New York Yankees Suffer Meltdown Loss to Miami Marlins
The New York Yankees’ turbulent summer took another hit on Sunday as they suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Miami Marlins. Despite entering the ninth inning with a comfortable 7-3 lead, the Yankees ended up losing by an 8-7 margin. This marked the first time since July 11, 2021, that the Yankees lost a game in which they led by four or more runs in the ninth inning, according to James Smyth of YES Network.
Yankees reliever Clay Holmes found himself in trouble quickly as he surrendered a leadoff double to Yuli Gurriel. Although he managed to strike out Jon Berti, Holmes allowed an infield single to Nick Fortes and issued a walk to Jazz Chisholm, loading the bases and bringing the potential tying run to the plate.
It was Josh Bell who then hit a ball back up the middle that deflected off Holmes. Although Holmes recovered to field the ball, his subsequent throwing error resulted in two runs being scored. The game was now tied after Luis Arraez hit a triple, putting the Marlins within 90 feet of victory.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone made a pitching change at that point, bringing in Tommy Kahnle from the bullpen. However, Kahnle struggled as he walked Bryan De La Cruz before surrendering the game-winning walk-off hit to Jake Burger.
The Yankees wasted a quality start from their ace Gerrit Cole, who pitched six innings, allowing only two runs on six hits and two walks. Cole struck out six batters and threw 99 pitches. Offensively, shortstop Anthony Volpe stood out for the Yankees, driving in two runs and hitting his 16th home run of the year.
With this loss, the New York Yankees’ season record now stands at 60-58. Their performance in recent months has been underwhelming, going 11-12 in June, 10-15 in July, and starting August with a 5-7 record. Over their last 60 games, the Yankees have posted a disappointing 26-34 record – equivalent to a 70-win pace over a full-length season.
The Yankees will need to regroup and find a way to turn their season around if they want to secure a spot in the postseason. With the playoffs approaching, the team’s struggles in holding onto leads and securing victories are becoming a major concern for the Bronx Bombers.