Will Warren set the stage this spring, and his final outing was no exception, as the Yankees took down the Phillies 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.
The game kicked off with some drama. Warren faced early pressure after Kyle Schwarber's leadoff double.
But Warren, with his sharp skills and a little help from the challenge system, navigated the jam. J.T.
Realmuto saw a borderline pitch called a ball, but catcher J.C. Escarra called for a review.
The call was overturned, marking Warren's first strikeout of the day.
Bryce Harper then faced a similar fate, challenging a called strike and losing, before grounding out to advance Schwarber to third, momentarily putting the heat back on Warren.
With Schwarber just 90 feet from home, Warren stayed composed. He got ahead in the count and turned to the ABS system when a two-strike pitch was called a ball. Warren's challenge was successful, and the call was overturned, stranding Schwarber at third to close the inning.
The Yankees were 2-for-2 on challenges in the inning, showcasing their aggressive use of the system this spring.
After the leadoff hit, Warren was lights out, retiring 15 straight batters. His final line was impressive: five innings, six strikeouts, one hit, no walks, and just 62 pitches.
A perfect cap to his strong spring showing. If Warren keeps this up, he might earn himself a catchy nickname.
Wicked Willy, perhaps? The Mississippi Magician?
We'll see.
The Yankees soon broke the deadlock. After a successful challenge, Ryan McMahon singled to center, bringing home Giancarlo Stanton and moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third.
Jazz quickly scored on Escarra’s hard-hit single to right, extending the lead to 2-0. Nola managed to limit the damage, stranding two runners to end the fourth, but his day was nearing its end.
In the fifth, Aaron Judge made sure of that, crushing a changeup over the left-field wall with one of his signature rockets. The 380-foot blast, hit at 111.7 mph, was a reminder of Judge's ever-present power.
The Yankees weren’t done. Ben Rice doubled and scored on a Chisholm single, adding to a productive inning.
The Phillies threatened in the seventh, loading the bases with no outs against Camilo Doval. Doval responded by striking out Adolis García and inducing an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play from Edmundo Sosa, preserving the Yankees’ lead.
The Phillies finally got on the board in the eighth when Schwarber launched a sinker to left, cutting the Yankees’ lead to 4-2.
The Yankees answered right back in the bottom of the eighth. Max Schuemann laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Oswaldo Cabrera, extending the lead. Amed Rosario then singled up the middle, scoring Kyle West to finalize the score at 6-2.
The Yankees now head west to wrap up spring training with a two-game series against the Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m.
ET, with broadcasts on WFAN 660 AM for Yankees fans and 104.3 The Score for Cubs coverage. Carlos Lagrange is expected to start for New York, while Shota Imanaga takes the mound for Chicago.