A three-run eighth inning rally delivered the Yankees’ third spring victory in as many games, with the youngsters who combined to produce the winning run being part of the first round of cuts afterwards.

Lineup

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Hideki Matsui (LF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Josh Phelps (1B)
R – Jose Tabata (DH)
R – Miguel Cairo (2B)
R – Kevin Thompson (RF)

Pitchers: Mike Mussina, Matt DeSalvo, Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Henn, Jeff Kennard, Jose Veras

Subs: Eric Duncan (1B), Andy Cannizaro (PR/2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Marcos Vechionacci (PR/3B), Ben Davis (C), Francisco Cervelli (C), Brett Gardner (CF), Kevin Reese (PR/LF), Angel Chavez (DH)

Opposition: The last-place Pirates B-squad.

Big Hits: A solo homer by Posada and doubles by Matsui and Thompson (both 1 for 2 with a walk); in his only at-bat, Vechionacci singled home Peña for the winning run with one out in the eighth.

Who Pitched Well: Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect fifth.

Who Didn’t: No one pitched especially poorly, but collectively the other five pitchers allowed 13 baserunners in eight innings and recorded only one strikeout. Mussina, DeSalvo, and Kennard each allowed a run, Moose on a home run by Brad Eldred.

Battles: Phelps walked and singled in three trips, but he was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double when the ball after seeing the ball ricochet of third base. Ben Davis went 0 for 2.

Cuts: After the game, the Yankees demoted the game-winning infield combo of Marcos Vechionacci and Ramiro Peña, two slick fielders who will spend the season trying to hit their way out of A-ball, catchers Francisco Cervelli, P.J. Pilittere, and Omir Santos, and righty starter Steven White. Cervelli did not get a turn at-bat in yesterday’s game and Pilittere, Santos and White saw no game action at all. White, who is still working his way back from a tweaked neck, threw a bullpen session from half-way up the mound yesterday and received praise from Guidry and Torre on his way to minor league camp. He’s expected to throw from the top of the mound in his next session. All of the reassigned players were non-roster invitees.

Notes: Yesterday’s game was the first of six broadcast on WCBS radio. Since all regular season games are on WCBS I don’t indicate it on the sidebar, but since only five more of the spring tilts will be narrated by the dulcet tones of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, I’ll indicate the radio broadcasts in the upcoming schedule. Today, Carl Pavano pitches for the actual Yankees for the first time since his infamous butt-bruising inning last spring.

Reading: Tyler Kepner blogs about Scott Proctor, Sweeny Murti appreciates Mike Mussina (as do I).