The New York Yankees are off to one of the best 12-game starts in team history and are embracing all of the fun associated with their scorching opening two weeks.
The Yankees will attempt to keep the good times rolling and earn their second series sweep of the young season Wednesday night when they host the Miami Marlins in the finale of a three-game series.
At 10-2, the Yankees have matched the starts by the 2003, 1949 and 1922 teams. Only the 2003 Yankees won 11 of their first 13 games.
New York won its fourth straight game Tuesday night when Alex Verdugo homered, Giancarlo Stanton added an RBI double and Carlos Rodon allowed two unearned runs in six-plus innings of a 3-2 win over the Marlins.
“You can’t take [wins] off the board, and they matter now as much as any time,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s early and there’s a long way to go, but any time you can play a stretch of games like this, you’d sure sign up for that.”
Verdugo hit his first homer in front of the home fans after getting three hits and reaching base four times in Monday’s 7-0 win. Before Monday, he was off to a 5-for-35 start.
The Marlins are the 19th team to open with at least 11 losses in 12 games. The most recent team to do so was the 2010 Baltimore Orioles, and the Marlins are trying to avoid becoming the first team to open 1-12 since the 2003 Detroit Tigers on their way to a 43-119 finish.
After getting two hits Monday, the Marlins scored their runs on outs by pinch hitters in the seventh inning when Jesus Sanchez hit a run-scoring grounder and Nick Gordon lifted a sacrifice fly.
“We have to figure out a way to put together consistent at-bats,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “I feel like we are putting together good at-bats, just not consistently back to back. We’ll get there.”
Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who pitched at least six innings 15 times last season with the Chicago Cubs, has done the same in his first two outings for the Yankees. After allowing three unearned runs March 30 in Houston, Stroman allowed three hits in six scoreless innings of a no-decision in the home opening 3-0 loss to Toronto last Friday.
The right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in six career starts against the Marlins. He last faced them on April 28, 2023, in Miami when he allowed two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings of a no-decision.
Left-hander Ryan Weathers, (0-1, 4.00), who is 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA in five appearances for the Marlins since being acquired from the San Diego Padres at last season’s trade deadline, will start the finale.
Weathers has allowed three runs in each of his first two outings of the season. He most recently pitched on Thursday when he allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings of an 8-5 loss at St. Louis.
–Field Level Media