Yankees' Aaron Boone makes 'gut-check' plea after shocking Marlins sweep

The New York Yankees were a first-place team in the American League East less than two months ago. Since that time, they have played losing baseball and they have been passed by the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees were swept in a three-game series by the Miami Marlins in South Florida, the first time the Marlins have been able to sweep New York in any series.

The series against the Marlins was marked by brutal and embarrassing play by the defending American League champions. A ninth-inning fielding error and poor all-around play led to the Friday night 13-12 defeat, and brutal base running and an inability to mount a rally was the key to Saturday’s 2-0 defeat.

Marlins All-Star Kyle Stowers continued his offensive surge with a 3-run home run and 4 runs batted in during Sunday’s 7-3 Miami triumph. Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil returned from a high-grade lat strain and gave up 5 earned runs in just 3.1 innings.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has tried to get his players to wake up and play the kind of sharp baseball that marked their early-season success, but he has seen his team record a 12-17 since June 30. His frustration was palpable after the sweep at the hands of the Marlins.

“It’s getting to be real gut-check time,” Boone said, per Yankees beat reporter Erik Boland of New York Newsday. “It’s getting late. I am confident that we’re going to get it together, but that’s all it is right now. It’s empty until we start doing it.”

Yankees have been struggling in multiple areas

Yankees' Aaron Boone makes 'gut-check' plea after shocking Marlins sweep — Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Yankees have been depending on starting pitcher Max Fried and Carlos Rodon through the majority of the season, but the team’s lack of depth among starters has played a key role in the team’s dramatic fall.

The recent elbow injury to superstar outfielder Aaron Judge has also left the team in a precarious position. While six Yankees hitters have belted 15 home runs or more in addition to Judge’s massive 37-home run output, the offense has been inconsistent.

Painful errors in the field and unfathomable base-running mistakes have also played a key role in the team’s downturn. These mistakes have led to criticism by former Yankees stars and long-time Yankees fans who appear to be fed up with the team’s play.

New York has a three-game series on the road against the Texas Rangers before coming home to host the American League West-leading Houston Astros. While both of those series appear challenging, they could go along way towards reversing the team’s losing ways if the team can avoid the team’s frequent mistakes.

Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”