Tanaka K's 5, Ackley HRs before cancellation

March 29th, 2016

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Did Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka do enough?
Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged his starter before Tuesday afternoon's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies at Bright House Field, which was called after the fourth inning because of rain. Tanaka entered the game with a 7.36 ERA in his first four starts, and Girardi wanted to see better before he named him the Opening Day starter.
Tanaka allowed seven hits, one run, one walk and struck out five in four innings, and he threw in the bullpen during the delay to extend his pitch count.

Phillies left-hander Brett Oberholtzer allowed seven runs in four innings.
Yankees first baseman Dustin Ackley hit a three-run homer in the first. Miguel Andujar hit a two-run homer in the fourth.
Darin Ruf singled in the first to score the Phillies' only run.
Up next for Yankees:Ivan Nova will make his sixth spring start on Wednesday, taking on the Braves in a 1:05 p.m. ET contest in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Nova didn't help his chances of serving as the fifth starter in his most recent outing, serving up three homers to the Orioles. Julio Teheran starts for Atlanta, facing a lineup that will include Dustin Ackley, Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks.
Up next for Phillies: Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson starts the Phillies' final Grapefruit League game on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. ET, facing the Houston Astros at Bright House Field. It will be the final tuneup for Hellickson before he starts on Opening Day in Cincinnati on Monday.