Yankees takeaways from Friday’s 6-4 spring training loss to Twins, including Anthony Volpe’s third home run

The Yankees lost to the Minnesota Twins, 6-4, on Friday afternoon in their split-squad spring training game.

Here are some key takeaways…

– Gerrit Cole recorded two quick outs to open the game and then gave up a double to Christian Vazquez, but didn’t let that hurt him, as he got a fly out to end the first. Cole cruised through the second, tossing a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. He threw another perfect inning in the third thanks to two ground outs and a big play from his left fielder.

The right-hander continued to make his way through the Twins’ lineup in the fourth, but gave up back-to-back hits in the fifth, including an RBI double to Andrew Bechtold. Cole retired two more Twins in the top of the sixth before being pulled for Jimmy Cordero. The ace finished his day after 84 pitches (55 strikes) over 5.2 IP, allowing five hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.

– Anthony Volpe got the start at shortstop and led off for New York, but struck out swinging against Pablo Lopez in the first. Volpe showed why he should earn the starting job by homering off Lopez in the bottom of the third, as he crushed a first-pitch slider to center to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead. It was Volpe’s third homer of spring training, and he ended the day 1-for-4 with two RBI.

– Aaron Judge showed off his arm in left field, throwing out Edouard Julien at second trying to stretch a hit into a double for the final out of the third inning. While his defense was on display, the slugger finished the game 0-for-4 at the plate with a strikeout.

– Estevan Florial gave the Yanks a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run single to left field. Catcher Jose Trevino recorded his second hit of the day in the bottom of the sixth and then was pulled for a pinch-runner. He finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored.

– Cordero tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, as the 31-year-old right-hander struck out three. Albert Abreu came in to pitch with one away in the top of the eighth and got a first-pitch pop out. Abreu then gave up a solo homer to Julien, as the Twins trailed 4-2. Abreu nearly got out of the inning, but catcher Carlos Narvaez dropped a foul ball pop up. Luckily, Jose Miranda ended up lining out to left to end the inning.

Abreu couldn’t close the game in the ninth, as he gave up an RBI single with runners on first and second to make it a 4-3 game, and then served up a three-run homer to Emmanuel Rodriguez that gave the Twins a 6-4 lead. Michael Gomez came in to get the final out of the inning.

Highlights

What’s next

The Yankees continue Friday’s split-squad action when they take on the Baltimore Orioles at 6:05 p.m.