MIAMI – The nightmare weekend in South Florida reached its ugly conclusion Sunday as the Miami Marlins completed the first sweep of the New York Yankees in franchise history with a 7-3 victory at loanDepot Park.
What began as a promising weekend following an active trade deadline devolved into three days of misery, capped by Luis Gil’s disastrous season debut that lasted just 3.1 innings.
The sweep drops the Yankees to 60-52 and third place in the AL East, 4.5 games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays and 1.5 games behind Boston for the second wild-card spot.
Gil’s Yankees return goes sideways
AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year finally returned from his spring training lat injury, but the long layoff showed immediately. Gil walked four batters, allowed five runs, and threw 77 pitches before Aaron Boone mercifully pulled him in the fourth inning.
“Obviously, a struggle,” Boone said. “Just no real command today.”
Gil’s fastball still reached 98.5 mph, but location remained a constant problem throughout his abbreviated outing. The Marlins jumped on him for three runs in the second inning on RBI hits from Troy Johnston, Xavier Edwards, and Kyle Stowers.
“The command didn’t help. I wasn’t commanding the way I wanted,” Gil said through an interpreter. “But looking back, you know, it was the first start in the big leagues since October last year. So I’m sure I’ll be able to make the adjustments.”
Gil struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in 3 1/3 innings. He threw 77 pitches before being lifted with two runners on base in the fourth inning.
Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after Gil was lifted. The three-run blast effectively put the game out of reach and capped off a dominant weekend for the Marlins outfielder.
Weekend from hell
This wasn’t just any sweep. Each loss carried its own special brand of torture for Yankees fans.
Friday’s 13-12 disaster featured the Yankees blowing leads of 6-0, 9-4, and 12-10, with all four trade deadline acquisitions contributing to the meltdown. Saturday brought a lifeless 2-0 shutout where Jazz Chisholm Jr. got doubled off on a routine pop-up in a mental mistake that epitomized the weekend.
Sunday offered no relief as Edward Cabrera dominated through six innings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven Yankees. The right-hander showed exactly why Miami refused to trade him at the deadline.
“That’s one of the better outings we’ve seen,” Boone admitted.
Offense goes silent again
Trent Grisham’s leadoff homer in the first inning provided the only early spark, his 20th of the season. Chisholm added a two-run shot in the seventh that briefly cut the deficit to 6-3, but that was all the Yankees could muster against Miami’s pitching staff.
The performance continued a troubling trend for an offense that has sputtered for months. Since holding a seven-game AL East lead on May 28, the Yankees have gone 25-32, a stretch that accounts for over a third of their season.
Boone calls it ‘Gut-Check Time’
The manager didn’t mince words after watching his team make unwanted history.
“It’s getting to be real gut check time,” Boone said. “It’s getting late. It’s certainly not too late for us, and I am confident that we’re gonna get it together, but that’s all it is right now. It’s empty until we start doing it.”
Players echoed their manager’s concerns about urgency.
“I think everyone in this room, we have really high expectations, and we’re not meeting them right now,” said Cody Bellinger. “I have full confidence in this group of guys. Love this group of guys. I think we have a lot of talented baseball players in here. And ultimately, we just gotta play better.”
Ben Rice was more direct: “I wouldn’t say there’s concern, but I think a little sense of urgency would be good for us.”
Judge’s return could provide boost
JASON SZENES @NYP
Aaron Judge is expected to return from the injured list as early as Tuesday when the Yankees open a three-game series in Texas against the Rangers. The team captain has been sidelined with a flexor strain in his right elbow but will initially serve as the designated hitter.
Judge’s return can’t come soon enough for a Yankees team that has struggled without their MVP-caliber slugger. Before his injury, Judge was hitting .342 with 37 home runs and 85 RBIs.
Historical embarrassment
The sweep carries extra sting given the historical context. Miami now holds a 25-24 all-time record against the Yankees, making the Marlins the only MLB team with a winning record against the 27-time World Series champions.
This marks the third time this season the Yankees have been swept, following series losses at Boston (June 13-15) and Toronto (June 30-July 3).
Reality check in August
The Yankees flew to Texas Sunday night, facing a harsh reality. What seemed like championship aspirations just days ago now looks like a team fighting to avoid missing the playoffs entirely.
They currently occupy the top AL wild-card spot, but with the Rangers breathing down their necks. Texas sits just 2.5 games back in the wild-card race.
“It’s getting time where we need to start doing it and doing it in a consistent manner,” Boone said. “Hopefully we start that tomorrow.”
The Yankees will send Max Fried to the mound Monday night against Texas, desperately needing to stop the bleeding and start a new chapter after one of the most embarrassing weekends in recent franchise history.
The Yankees managed six hits and struck out 14 times against Miami’s pitching. They left six runners on base and went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Miami finished with 11 hits and committed no errors. The Marlins drew three walks and struck out eight times.
Yankees relievers Brent Headrick and JT Brubaker combined to allow four runs over 4 2/3 innings after Gil’s early exit.
