In the final regular season series, the New York Yankees take on the Miami Marlins and look for momentum to add for the playoffs. The Yankees will start Happ, Garcia and Schmidt, while Miami will send out Alcantara, Rodgers and Ureña.
Game 1 Final: Marlins 4, Yankees 3
Probables: Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 2.12 ERA) vs J.A Happ (2-2, 3.25 ERA)
Win / Loss / Save: MIA – Boxberger (1-0) / NYY – Green (3-3) / MIA – Kintzler (12)
Falling short in the fourth game of the last five days, Miami stole game one against New York in extra innings. Having a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, the Yankees were unable to find production as they fell short 4-3. This win by Miami sends them to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
J.A Happ opened the game on a rough note after allowing a three-run home run. Though he settled down and went 5.0 somewhat solid innings. Allowing three hits, three earned runs and two walks, the New York offense needs to do more in these kinds of games. When your pitcher allows a mere three runs, the offense should back it up. The Bombers got on the board with two runs in the third. Aaron Hicks scored two with a double down the right field line and later in the 8th, Aaron Judge tied the game at three with an RBI single.
In extras, the Marlins brought out “old school” baseball with a bunt and a sacrifice fly to advance and score the artificial runner from second base. Unable in the bottom half of the inning, the Yankees fall in a heartbreaker. Final: Miami 4, New York 3.
Player of the Game: CF Aaron Hicks: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB
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Game 2 Final: Marlins 4, Yankees 11
Probables: Trevor Rodgers (1-2, 6.84 ERA) vs Deivi Garcia (2-2, 4.88 ERA)
Win / Loss / Save: NYY – Garcia (3-2) / MIA – Tarpley (2-2)
In a much-needed win, for playoff implications and morale, the Yankees’ offense was cooking! A three-home run, ten-hit effort from the Bombers added 11 runs to the board. DJ LeMahieu all but secured his second career batting title with a 4-hit performance.
Rookie Deivi Garcia tossed a solid 6.2 innings of work. Besides a shaky third inning, Garcia was strong all around. Seven strikeouts, a walk and four earned runs is how the right-handed ended is night. It’s safe to say that he will be on the postseason roster next week. Many expect Garcia to be moved into the bullpen for the postseason.
Falling 3-0 in the first, it took awhile for the Yankees’ bats to flip the “on” switch. In the 5th, Tyler Wade (3) smashed a two-run home run into the second deck to bring the Yankees within one. Later in the inning, Giancarlo Stanton scored Aaron Judge on an RBI double to tie the game at three.
An inning later, the offense caught fire for a seven-run sixth inning. Starting it off, Aaron Hicks (6) ripped a two-run shot to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead. Shortly after, the future American League batting title winner DJ LeMahieu scored Frazier and Sanchez on a double to take a five run lead. The Bombers weren’t done as home-run champion Luke Voit (22) belted a two-run homer for his 22nd of the year, to give the Yankees a 10-3 lead. LeMahieu, again, scored one more in the 7th on his 4th hit of the game.
The bullpen backed up Garcia’s 6.2 IP outing. Adam Ottavino went 0.1 IP with a strikeout and Miguel Yajure tossed the final 2.0 scoreless innings. Game two goes to The Bronx. Yankees 11, Marlins 4. Rubber match tomorrow.
Player of the Game: 2B DJ LeMahieu: 4-5, 3 RBI, R
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Game 3 Final: Marlins 5, Yankees 0
Probables: Jose Ureña (0-3, 6.00 ERA) vs Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 7.71 ERA)
Win / Loss / Save: MIA – Castano (1-2) / NYY – Schmidt (0-1)
The New York Yankees end their regular season 33-27 with a shutout loss against Miami. The Yankees were lifeless the entire game and didn’t produce on the scoreboard. Clarke Schmidt, making his first MLB start, was shaky but wasn’t terrible. The right-hander went 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER 2 BB with 4 K. The Clarke Schmidt era is here and Yankee fans could not be more excited.
Counting for six hits the entire game, DJ LeMahieu (the batting title champion) and Brett Gardner totaled for five of them. LeMahieu went 2-for-3 with a walk and finished his season with a .364 batting average. Gardner went 3-for-4 at the dish. A Gleyber Torres single was the only other hit against the Marlins’ pitching staff.
DJ LeMahieu writes history as he is the first player ever to win an American League and a National League batting title. LeMahieu also joins Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig as the only Yankees ever to lead Major League Baseball in batting average, per Katie Sharp. Wow!
This is certainly not how Yankees’ fans envisioned the season, but here we are. Locked in for the playoffs, the Yankees will battle Shane Bieber and the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday. Let’s do this. Make New York proud.
Player of the Game: LF Brett Gardner: 3-4
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Player of the Series: 2B DJ LeMahieu: 6-12, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Upcoming Series: Tuesday, Wild Card vs Cleveland Indians
Photo: Al Bello / Getty Images
