TAMPA, Fla. – Julio Teheran said he’s focused on getting better results against left-handed hitters this season, and against the Yankees on Saturday he accomplished that. At least until the fourth inning, when his defense did him no favors.
The Yankees used a leadoff walk and four consecutive one-out hits to score three runs in the fourth during a 3-2 Grapefruit League win against the Braves at George Steinbrenner Field.
Teheran, who’s scheduled to make his third consecutive opening-day start April 4, was charged with six hits, three runs and one walk with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Six left-handed or switch-hitters in the Yankees lineup went 4-for-12 against him with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
“In the fourth inning I got to work a little bit. I was making pitches pretty good,” Teheran said. “That inning they got a couple of base hits, but I was attacking the zone and throwing strikes. That’s all that matters…. I know I didn’t make it through the fifth inning, which was the goal for this game, but I felt pretty good.”
The hits in the fourth included an RBI double misplayed by left fielder Hector Olivera, and a ground-ball single to the right side of the infield that’s probably an out if Freddie Freeman is playing first base instead of Nick Swisher, who doesn’t have Freeman’s range.
“I thought it was a solid outing, I really did,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who was asked if Teheran might’ve gotten out of it with one or no runs allowed had the defense been better in the fourth inning. “There’s no question. That’s the thing with pitching, especially young pitching, is you’ve got to catch a ball. Because pitch counts go up and you put them in stressful situations.
“Teheran’s fine, he can cover it up. But some of the young guys may not be able to cover it up.”
Last season, left-handers hit .300 with an .893 OPS against Teheran, compared to .207/.583 by right-handers. He said his principal means of countering them more effectively in 2016 would be to use both sides of the plate, and he was pleased with that approach Saturday despite the fourth-inning runs.
“That (use both side of the plate) is what I’m trying to do, and mix all my pitches, throw everything so they don’t see only one pitch,” he said. “I think I did pretty good today. The fourth inning I was trying to do the same thing…. I made, like, two mistakes trying to go in(side).”
In his previous start Monday against Tampa Bay, Teheran faced a lineup with five left-handed or switch-hitters and needed just 35 pitches (28 strikes) to work four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk.
Against the Yankees, he threw 71 pitches (45 strikes) in 4 1/3 innings, the figure bloated by the fourth inning. He faced one batter over the minimum through three innings, inducing a double-play grounder after consecutive singles to start the third inning.
The only extra-base hit Teheran allowed Saturday was switch-hitter Chase Headley’s RBI double in the fourth inning, on a fly ball that was catchable if first-year left fielder Olivera had gotten a better initial read on the ball.
“Olivera got a lot of reps out in left field,” Gonzalez said, looking at the positive side of the situation. “The one line drive early in the game, he just took a step in and the ball went over his head. But those are things that it’s hard to get during batting practice and it’s hard to get hitting a fungo to him. So we accomplished stuff. And he had a great couple of at-bats.”
Left-handed hitter Didi Gregorius drew the leadoff walk in the fourth inning, and three of the four hits in the inning came from switch-hitters, including Carlos Beltran’s RBI single lined to right field, Headley’s double and Mark Teixeira’s single to Swisher’s right, which second baseman Kelly Johnson dove to get a glove on.
Right-handed hitter Starlin Castro followed with a single up the middle for a 3-1 lead before Teheran struck out Carlos Corporan and Chris Denorfia to end the inning with two on. Teheran hit Jacoby Ellsbury in the right wrist to start the fifth inning, then got Gregorius to fly out before being replaced.
X-rays and a CT scan of Ellsbury’s wrist were negative, showing no serious damage.
