john britoHe was about to put on a pair of AirPods and sit in a chair by his locker in the Yankees clubhouse Sunday afternoon, preparing for his start against the Blue Jays, when he sawlouis severinoin the far corner of the room.
The Dominican pitchers had a brief exchange in which the injured Severino encouraged the young right-hander to focus on hitting his pitches, before finally telling him: “I hope you get that starting job.”
If this was an audition, Brito did great, retiring all 16 batters he faced in a 6-2 win over Toronto at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“It felt like a great opportunity,” Brito said. “I think it was a great way for them to see if I can continue to be the pitcher that I’ve been in camp and in my career, someone who attacks the zone. It was a very good opportunity to show what I can do and how I can shoot.”
Astros 24 Cardinals 1
Dominican Yainer Díaz hit a grand slam in the game that the Houston Astros beat the Cardinals 24-1.
Diaz, who is battling for a catcher job with the Astros, hit his drive in the second off Andrew Marrero.
He went 3-for-3 overall, scored two and drove in six runs in the Astros’ 20-hit attack against the Cardinals. He is hitting .325 and is fighting with Korey Lee for the spot as Martin Maldonado’s substitute catcher with the team.
In the clash, Jeremy Peña went 2-0.
Twins 7 Boston 2
Willy Castro produced a two-run homer in the game that the Twins beat the Red Sox 7-2.
Castro was one of the players who mercilessly attacked Chris Sale, who is looking to recover from an injury-plagued season.
Castro’s homer came in the fifth inning, his third of the preseason. Another Dominican who blew the fence was Rafael Dvers, a shot with no one on base in the fourth inning against Cole Sands.
Marte bats 3-3
Starling Marte went 3-for-3 and scored a return in the game that the Mets tied to three runs with the Marlins.
Between his hits, the outfielder produced two doubles. For Florida, José Devers continued to hit with authority and went 3-for-4 to raise his average to .556.
Mejia home run
While in another clash, Francisco Mejía homered in a game that the Rays fell 11-10 against the Detroit Tigers.
The catcher hit his ball in the first act, his compatriot Edwin Uceta being his victim in the first episode. Mejía went 2-for-4, scored two and pushed in a run.