Miami Marlins 3, Yankees 1 as Deivi Garcia suffers second loss!
The New York Yankees met Derek Jeter’s Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Eighty degrees and partly sunny skies greeted the teams at game time. Manager Don Mattingly started Sandy Alcantara the Marlins lone All-Star last year, although he has an 11.57 ERA this spring training. Mike Tauchman led off, and he ground out, Gio Urshela struck out along with Mike Ford for a quick inning for Alcantara. Deivi Garcia started for the Yankees; he had an ERA of 6.75 with one loss. Luis Brinson flew out, next up was former Yankee Francisco Cervelli, he was called out on strikes Isan Diaz also struck out for a one-two-three inning for Garcia.
Miguel Andujar led off for the Yankees; he grounded out. Click Frazier flew out, and Kyle Higashioka flew out for another quick half. Garcia at the bottom, Garrett Cooper doubled, Matt Kemp singled, Eddy Alverez ground out, and the runners advanced. Harold Ramirez flew out. Sean Rodriguez singled and two runs scored. Alcantara struck out, and Deivi Garcia had another poor start. Alcantara out again for the third faced Chris Iannetta who walked, Tyler Wade lined out, a wild pitch allowed Iannetta to go to second. Thairo Estrada struck out, and Mike Tauchman grounded out. Garcia out for a third-inning he walked Brinson, Cervelli flew out, and Diaz lined out, and Cooper struck out. Marlins 2, Yankees 0.
At the top of the fourth Urshela singled, Andujar doubled driving in Urshela. Frazier flew out, Higgy singled moving Andujar to third. Iannetta walked to load the bases with two outs.  Tyler Wade flew out and left the bases the bases loaded. Marlins 2, Yankees 1. Garcia, for his fourth inning, Cooper singled, Kemp stuck out, but Cooper stole second, and that was the end of Garcia’s day. Luis Cessa was immediately hit by Alverez and a ground-rule double driving in Cooper. Ramirez ground out, Rodriguez struck out swinging, but the Marlins picked up another run. Marlins 3, Yankees 1.
At the fifth Estrada stuck out, Tauchman ground out, and Urshela flew out. At the bottom, Cessa got Mahan to strike out, Brinson flew out, and Cervelli ground out to finish the quick inning. At the sixth Ford ground out against Kintzler. Andujar ground out, and Frazier doubled, Wade was hit by a pitch and with two on Iannetta gourd out leaving two on. Cessa got Diaz, Cooper, and Kemp to all strikeout.
The seventh added to the strangeness as ex-Yankee Steven Tarpley took the mound. Wade, Estrada, and Tauchman all ground out. Cessa got Lopes to fly out, Sierra flew out, and Rodriguez struck out. In the eighth, it was Northcraft grounding out Estrada; Ford singled, Granite hit into a double play. At the bottom, Luis Avilan got Dunand to strike out, Harrison ground out, and Chevez ground out.
With last licks for the Yankees in the ninth, they faced Vesia. Amburgey ground out, Milone ground out, and Kyle Holder struck out for the last out for the Yankees, and that was the game. Final score Marlins 3, and the Yankees 1.
Take-a-ways:
As a Yankee fan, there was a strange feel to this game. It was Derek Jeter’s team, and looking in the dugout sat Donny Baseball and Jorge Posada. Looking back out to the field was Francisco Cervelli catching, and Steven Tarpley pitching, it just made for a different feel to the game. Deivi Garcia had another relatively poor start giving up two runs in three-innings that will not help his high ERA of 6.75. Cessa pitched excellently in relief. During the game, we learned that Giancarlo Stanton took batting practice, and James Paxton threw the ball for noticeable progress on the injury front. The game was an economical 2 hours and 20 minutes. The winning pitcher was Alcantara, and the loser was Deivi Garcia for his team-leading second loss of the season.