TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- James Shields sailed through his first spring training start.
The Tampa Bay right-hander pitched two perfect innings, and the Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-0 on Wednesday.
"I felt really good," Shields said.
"Felt kind of weird the first couple pitches, but that's just the normal
first game of spring training. I was commanding my pitches for the most
part."
Shields struck out Derek Jeter and
Robinson Cano. The 30-year old is coming off an All-Star season in which
he went 16-12 with 11 complete games and four shutouts.
"Nobody has to, really, pressure James
to do anything," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He's such a great
worker. He's such a great self starter and motivator."
Hiroki Kuroda allowed three runs and
three hits over two innings during his Yankees' spring training debut.
New York signed the former Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher to a $10
million, one-year contract.
"The most important thing that I wanted
to accomplish was the feeling for the real game, and I think I was able
to do that, so I'm happy," Kuroda said through a translator. "I think
there was something that I gained from this outing. I made sure that I
had all my pitches, and I was able to throw a lot of good pitches."
Kuroda and opening day starter CC
Sabathia are the only pitchers that Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said
will be part of his rotation.
"I thought he threw some really good
splits," Girardi said. "I thought he threw some good fastballs. I liked
what I saw from him. I know he gave up a couple runs, but that doesn't
bother me. I was pleased with where he's at physically."
The Rays are playing without Evan
Longoria, who has a bruised right hand. The All-Star third baseman, hit
by a pitch during an intrasquad game on March 1, has started hitting off
a tee.
"It's fine ... he's just a sore," Maddon said. "Next couple days it should be pretty much back to normal."
Stephen Vogt, who had 105 RBIs at
Double and Triple-A last season, drove in a pair of runs with a triple
off Kuroda during a three-run second. He finished 3 for 3.
New York had just four hits off six pitchers.
"We love our pitching," Maddon said. "I like our team a lot, I really do."
Jeter was hitless in two at-bats and
was charged with an error after the ball popped out of his glove while
fielding Ben Zobrist's fifth-inning grounder.
New York added a Hall of Famer before
the game when spring training instructor Yogi Berra arrived. He joins an
instructors' group of former Yankees' stars that includes Goose
Gossage, Reggie Jackson and Lou Piniella.
"It felt like camp started today --
Yogi's here," Girardi said. "It was great to see him. It just kind of
puts a smile on everyone's face. Things pick up around here a little
bit."
Notes: New York closer Mariano Rivera,
who has strongly hinted he will retire after this season, is to throw
batting practice for the second time on Thursday and will likely pitch
Sunday. ... Cano is expected to get retired C Jorge Posada's locker at
Yankee Stadium, which is opposite to Jeter's at the back of the
clubhouse, near the entrance to the showers. ... The Yankees agreed to
one-year contracts with all their previous unsigned players ($480,000
minimum in majors unless noted): 2B David Adams, OF Zoilo Almonte, RHP
Dellin Betances ($481,000), LHP Cesar Cabral, C Francisco Cervelli
($513,700), 2B Corban Joseph, RHP George Kontos ($481,350), 3B Brandon
Laird ($482,500), OF Justin Maxwell, OF Melky Mesa, RHP Brad Meyers, RHP
D.J. Mitchell, RHP Ivan Nova ($527,200), SS Eduardo Nunez ($523,800),
SS Ramiro Pena ($504,600), RHP David Phelps, RHP Michael Pineda
($528,475), C Austin Romine ($482,000) and RHP Cory Wade ($508,925).
