Jonathan Loaisiga arrived early at Yankee Stadium on Friday for the biggest game of his professional baseball career. But it was not to pore over scouting reports, watch extra video of opposing hitters or even to tuck into the big league food spread.
Instead, he settled into a comfortable chair and watched a remarkable World Cup match between Spain and Portugal. A few hours later, Loaisiga stood on a field in front of 45,112 fans and delivered a stunning performance of his own.
Pitching in his major-league debut at 23, Loaisiga (pronounced Lo-AYE-siga) threw five scoreless innings to lead the Yankees to a 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays and establish himself as yet another Yankees prospect to watch.