NEW YORK \u2014 The New York Yankees faced a couple of curveballs before they even saw a pitch Sunday.<\/p>\n
First came the rain, a steady downpour in the Bronx that delayed the start of their series finale against the Miami Marlins by three hours and 35 minutes.<\/p>\n
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As they waited, the Marlins changed their pitching plans, opting to open Sunday\u2019s game with flame-throwing closer Pete Fairbanks before he returned to Florida to go on paternity leave.<\/p>\n
The Yankees nearly managed to overcome it all.<\/p>\n
But an eighth-inning bullpen implosion doomed the Yankees in a 7-6 loss, denying them a three-game sweep of Miami.<\/p>\n
The loss snapped the Yankees\u2019 (7-2) four-game winning streak.<\/p>\n
The Yankees led, 4-3, going into the eighth, but the Marlins scored four runs against three relievers in the frame.<\/p>\n
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The rally started when Fernando Cruz issued a one-out walk to Jakob Marsee. Jake Bird replaced Cruz and walked Otto Lopez on four pitches, then plunked pinch-hitter Griffin Conine to load the bases.<\/p>\n
Bird started pinch-hitter Graham Pauley off with two strikes, but three pitches later, the lefty-swinging Pauley pulled a hanging sweeper into right field for a two-run double, putting Miami up, 5-4.<\/p>\n
The Marlins padded their lead when Xavier Edwards grounded a two-run single back up the middle with the infield in against left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.<\/p>\n
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The Yankees\u2019 bullpen was short-handed Sunday after closer David Bednar threw 33 pitches in Saturday night\u2019s 9-7 win.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s Easter matinee was originally scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m. ET, but because of the unrelenting rain, Yankees starter Max Fried did not throw the game\u2019s first pitch until 5:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
Ben Rice gave the Yankees an early lead with a three-run home run against Fairbanks in the first inning. The 410-foot blast into the right-field second deck was Rice\u2019s third home run of the season.<\/p>\n
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The Yankees tacked on another run in the third inning against right-hander Chris Paddack, who was originally scheduled to start for the Marlins.<\/p>\n
Aaron Judge led off that inning with a booming double, and Cody Bellinger followed with a walk.<\/p>\n
Rice then hit a potential double-play grounder to first baseman Connor Norby, but Norby\u2019s throw sailed past the shortstop Lopez at second base, allowing Judge to score as the Yankees took a 4-1 lead.<\/p>\n
Lopez was charged with an error for failing to catch the throw.<\/p>\n
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But the Yankees made three consecutive outs from there, stranding runners at second and third. The Yankees also left two runners on base in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings.<\/p>\n
They finished 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.<\/p>\n
Miami, meanwhile, continued to chip away.<\/p>\n
The Marlins made it a 4-3 game in the sixth inning on a Heriberto Hernandez grounder to shortstop Jos\u00e9 Caballero \u2014 a play on which Hernandez reached safely because Caballero\u2019s throw pulled Rice off of first base.<\/p>\n
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That left runners at the corners with nobody out.<\/p>\n
But Fried picked off Hernandez for the first out of the inning, and with the infield in, Caballero recorded the second out by nailing Lopez at home.<\/p>\n
Hernandez and Lopez were both initially ruled safe, but both calls were overturned after Yankee challenges.<\/p>\n
Edwards then grounded into a force out as Fried escaped the jam with the one-run lead intact.<\/p>\n
After totaling 13 1\/3 scoreless innings over his first two starts, Fried was charged with three earned runs in 6 2\/3 innings Sunday. The left-hander allowed five hits and three walks with four strikeouts and now has a 1.35 ERA.<\/p>\n
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Fried exited in line for his third win in as many starts, but he took a no-decision after the bullpen faltered.<\/p>\n
Bird, who did not allow a run over his first four appearances, took the loss Sunday. He was charged with three earned runs without recording an out.<\/p>\n
With Fairbanks already deployed, the Marlins turned to Anthony Bender to pitch the ninth. Bender issued one-out walks to Bellinger and Rice, then surrendered a two-run double to Jazz Chisholm Jr. with two outs.<\/p>\n
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But J.C. Escarra struck out to end the game, leaving the tying run at second base and the winning run at first.<\/p>\n
The Yankees are off Monday, then will look to return to the win column when they begin a three-game series at home against the A\u2019s on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
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