Garcia boosts rotation bid with dynamic outing

LAKELAND, Fla. — Deivi Garcia looked sharp in three shutout innings Tuesday in the Yankees’ 6-5 loss to the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The right-hander struck out five and allowed just a pair of hits in another solid outing in his attempt to make the Opening Day rotation.

“I felt really good,’’ Garcia said through an interpreter. “All my pitches were working exactly the way I wanted them.”

Garcia was also able to avoid the mistakes he made in his previous start, when he allowed a pair of homers against the Phillies in an otherwise solid two-inning performance.

“One of the things I wanted to do in this outing was make better decisions regarding certain pitches and counts,’’ Garcia said. “Today, I felt like there was quality behind those pitches. I was commanding in areas I wanted to attack.”

Garcia topped out at 95 mph in his 37-pitch outing, slightly more velocity than the 21-year-old typically shows.

Garcia was so efficient, manager Aaron Boone said, that he threw some more pitches in the bullpen following the outing.

➤ Jay Bruce’s attempt to make the Yankees’ roster got another boost when he hit an oppositefield homer in the top of the second. He’s now 5-for-11 with two homers and a double this spring and has played first base and left field.

If Bruce continues to look good and there are no significant injuries, the Yankees will have a decision to make by March 25, when Bruce can opt out of his contract.

Mike Tauchman went 0-for-2 and is 2-for-12 this spring after a miserable 2020 season.

Since neither player can be sent to the minors without passing through waivers, the Yankees will almost certainly lose one of them — unless they trade Tauchman.

But the Yankees still like Tauchman’s ability to play all three outfield positions and are confident he can regain the form at the plate he showed in 2019.

➤ Aaron Judge got just two atbats as the designated hitter, but Boone said that was the plan, since Judge is scheduled to play right field Wednesday night against the Pirates. … Nick Nelson tossed two more scoreless innings and has pitched six shutout frames this spring.