Alex Rodriguez who is now a special advisor for the New York Yankees was seen working with infielder Miguel Andújar on the baseball field before the game. “A-Rod” even had a brief moment with Miami Marlins Manager Don Mattingly. Derek Jeter sat in his lovely posh suite with former Yankees teammate Tino Martinez, and media attention was higher than average.
It can only mean one thing. The Yankees are in town. This was game two, game one was a 2-1 Yankees victory over the Marlins in 12 innings, and it marked the return of Giancarlo Stanton to Marlins Park.
Game two belonged to Miami.
Marlins defeat the Yankees 9-3 and split the two-game set. The Yankees blew a two-run lead, committed three errors, struck out 11 times and lost Wednesday night to the last-place Marlins in an energy favored New York atmosphere.
“We got some things rolling, and we got a big hit more than anything,” Mattingly said.
Yankees’ pitcher Lance Lynn gave up five runs in the sixth inning including Miguel Rojas’ three-run homer that put the Marlins ahead for the remainder of the game.
The win marked the Marlins’ 20th come-from-behind win of the season; moreover the 10th time Miami has scored five or more runs in an inning this season.
Including the 2003 World Series, the Marlins are 17-17 all-time against “The Bronx Bombers.”
Miami’s Trevor Richards was impressive; he allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings and struck out nine. Jarlin Garcia (2-2) retired both batters he faced. Miami ended New York’s four-game winning streak.
Game two’s attendance was 25,547; game one was announced at 26,275 majority Yankees fans for both outings. They witnessed Yankees first baseman Greg Bird go 0 for 10 in the series, dropping his batting average to .202.
“It’s not fun going out and not performing,” Bird said. “You’ve just got to keep going in anything, in life. That’s what I fall back on.”
Stanton, played in Miami for the first time since the Marlins traded him last November, he went 1 for 3 with an RBI and finished 3 for 9 in the series. He was met with a standing ovation in his first plate appearance in game one, and he remained at 299 career homers.
Stanton, who was the 2017 National League MVP while playing for the Marlins, was traded to the Yankees over the winter in a cost-cutting move.
“We know what the (financial) situation is over there,” Stanton said after game one. “We understand what they have been through. I’m just happy to be here. I always miss Miami. I miss the city.
The Marlins honored him with a video tribute in the second inning of game one.
The Yankees (79-47) are in second place in the American League East and have within nine games of the first-place Red Sox. Miami (51-77) is in last place in the National League East.
The beat goes on for both clubs.
Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (7-4, 3.32 ERA) is scheduled to start for the first time since Aug. 12 at Baltimore on Friday. Sabathia has been sidelined with right knee inflammation. The Yankees are only 6-6 this year against the Orioles.
Marlins: RHP Elieser Hernandez (2-6, 5.08) is scheduled to start Thursday when Miami opens a four-game series at home against first-place Atlanta.
Photo/TonyCapobianco/WORLDWIDEWEST
