The New York Yankees began their home schedule by taking batting practice during a brief earthquake before getting blanked 3-0 by the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener.
But in the past two games, the bats have made plenty of noise, and the Yankees attempt to maintain their scorching start on Monday night when they host the Miami Marlins, who are coming off their first win after a season-opening nine-game skid.
The Yankees have won at least eight of their first 10 games for the first time since 2020.
Both of New York’s losses were shutouts, but the Yankees have scored 49 runs so far, including a total of 17 in two wins over Toronto. On Sunday, the Yankees followed a 9-8 win by earning an 8-3 victory.
Giancarlo Stanton, who was 3-for-24 in his first six games, followed a three-hit game with a grand slam in the third inning on Sunday. He has homered in consecutive games for the first time since connecting in three straight from Aug. 2-4, 2023.
Anthony Volpe had three hits to raise his average to .424, stole two bases and scored two runs on Sunday as the Yankees piled up 18 hits and 14 walks in the final two games of the three-game set against the Blue Jays.
“We’ve been able to win games in different ways,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “In a lot of ways, I don’t even feel like we’re totally clicking offensively yet. We’re doing what we need to do.”
The Marlins are making their first visit to the Bronx since they clinched a playoff spot there on the final weekend of the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
After being outscored 62-30 in their first nine games, Miami avoided the infamy of becoming the first team to start a season with 10 straight losses since the Detroit Tigers dropped their first 11 games in 2002.
The skid ended with a 10-3 victory over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, when Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Nick Gordon each hit a three-run homer in a six-run first inning.
“It was a nice win,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “We’re 1-for-our-last-1. That’s how I look at it, and hopefully we can get some momentum going into New York.”
Left-hander Nestor Cortes (0-1, 6.30 ERA) opens the series for the Yankees. He has allowed six of his seven runs this season in the opening inning and took the loss in the Yankees’ 7-0 setback against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Tuesday after he allowed three runs on eight hits in five-plus innings.
A native of Hialeah, Fla., Cortes is facing the Marlins for the first time in his career.
Miami’s Jesus Luzardo (0-1, 4.35) will make his 80th career start and has allowed five runs in 10 1/3 innings through his first two outings. He allowed two runs in five innings during his season debut on March 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, then allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings last Tuesday while taking the loss against the Los Angeles Angels.
Luzardo is 0-2 with a 24.55 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Yankees, who rocked him for seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings on Aug. 11, 2023, in Miami.
–Field Level Media
