Takeaways from yesterday.
1. Nick Torres, the '25 Mexican League MVP, didn't exactly break down any fences. He botched a pop fly that let Toronto's only run score. And in the 8th, ahead 3-0 in the count, he crushed a belt-high meatball, right over the plate - for a routine grounder to SS. Meh-ico.
2. Cody Bellinger has a bad back. He'll miss a few. The Death Barge is pooh-poohing it, as they always do. The old lumbago. Nothing to worry about.
Listen: There is no such thing as a "minor" bad back. Nothing ages an athlete more rapidly. Moreover, I don't recall it being mentioned last year.
3. Yesterday, Paul Blackburn became the first Yank pitcher to last into the fourth inning. But he was damn lucky to make it. He gave up two singles, putting runners on first and third with one out, then was lucky when a line drive turned into a double play.
4. Spencer Jones finally put the bat on the ball, without homering. He flied out to CF and then hit a grounder to SS that was botched on the throw to first. Jones ended up on second, and a run scored. This is why you don't want 200 strikeouts from a hitter. When you put the ball into play, strange things happen. Jones is 3-for-10 this spring with two HRs and four Ks. (The Martian yesteday didn't play.)
5. Mr. Potato Chip, Giancarlo Stanton, expects to appear in his first spring game on Tuesday. Distressing news over the weekend: Stanton says that, on bad days, his tennis elbows are so bad that he cannot open a bag of chips. If so, I wonder what the Yankees, realistically, can expect from him. He has 463 career HRs. Doesn't look good for 500.