Marlins 6 Yankees 5
MIAMI — The New York Yankees lost their US$161-million ace to injury, and Alex Rodriguez’s homecoming was far from spectacular.
Those weren’t the only reasons they were upset.
Hanley Ramirez and Cody Ross homered, and the Florida Marlins held off a late rally to beat the struggling Yankees 6-5 Sunday after CC Sabathia left early with an ailing arm.
New York manager Joe Girardi protested the game because of a mixup with the Marlins lineup in the eighth inning, when a Florida player was removed in a double switch but took his position on the field anyway.
“We’ve never seen it,” Girardi said. “Something doesn’t add up.”
Sabathia came out in the second with tightness in his left biceps and the Marlins took advantage, handing New York its fourth loss in five games. But Sabathia said he didn’t want to be pulled because the injury wasn’t serious.
“It wasn’t a sharp pain or anything,” Sabathia said. “It just felt a little tight. It’s something I felt before, between starts or something. It’s nothing major.”
Chris Volstad (5-7) gave up three runs in six innings. Matt Lindstrom allowed a two-run triple to Brett Gardner with two outs in the ninth, then got Derek Jeter to ground out for his 14th save in 16 chances. Ramirez tied it with a two-run homer in the fifth, and Ross’ solo shot off Brett Tomko (0-2) in the sixth put the Marlins ahead for good.
Alex Rodriguez returned to the Yankees’ lineup after being benched the past two games, ending his 0-for-16 skid with a two-run single in the third during his first start ever in his hometown of Miami.
But a Marlins move led to the protest.
In an odd mixup, Chris Coghlan started the top of the eighth in left field after Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez had removed him in a double switch. Alejandro De Aza batted for pitcher Renyel Pinto in the seventh and was supposed to take over in left.