foul pole. He has earned his way back into tonight’s lineup, but McMahon will slot in at shortstop for José Caballero.
“We brought Rosie back here because not only is he a really good player, but he is a tremendous teammate,” Boone said. “He sets an amazing example for everyone. I’m happy for him to just get it done.”
The Yankees favor McMahon because of his defensive upside at third base, but his two hits and 11 strikeouts in 23 at-bats have contributed to a struggling bottom-third of the Yankees’ lineup. But with Rosario’s two hits yesterday, the Yankees’ bottom three hitters – Rosario, Austin Wells, and Caballero – went a combined 4-for-11 with two doubles and a pair of dingers. Four of the eight Yankees who hit safely yesterday were in the bottom third of the order.
Typically, when the Yankees start Rosario, it’s because a left-handed pitcher is on the mound. But given that, as a right-handed hitter, he drove two inside pitches over the fence, he can clearly handle right-handed pitching. Last season, with Washington and New York, Rosario hit to a .231 average in 65 at-bats against righties and to a .302 average in 116 at-bats against lefties. With two homers off righties this year, he has already matched last season’s total.
“Although I’m not playing every day, I try not to let that affect me mentally,” Rosario said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. “Over the years, I’ve been able to create a routine to help me do my job.”
Cam Schlittler started on the mound for the Yankees yesterday, and with Luis Severino scheduled to pitch for the Athletics tonight, conversations have emerged about how Schlittler’s early success reflects what Severino experienced a decade ago. In 2017, his first full season in pinstripes, Severino made 31 starts and went 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA, finishing third in Cy Young voting.
Since then, though, Severino’s career has been far from the same, including a forgettable 2023 season in which he posted a 6.65 ERA. The Yankees missed the playoffs that year, and Severino’s time in New York ended with an ugly injury. Severino claims he “forgot how to pitch” in 2023, but he believes in Schlittler’s potential because, in addition to his talent, he takes excellent care of his body.
Schlittler struggled a bit yesterday, notably in the third inning, when he allowed his first three runs of the season. After Rosario hit his first home run in the second inning, Schlittler permitted four hits, including doubles by Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom, putting the A’s ahead 3-1. But Schlittler never wavered, finishing his five innings with 84 pitches, seven strikeouts, and zero walks.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Yankees called Jake Bird out of the bullpen first. The righty yielded three runs and picked up Sunday’s loss to Miami, but he promised that disaster wouldn’t ensue again.
So far, despite leaving a runner in scoring position for Brent Headrick yesterday, Bird has kept his promise. Headrick put another runner on before sending Max Muncy – not the one from the Dodgers – down on strikes.
The top of the eighth inning featured a gorgeous performance by Fernando Cruz, who, despite two walks, pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings between the seventh and eighth. He walked Brent Rooker on an overturned strike call, and the runner stole second base while Lawrence Butler won his challenge. But in typical fashion, Cruz struck out Muncy with his splitter, stranding both runners.
Cruz is making a case to replace Camilo Doval as the Yankees’ setup man. He is, at least, their go-to arm when leading in the seventh inning. Doval has struggled in his last two appearances, most recently on Saturday, when the Yankees’ lineup had to keep clawing back to save their bullpen. He has not pitched since.
Speaking of struggling Yankees pitchers, Mark Leiter Jr. has joined Severino as another Athletics arm whose time in New York ended poorly. After serving as one of the most frequent arms out of the Yankees’ bullpen during the first half of last season, Leiter struggled after the All-Star Break, prompting his absence from his team’s ALDS roster.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, after Cody Bellinger singled sharply and Ben Rice blooped a ball off Leiter’s cutter, the righty switched to his slider, which Giancarlo Stanton laced off the dirt as Jacob Wilson came up empty on a dive. The ball took a strange bounce off the sand and rolled into the outfield to drive in a run.
The Yankees hit safely on three of Leiter’s six pitches, including his splitter, which Rosario pulled around the left-field foul pole and deep into the second deck. Last season, Leiter only gave up two home runs off his splitter.
“A lot of emotions there,” Rosario said through Abreu. “I was looking for a pitch where I could do some damage.”
Tonight at 7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT), RHP Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will toe the slab against the former Yankees ace Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA) (Prime Video).
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
CF Trent Grisham (L)
RF Aaron Judge (C) (R)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
1B Ben Rice (L)
DH Giancarlo Stanton (R)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
C JC Escarra (L)
3B Amed Rosario (R)
SS Ryan McMahon (L) (1st career start at SS)
SP: RHP Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA)
Schedule
7 PM (6 PM CDT): NYR vs. BUF; MSG, TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX, Gotham Sports
7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT): NYY vs. ATH; Prime Video; SP: RHP Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA)
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Yankees
