TAMPA — It’s only early March, and some of the bigger names didn’t play in Saturday’s Red Sox-Yankees exhibition game at George Steinbrenner Field. But it was the first salvo ahead of what should be 19 heated regular-season games between the rivals.
The Red Sox, who lost, 6-4, decided not to pitch David Price, leaving him back in Fort Myers, where he threw two innings (38 pitches) against teammates. The Sox also didn’t bring David Ortiz, who for his farewell tour told the New York Post’s Kevin Kernan that he wanted something from the Yankees that money can’t buy — a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium.
The Yanks used some of their regulars, including Alex Rodriguez (2 for 2 with a walk), who said he can’t wait for the season to start and expects a heated race in the American League East.
“There are some excellent teams in this division,’’ A-Rod said. “There are teams with good lineups and good pitching and good bullpens. It should be a dogfight every night. The Red Sox did some good things this offseason, so they’ll be tough, but they’re always tough. They have a good mix of younger players and veterans and our games are always competitive. The important thing is that the fans from both sides really get into it. It’s always fun to play the Red Sox whether it’s at Yankee Stadium or Fenway.’’
The Yankees finished in second place last season. They were eliminated in the one-game wild-card round by the Astros. The Yankees have added former Cubs infielder Starlin Castro (to be their second baseman), outfielder Aaron Hicks, and closer Aroldis Chapman, who must serve a 30-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
The Yankees are trying to get younger. Righthanded phenom Luis Severino may head the rotation if Masahiro Tanaka doesn’t regain his form after elbow and shoulder woes. Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran are in the final years of their contracts, and New York has replacements in place in first baseman Greg Bird (who will miss the season after having shoulder surgery in early February) and 6-foot-7-inch right fielder Aaron Judge, who stroked an opposite-field, three-run homer in the seventh inning. Two years from now, A-Rod and CC Sabathia will come off the books.
It’ll be interesting to see how the younger players on the Sox and Yankees treat the rivalry. Judge, who will start the season at Triple A, said he loves rivalries and hopes to be a part of this one for many years.
On Saturday, the Sox started Steven Wright and the Yankees Tyler Cloyd, two pitchers unlikely to play prominent roles in the regular season. We saw Mookie Betts excite the crowd with a leadoff triple, followed by a Brock Holt single. A-Rod, serving as the DH, got New York’s first hit, a single to left-center in the first inning.
A-Rod came to camp in very good shape, looking like he shed some weight. The one thing that could bring him down is the condition of his hips, to which he said, “My hips feel great. I think DH-ing has really helped keep them in good shape. I was able to get through all of last year and I feel great coming to camp so I don’t foresee anything there.’’
Pundits always predict the Yankees will break down. They had their share of injuries last season, losing Teixeira, who was having an MVP-type season until it was cut short Aug. 26 by a leg injury. Jacoby Ellsbury battled nagging injuries, which reduced his effectiveness. Nathan Eovaldi didn’t pitch after Sept. 5.
Former Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller, who will fill in as Yankees closer while Chapman is out, before taking a setup role, expects another close AL East race.
“I think all of the teams are pretty tough. We definitely have a good team and on paper our bullpen looks solid, but we have to go out and do it. Everybody’s got to do their job for it to work,’’ Miller said.
The Red Sox have two series with the Yankees during Chapman’s suspension.
“You got a guy who is historically one of the most dominant short relievers in the game in a short period of time,’’ Sox manager John Farrell said of Chapman. “I think last year you saw a guy who’s averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning. It’s almost unheard of. A powerful bullpen.’’
The Red Sox have a strong bullpen, too, with closer Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith joining Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa. But when Chapman comes back, the Yankees have the advantage there.
What could separate the Red Sox from the Yankees, or the other teams in the division? Farrell offered this:
“We’re a balanced team, our pitching staff is deeper, our bench is very complementary to our projected starting lineup. There’s an evenness across our roster that hasn’t been there. We’re all in favor of the young blend of durable, athletic players. The thing that may end up separating us is how quickly we jell as a unit. The transition of Hanley [Ramirez] to first and Pablo [Sandoval’s] comeback are important, but [Clay] Buchholz staying healthy and showing us the pitcher he can be is also very important.’’
Saturday’s Red Sox-Yankees game didn’t exactly stop the presses. It just gave us a glimpse of what the 19 regular-season matchups might look like.
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickcafardo.
