FULL MONTY
FORT MYERS — Bring your glove. The Yankees are opening select gates three hours prior to first pitch for more than 20 home games this season — giving fans more of a chance to snag a souvenir homer by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton or Gary Sanchez during batting practice.
According to a team press release, the Bombers will open Gates 6 and 8, as well as the Suite Entrance, three hours prior to the scheduled start of every Friday night game, as well as all Saturday games scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. or 7:15 p.m.
Yankee Stadium will also open its gates three hours earlier prior to the team’s homeopener on April 2 against the Rays. The Yankees will also host three additional “BP Block Parties” in addition to the dates mentioned.
In his final spring tuneup, Jordan Montgomery was terrific on Thursday, throwing six innings of one-run ball in the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Twins. He allowed six hits (all singles), walked one and struck out two.
Montgomery, who will open as the No. 5 starter, is at his best when he’s pitching aggressively and trusting his secondary pitches in any count.
“I want him to give us a chance to win every time out, and I think that’s what he’s capable of,” Aaron Boone said. “He’s competitive. He goes out there with the idea that he wants to get deep into a game. I don’t want him to obsess about that. I want him to get outs.”
Montgomery, who feels like he’s rediscovered his nasty changeup, isn’t looking back at his solid rookie season or dwelling on whether the Bombers will add another starter.
“That was last year. I’m going to try to do a little better,” he said. “I know I’m capable of putting up even better numbers. So I’ve got to take it with a grain of salt and show ’em when they wanted to keep me around.”
Montgomery has learned a lot from CC Sabathia.
“He’s awesome. He kind of helps me out on both spectrums because he tells me every day, ‘You’ve got more in the tank, you’ve got more in the tank! Keep being patient,’” Montgomery said. “He kind of tells me how to pitch like a power pitcher and how to pitch like I do. So I want to be right there in the middle.” spot on the roster, pitched three shutout innings in relief of Montgomery to record the save.