After long rain delay, Yankees’ bullpen falters in loss to Marlins

The Yankees faced a couple of curveballs before they even saw a pitch Sunday. First came the rain, a steady downpour in the Bronx that delayed the start of their series finale against the Miami Marlins by three hours and 35 minutes. As they waited, the Marlins changed their pitching plans, opting to open Sunday’s game with flame-throwing closer Pete Fairbanks before he returned to Florida to go on paternity leave.

The Yankees nearly managed to overcome it all. But an eighth-inning bullpen implosion doomed the Yankees in a 7-6 loss, denying them a three-game sweep of Miami. The loss snapped the Yankees’ (7-2) four-game winning streak.

The Yankees led, 4-3, going into the eighth, but the Marlins scored four runs against three relievers in the frame. The rally started when Fernando Cruz issued a one-out walk to Jakob Marsee. Jake Bird replaced Cruz and walked Otto Lopez on four pitches, then plunked pinch-hitter Griffin Conine to load the bases.

Bird started pinch-hitter Graham Pauley off with two strikes, but three pitches later, the lefty-swinging Pauley pulled a hanging sweeper into right field for a two-run double, putting Miami up, 5-4. The Marlins padded their lead when Xavier Edwards grounded a two-run single back up the middle with the infield in against left-hander Ryan Yarbrough. The Yankees’ bullpen was short-handed Sunday after closer David Bednar threw 33 pitches in Saturday night’s 9-7 win.