The Yankees look loaded this season — with a phenomenal starting pitching staff, a terrific bullpen with a great closer, and so much talent on the field that Jasson Dominguez had to start the year in AAA despite a good rookie year last season and a .333 average in Spring Training.
But for the 2nd straight game, a chink in the armor was identified — the 8th inning reliever. On Saturday Camilo Doval imploded — his second straight poor outing — and in this game, Jake Bird — who had been pitching so well — got ripped for 3 runs without retiring a batter in blowing a 4-3 lead.
NY came back to make it close at 7-6 on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2-RBI double in the 9th, but J.C. Escarra struck out with the tying run on 2nd for a 7-6 loss on Easter Sunday in the Bronx — a game scheduled to start at 1:30pm but delayed until 5:15 pm due to a drizzly, 65-degree rain all day.
NY had jumped ahead early on a 3-run HR in the bottom of the 1st by Ben Rice, and led 4-1 into the 4th with Max Fried on the mound, pitching pretty well. But Fried allowed runs in the 4th and 6th and NY was unable to extend their lead against reliever Chris Paddack.
“Really good job of battling his way through,” said Boone about Fried. “Made enough big pitches. Even there at the end where they pressured him and looked like they had a chance to take the lead on him, he gets a couple of really big outs there. Overall solid job when he wasn’t able to get in a great rhythm.”
On Bird, Boone had this to say: “He lost the zone there for a couple of hitters, with the 4-pitch walk and then hits the next batter. Then got ahead and just left a pitch in the heart of the plate that they were able to put in the corner.”
NY drops to 7-2; Miami improves to 6-3.
1. Rice 3-Run HR in 1st
Max Fried allowed a run in the top of the 1st, but the Yanks jumped all over “opener” Pete Fairbanks in the bottom half of the inning — Trent Grisham working a leadoff walk, Aaron Judge singling to right, and after Cody Bellinger grounded out — Ben Rice ripping a 410-foot HR to right for a 3-1 NY lead.
Benny from the Block ? pic.twitter.com/6tP7aSN1fH
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 5, 2026
2. Yanks Take 4-1 Lead in 3rd
Andrew Nardi pitched a shutout 2nd, and then the Marlins brought in the real starter for the game — 6’5 righty Chris Paddack — for the 3rd inning.
NY went right at him — Aaron Judge led off with a double to center, Cody Bellinger walked, and Ben Rice hit a grounder to 1st that the 1st basemen Connor Norby threw to 2nd — but threw it past shortstop Otto Lopez into left field.
Marlins throw the ball into left field and the Yanks get a run! 4-1 Yanks! pic.twitter.com/0OSFMTrdeu
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 5, 2026
3. Fried Pitched Well
Meanwhile Max Fried was on the mound for NY and he was pitching pretty well — things were looking good.
Fried allowed a 2-out RBI single in the 1st by Otto Lopez for a run, but pitched a shutout 2nd and 3rd, working around a baserunner each inning.
He got the first 2 outs of the 4th before a walk and then an RBI double by Xavier Edwards made it a 4-2 game.
Fried pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th before some more trouble in the 6th — a leadoff walk, single by Lopez, and error by Jose Caballero scored a Miami run to make it 4-3 NY.
But Fried rebounded — picking Hernandez off 1st.
Nothing like a @MaxFried32 pickoff move ?? pic.twitter.com/3htMqs15B8
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 5, 2026
Fried then got a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop — with Caballero throwing Otto Lopez out at home — the Yanks winning the challenge as the ump initially ruled that Austin Wells missed the tag, which he didn’t.
Yanks cut down the tying run at the plate after review, as the umpire initially ruled that Wells missed the tag pic.twitter.com/kX5t8SxaND
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 5, 2026
Fried got the first 2 outs of the 7th, and left at 103 pitches with a 4-3 lead.
4. Paddack Shuts Down NY
Meanwhile Chris Paddack, after the rough initial inning — shut the Yanks out from the 4th into the 7th — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, working around 2 walks in the 5th, allowing but a 2-out single in the 6th, and getting the first 2 outs of the 7th, before allowing a walk and a single and being relieved by John King, who got the last out.
5. Bird Blows Hold in 8th
Fernando Cruz relieved Fried in the 7th and got the final out on a strikeout, then struck out the first batter of the 8th and things were still looking good — until Cruz walked the next batter, Jakob Marsee.
In came Jake Bird — who has been terrific so far this season, with a crisp curveball.
But not today — Bird walked Otto Lopez, hit pinch-hitter Griffin Conine with a pitch, and yielded a 2-RBI double to pinch-hitter Graham Pauley for a 5-4 Miami lead.
Ryan Yarbrough came in and allowed an RBI single to Xavier Edwards and it was 7-4 Miami.
6. Jazz & Yanks Rally in 9th — But Fall Short
The Yanks went down in the 8th but rallied in the bottom of the 9th — with 1 out, Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice worked consecutive walks off reliever Anthony Bender.
Giancarlo Stanton struck out for the 2nd out, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled in 2 runs for a 7-6 game, and putting the tying run at 2nd.
Jazz two-run double with two outs in the ninth makes it a one-run game! pic.twitter.com/e5bDpsV7Qm
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 6, 2026
Bender intentionally walked lefty Austin Wells, to put runners on 1st and 2nd — and J.C. Escarra pinch hit for Jose Caballero.
But Bender struck out Escarra on 3 pitches — a foul, a strike looking, and a strike swinging — for the old ballgame.
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