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New-Look Yankees Bullpen Blows Lead in First Game Since Trade Deadline

Not the way the newest Yankees drew it up for their debuts.

Tim Capurso

Newest Yankees reliever Jake Bird surrendered a grand slam in his first game with the club.
Newest Yankees reliever Jake Bird surrendered a grand slam in his first game with the club. / Screengrab Twitter @Marlins
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New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman excited the club's fanbase by importing seven players at the trade deadline, including three high-leverage relief pitchers to aid a bullpen that's been among the league's worst over the course of the last month.

Two of those relief pitchers, Jake Bird and David Bednar, made their debuts for the Yankees during Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. Let's just say it didn't exactly go according to plan.

Bird entered the game with a 9-4 lead and promptly loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk. Then, Bird missed badly with a sinker out over the middle of the plate to Marlings power-hitting outfielder Kyle Stowers, who belted it for a grand slam to make it a 9-8 ballgame. The Yankees then turned to Bednar, who they hoped would quickly put an end to the inning and preserve the club's lead.

Instead, Bednar surrendered the game-tying home run and a go-ahead RBI single. Fortunately, the Yankees tied the game in the top of the eighth inning and Bednar settled in for a scoreless frame in the bottom half.

The Yankees scratched a pair of runs across in the top of the ninth and handed the ball to another new reliever in Camilo Doval, hoping the trade deadline pickup could shut the door on a victory. But the nightmarish night for the Yankees continued, as Doval allowed two baserunners on after getting the first out of the inning. Then, the Yankees righthander allowed a single to right field, which rolled under right fielder Jose Caballero's glove, allowing the tying runs to score.

The Marlins then won the game on an unplayable slow roller between Doval and catcher Austin Wells.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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