The Yankees lost 2 of 3 to the Rockies in Denver and are in last place in the American League East. Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports Jul 16, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ron Marinaccio (97) adjusts his pitch-com after a pitching violation in the eleventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
FeaturedMLBBy Michael Dixon on

The New York Yankees headed into the All-Star break on a slide, losing four of their last five games. At a glance, a three-game series in Denver against the last-place Colorado Rockies seemed like a great opportunity to get the second half started on a good note. It did not happen that way.

New York’s bats fell silent after the first inning of Friday’s series opener and the Yankees fell 7-2. They evened the series with a 6-3 win on Saturday. Colorado’s C.J. Cron hit an eighth-inning grand slam to put the Rockies up 5-3. The Yankees, though, rallied back to tie the game in the ninth. In the 11th, New York scored a pair of runs to go up 7-5. But things got bad for the visitors in the bottom half of the 11th.

The Yankee lead evaporated quickly, as Nolan Jones launched the second pitch he saw from Nick Ramirez over the wall to tie the game.

After Ramirez retired the next two hitters, Aaron Boone went back to the bullpen, calling on Ron Marinaccio to get the last out. It never happened.

Marinaccio was down 1-0 before he ever threw a pitch, getting called for a pitch clock violation. Then, after his first actual pitch also missed the zone, he challenged Alan Trejo, who had not hit a home run all season. Trejo drilled Marinaccio’s 2-0 pitch for a walk-off homer.

The loss moved the Yankees back into a share of last place in the American League East with the Boston Red Sox (who presently own the tiebreaker.)

The Yankees rarely get a lot of sympathy when they lose and this was no different.

Next up for the Yankees is a trip to Anaheim for a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

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