The Yankees are still doing what good teams do: winning series. But this one felt a little more complicated.
Yes, they took two of three from the Marlins and remain undefeated in series play to open the season. And yes, the grit is real—clawing back from early deficits on both Saturday and Sunday showed a fight that wasn’t always there in past years.
But it wasn’t all clean.
The bullpen, which had been nearly untouchable through the first week, showed its first real cracks in Sunday’s loss. And while the offense proved it can battle back, needing to do it this often this early raises some questions. The bottom half of the lineup also left opportunities on the table at times, another area that may need to tighten as the competition ramps up.
Still, if this is what a “flawed” series win looks like, it’s one the Yankees will take. Because underneath it all, this team continues to find ways to win.
Game 1: Yankees 8, Marlins 2
A Bronx Welcome — And Judge Wastes No Time
If there was any doubt about how Aaron Judge would look stepping into the box at Yankee Stadium for the first time this season, he erased it immediately. First at-bat. First inning. Gone.
Judge crushed a two-run shot to left on a 1-1 pitch, flipping an early 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 Yankees lead before fans had even settled into their seats. He finished the day 2-for-3 with three RBI, reaching base four times and setting the tone in every sense.
But this game wasn’t just about one swing—it was about pressure.
The Yankees only recorded six hits, but turned them into eight runs by grinding out 11 walks, constantly forcing traffic and capitalizing on mistakes. That second inning was the perfect example: no hits, yet two runs scored thanks to stolen bases, walks, and a hit-by-pitch.
And they were aggressive while doing it.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero each swiped two bags, part of a five-steal day for the Yankees, turning the game into chaos on the basepaths and keeping Miami completely on its heels.
Still, the moment that might stick with fans even longer didn’t come at the plate—it came in left field.
Cody Bellinger made an absolutely unreal catch, the kind that doesn’t just save runs, it sends a message. The kind of play that makes you sit up and go, yeah, that’s why they ran it back.
Because if this is what “running it back” looks like, then it was never the insult some thought it was. It’s reinforcement. It’s reliability. It’s winning baseball from both sides of the ball.
Ben Rice continued his breakout start as well, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, including a solo shot in the seventh and a two-run double in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
On the mound, Will Warren gave the Yankees exactly what they needed (5.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 K), and the bullpen slammed the door with 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits total on the day.
It wasn’t just a win—it was a blueprint.
Power early. Pressure throughout. Pitching to finish.
And in front of a sold-out Bronx crowd, the Yankees made sure their home opener felt exactly the way it should.
Game 2: Yankees 9, Marlins 7
Chaos, Comebacks, and a Vintage Big G Moment
Saturday might end up being one of those games we talk about in September.
The Yankees fell behind early, staring at a 4-0 deficit and getting out-hit heavily, but still found a way to flip the game—because this lineup doesn’t need a ton of hits to create damage right now. They worked counts, drew 10 walks, and kept traffic on the bases all night.
Cody Bellinger got things going in the fifth with a two-run homer—his first of the season—to cut the deficit in half and completely shift the energy in the stadium . From there, it turned into a grind.
In the sixth, the Yankees pieced together the kind of inning that defines resilient offenses—Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham delivered RBI singles, Bellinger added a sac fly, and just like that, a 4-0 hole turned into a 5-4 lead.
Then came the moment that felt almost…unbelievable.
Giancarlo Stanton stole home on a passed ball.
Yes, that Giancarlo Stanton.
It tied the game in pure chaos, the kind of heads-up baserunning that doesn’t show up in box scores the same way—but completely changes a game.
The Marlins answered back to tie it 6-6, but the Yanks weren’t done.
With two outs in the eighth, Stanton delivered the swing of the night—a go-ahead two-run single that broke the tie and capped off the comeback. And because this game refused to be normal, he then swiped second setting up yet another run when Ben Rice scored on a passed ball.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t conventional.
But it was relentless.
And maybe that’s the biggest takeaway—this wasn’t a game the Yankees dominated. It was one they took.
Game 3: Yankees 6, Marlins 7
A Late Collapse Overshadows the Fight
The Yankees dropped the finale—but this one felt less like a simple loss and more like a warning sign.
And it started before first pitch.
A nearly four-hour rain delay pushed back the game’s start, throwing off routines across the board—especially for Max Fried, who had been nearly untouchable to begin the season. While he still gave the Yankees a chance (6.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K), it wasn’t quite the same sharp version we’d seen in his first two starts.
Still, the Yankees responded early.
After Miami struck first in the top of the first, Ben Rice immediately flipped the game with a three-run homer in the bottom half. He stayed right in the middle of things, later driving in another run on a fielder’s choice in the third as the Yankees built a 4-1 lead.
And then…things started to slip.
The Marlins chipped away against Fried, but the real turning point came in the eighth, and it exposed exactly what this series hinted at.
Fernando Cruz entered and did his job, retiring both batters he faced. Ryan Yarbrough was also sharp, striking out three in 1.2 innings of relief.
But outside of them? It unraveled.
Jake Bird entered in the eighth and was unable to regain control of the inning.
A walk and hit-by-pitch set the stage before back-to-back run-scoring hits flipped a 4-3 Yankees lead into a 7-4 deficit in a matter of moments.
It was the bullpen’s first real crack of the season, and it wasn’t subtle.
The Yankees fought back with grit as has been their identity thus far.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined a double in the eighth to pull them within one, bringing the tying run into reach. With two on and two outs, Aaron Boone made the call to pinch-hit JC Escarra for José Caballero, who had gone 0-for-4.
But the rally ended there.
Escarra grounded out. Game over.
There were positives—Judge and Stanton both went 2-for-5, Rice continued his breakout series, and Ryan McMahon finally snapped his hitless stretch.
But the bigger picture lingered.
The bullpen, which had been lights-out, showed it’s not immune. And the bottom of the order—particularly in big spots—left opportunities on the table.
This wasn’t just a missed sweep.
It was the first time this season the Yankees looked a little vulnerable against a scrappy team.
Up Next
Staying in the Bronx
The Yankees continue their homestand with a three-game set against the 3-6 Athletics before heading to Tampa.
Luis Gil is lined up to make his first start of the season Friday, opening a weekend series against the Rays—the Yankees’ first AL East series matchup of the year.
