Luis Gil's return to the mound ends in disappointment as Yankees are swept by Marlins
The Yankees' young right-hander lasted just 3 1/3 innings after allowing five hits and five runs in a 7-3 loss to the Marlins that marked the first Miami sweep of New York in franchise history.
'Obviously, a struggle,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'Just no real command today. ... He flashed some of his stuff. I thought he did some good things down in the zone at times, especially with some of their lefties. But too inconsistent with the strike throwing and (it) got to be a long day for him.'
Gil last year became the fourth pitcher in franchise history to be voted AL Rookie of the Year. But his 2025 campaign was placed on hold after being diagnosed in March with a high-grade lat strain in his pitching shoulder.
'From the moment I got hurt, I immediately just wanted to be out there,' Gil said Saturday, a day before he was set to make his season debut. "It's been a long process. It's a long process, but I think I've done a really good job at following the planning to get back on the field, to get healthy again.'
Gil's four-seam fastball averaged 96.4 mph and peaked at 98.5 mph. He avoided giving up a home run but issued four walks and was lifted at 77 pitches in the fourth.
'The command didn't help. I wasn't commanding the way I wanted," Gil said through an interpreter. "But looking back, you know, it was the first start in the big leagues since October last year. So I'm sure I'll be able to make the adjustments.'
Gil stopped a bullpen session on Feb. 28 because of tightness in his pitching shoulder, and an MRI later revealed the lat strain. He was shut down from throwing for at least six weeks, and at the time the Yankees said he would not return until June at the earliest.
He went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts for the AL East champions last year, striking out 171 and walking a major league-high 77 in 151 2/3 innings.
Gil's shaky debut comes at a rough point in the season for the Yankees, whose inconsistency has prompted a rash of criticism, the latest coming from former Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez on Fox's pregame show Saturday night.
'They make way too many mistakes,' Jeter said. 'Way too many mistakes, and you can't get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams.'
Added Rodriguez: 'Where's the accountability?'
Boone addressed those criticisms before Sunday's game, saying it comes with the territory of being the Yankees, but he added after the loss that it's 'gut-check' time for his club.
New York's weekend series at Miami included the Yankees blowing a six-run lead in a wild 13-12 loss on Friday, before a 2-0 loss on Saturday.
The Yankees had a seven-game lead in the AL East in late May. By July 2, the lead was gone and the Yankees have been looking up at Toronto in the division ever since. The red-hot Boston Red Sox, who were more than 10 games behind the Yankees about two months ago, have overtaken their rival for the second spot in the AL East and AL wild-card lead.
'It's getting late," Boone said. "And it's certainly not too late for us. I am confident that we're going to get it together. But that's all it is right now is, you know, it's empty until we start doing it.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
23 minutes ago
- New York Post
Yankees snap five-game skid on back of David Bednar's gutsy save
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free ARLINGTON, Texas — There was not much to salvage from the Yankees' road trip, but there is this: they will at least fly home still clinging on to a playoff spot with 47 games to go. Had the Rangers finished off a sweep on Wednesday afternoon, they would have leapfrogged the Yankees for the last and final AL wild-card spot. Instead, the Yankees' bullpen got a late lead and hung on for dear life to avoid a winless road trip and remain locked into playoff position, at least for now. David Bednar secured a five-out save on 42 pitches, leaving the tying run at second base, to lift the Yankees to a 3-2 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. 5 New York Yankees relief pitcher David Bednar throws to the Texas Rangers in the eighth inning on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. AP Bednar struck out the first two batters in the ninth before allowing a walk and a single, at which point Aaron Boone visited the mound with Camilo Doval (who had pitched on back-to-back days) warming in the bullpen. But Boone left Bednar in the game (at 35 pitches) and the ex-Pirate rewarded his manager's faith by striking out Adolis Garcia to end it. In relief of Carlos Rodón, Mark Leiter Jr., Tim Hill, Yerry de los Santos and Bednar combined to record the final 12 outs of a pressure-packed game the Yankees (61-54) desperately needed to have – especially coming off back-to-back games squandered by the bullpen, Devin Williams in particular. Paul Goldschmidt had broken a tie in the seventh inning, delivering a pinch-hit home run to fend off the Rangers (60-56). Goldschmidt, pinch-hitting for Austin Wells against lefty reliever Robert Garcia, crushed his second home run in three games — both off lefties, whom he has crushed all season — after going 31 games without one. 5 New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 5 New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) is congratulated by his teammates after hitting a solo home run. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Rodón lasted just five-plus innings, becoming the seventh straight Yankees starter that failed to record an out in the sixth inning — which has not helped a scuffling bullpen. The left-hander only gave up two runs, but scattered six hits and walked four — making it 15 free passes over his last four starts. Leiter, making his first appearance in a month after going on the injured list for a left fibular head stress fracture, relieved Rodón and used a double play to get out of the sixth inning. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS Hill came on for the seventh and got the first out before a single and a catcher's interference on Ben Rice put a pair of runners on base. Hill then struck out Corey Seager, at which point Aaron Boone called on de los Santos. The righty walked Marcus Semien to load the bases before getting Adolis Garcia to fly out to escape the threat. The Rangers struck first in the third inning as former Yankees prospect Ezequiel Duran (Joey Gallo trade) led off with a double off the left-field wall and Sam Haggerty drove him home with a single through the right side. 5 New York Yankees relief pitcher Yerry De los Santos celebrates after getting Texas Rangers' Adolis Garcia to fly out, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh inning on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. AP Rodón walked the next batter, Corey Seager, to flirt with trouble before getting Marcus Semien to ground into a big double play started by Ryan McMahon. Three pitches later, he was out of the inning, stranding a runner at third base. The Yankees then took the lead in the top of the fourth with patient at-bats off Jack Leiter. Cody Bellinger led off with a walk, and Jasson Domínguez did the same one out later. Anthony Volpe, Leiter's best friend and former Delbarton teammate, came up next and roped a single to left field to tie it. Volpe and Domínguez then pulled off a double steal with McMahon at the plate, and ex-Yankee Kyle Higashioka's throw to third trickled away, allowing Domínguez to score for the 2-1 lead. 5 New York Yankees right fielder Cody Bellinger (35) scores a run during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Yankees had a chance for more, with runners on the corners and one out, but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy got aggressive and pulled the erratic Leiter for lefty Hoby Milner, who got two quick outs to end the threat. Rodón threw a seven-pitch shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth, but the Rangers got to him in the fifth to tie the game.
New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
Buffalo Bills, James Cook enter a staring contest over contract. How could it end?
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — When training camp practices began on July 23, as far as running back James Cook was concerned, the Bills likely thought they were moving forward with the 2025 season. Cook reported to training camp on time, and he was on the field fully practicing through the first eight sessions. Advertisement Even on the first day of camp, when asked about Cook, head coach Sean McDermott declared, 'He's ready to go.' That was, until the ninth practice arrived on Sunday. Cook's lack of participation seemed to catch most in the building by surprise. The Bills had been handing out some 'vet rest' days. Even with his desires for a new deal, the 'vet rest' day seemed the most logical explanation for his absence since he had already begun practicing and fully participated in mandatory minicamp in June. Cook pulled the unorthodox move of beginning his hold-in after fully practicing for over a week, declaring it 'business', leading the Bills to issue a rare-for-them 'no comment' as they were leaving the practice field, and now they're in an incredibly delicate situation. The Bills have had several instances of players seeking new deals ahead of the season and negotiating while the player was practicing. In some cases, they've agreed to terms, others they haven't, and it lingered into the following offseason. General manager Brandon Beane has not had a situation like this one at Bills training camp. But it's slowly devolved. Cook was visible for the entirety of practice on Sunday, seemed engaged with his teammates, and was right next to the rest of the running backs as they were going through drills. Then on Monday, with cameras and smartphones pointed in his direction as he slowly walked out to practice in street clothes for the second day of the hold-in, he entered the practice area and did a quick about-face into the portable bathroom. Cook exited, took a direct line to the nearby medical tent, disappearing from view and wasn't seen for the rest of practice. The Bills had Tuesday off, and on Wednesday, Cook did not appear at practice once during his third day of the hold-in. Cook is in the final year of his rookie deal, and with his escalators due to performance, will make just over $5 million in base salary and account for just under $6 million on the 2025 cap. After tying a single-season franchise record in rushing touchdowns (16) and hitting the 1,000-yard rushing marker, Cook is clearly hoping to be better compensated. For a team focused on finally pushing to the Super Bowl in search of the franchise's first-ever Lombardi Trophy, this has become somewhat of a 'will he or won't he practice' distraction on a day-to-day basis that they likely don't love, to put it mildly. To be clear, Cook is extremely well-liked in the building. The front office, coaching staff, and his teammates have all spoken very fondly of Cook both before and after his desires for a new deal intensified over the last few days. Advertisement What makes the practice pullback a bit unexpected is what Cook said on July 24, when asked about his thought process about whether to practice or not at training camp. 'I didn't really think about it. I just, I knew I was going to come out here and work,' Cook said. 'I don't owe it to nobody but my teammates and myself and my family. So by me participating, showing my teammates that I love the game and I'm willing to be out here.' So, then, what changed? Why did Cook go from the 'head down and work' mindset to the complete opposite in under two weeks? That's what has made the entire situation so perplexing to many. 'James Cook only wants to be a Buffalo Bill. This isn't some $200 million Micah Parsons-Jerry Jones negotiation,' said Zac Hiller of LAA, one of Cook's agents, when reached by The Athletic for comment Wednesday about why the practice approach changed. 'We're hopeful there's a resolution soon, and we'll keep working toward that every day.' So what exactly is going on here? Let's dive in. After the Bills' exit from the playoffs last season, it didn't take long for them to get to work. The 2025 NFL Combine began, and the Bills went on a spree of one contract extension after another. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard, and defensive end Greg Rousseau were the first three. Then the Bills got a new deal with quarterback Josh Allen over the line, followed by another extension in late March to cornerback Christian Benford. In Shakir, Bernard, Rousseau and Benford's cases, they were all entering the final year of their rookie deals — much the same as Cook. But before the Combine, Cook issued his now infamous insinuation that he wanted $15 million per year, which would tie him with Derrick Henry for the third-highest average per year for running backs. Whether or not that's Cook's ultimate goal or just him putting something out on social media in the heat of the moment remains unclear. Advertisement The social media post didn't deter the Bills from keeping talks active with Cook. Beane didn't put too much stock into it when asked about it at the NFL Combine, either. The Bills have made it clear they want Cook back, and Cook also wants to remain with the team. Both sides had publicly said all the right things leading up to the beginning of the hold-in. Though if there was one quote from Beane that could have foreshadowed where things currently stand, it was when he spoke to the media on July 23. 'It is a business. We have to fit it in, not only cash, but cap, and sometimes, you can look at it and say, 'Well, you know, you go to this website or whatever, they could fit him in if they did this and this.' But we also have to look at '26, '27 and beyond, because you can walk yourself into one of those years where you're like, 'Oh man, there's not a lot of guys, we can take them out here.' We would have to trade or cut someone that we wouldn't want to lose. … So all those things have to make sense for us to fit him in.' The Bills have a lot of new contract extensions that would follow a similar cap hit path as the one Cook would potentially sign, and they're already over the projected 2026 salary cap. It's quite the predicament to marry what the Bills could offer and what would get Cook to sign on the dotted line on a long-term deal. Beane alluding to all of this could be a sign of where things stand. As Cook began his hold-in on Sunday, Beane had a previously scheduled radio interview on Monday morning that turned timely due to Cook's new approach. 'We tried to get something done with Jimbo, and unfortunately, you know, it's got — it takes two,' Beane said on WGR-AM on Monday. 'And both sides have to agree on what that number is, and obviously, that hasn't gotten there. But, I'm not sitting here saying 'You don't pay running backs.' I think you just have to find what the sweet spot is.' The 'it takes two' and 'find what the sweet spot is' lines are what stand out. What is clear is that the Bills and Cook's representatives have a relatively different assessment of Cook's long-term valuation, and Cook's side felt strongly enough about their stance to have him begin the hold-in. Advertisement Although the term 'impasse' may be a bit strong, it's certainly not out of the question to describe the current state of things. The apparent legitimate difference in valuations is the likeliest culprit for the situation. Cook is one of their top offensive players coming off the best season of his young career. He just watched the Bills pay several other young players, and also watched some of the running back numbers get heightened this offseason with new deals. For something to get done long term, something has to give. The Rams gave a three-year extension with an average of $11 million per year to running back Kyren Williams this week. Cook is likely closer to the Williams tier than the Saquon Barkley ($20.4 million APY), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million) and Derrick Henry ($15 million) tier atop the running back APY landscape. Cook and Williams are both proven commodities in the NFL, with Cook giving the Bills something at the running back position they haven't had since Beane and McDermott arrived in Buffalo. With Cook and Williams being a part of the same draft class, and being close in several statistical senses, too, that could be a natural link to put those valuations on par. However, it's an imperfect comparison. For one, Williams is almost a year younger than Cook, which is something teams consider with contracts. Perhaps the bigger consideration is that Williams' overall workload in the Rams offense is far and away heavier than what the Bills have asked of Cook, and what they're trending toward asking of Cook again in his fourth season, should he get back on the field for the Bills. Over the last two seasons, Williams has taken 82 and 87 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps in his active games. He has been their true-to-form three-down back, is trending toward continuing that way, and is now the seventh-highest-paid running back annually. On the flip side, Cook's snap rates in active games have been 55 and 48 percent in 2023 and 2024, and for most of 2024, Cook usually was replaced on third downs in favor of committee back Ty Johnson. Based on their practice usage, and with both Johnson and Ray Davis signed for the 2026 season, there's no indication that this is going to change anytime soon. It's not to say that Cook can't be that player. He has shown flashes of doing it when asked. The Bills believe he can do it if needed, and Cook said he wants to prove he can do it on a consistent basis. But that hasn't happened yet. Advertisement Cook's role, at its core, might be where the valuations aren't lining up between the two sides. The Bills haven't used, and don't project to use Cook in a three-down role over the next two seasons based on their roster setup, barring injuries. That could cause them to have Cook's value land closer to 10th, or outside of the top 10 of running back APY in the NFL. So now, the Bills and Cook's representation are seemingly in a staring contest. The line of communication remains open, but this is a different beast than what the Bills have dealt with previously in extension talks. A hold-in provides pressure on a team looking to reach the Super Bowl this season by removing one of their most trusted assets on offense in key preparations for the year. And from Cook's perspective, you can understand where they're coming from, wanting to maximize his value coming off a career year and wanting to be compensated closer to his worth. It's something most would want. There is also a matter of precedent from a team perspective. Beane has always held to his values on players, and there have been times (Tremaine Edmunds, Harrison Phillips, etc.) when their value of the player didn't align with the player's ultimate value on the open market, and they declined to match those offers and let them walk. If Beane is the one who blinks on a long-term deal solely because of the desire to win this year, that sends a message that if a player puts enough pressure on the franchise, the Bills will eventually fold. Especially with all the cap gymnastics the Bills are already having to do while paying Allen what they are, it's a somewhat treacherous precedent to set. It's a tricky and delicate balancing act for both sides, and the result is each side playing a bit of hardball at the current moment. And ultimately, one side may have to give in more than they'd want to make this a long-term pact. Both sides have stayed consistent in that they want Cook to stay with the Bills past 2025. The team loves him as a player and person, which is why they have been open to paying a running back a lucrative new deal for the first time since Beane took over as GM. Advertisement The most likely outcome is that Cook returns to practice at some point this summer, though it's tough to tell when that will happen and under what terms. The two sides appear dug in as it stands, and still, with a month to go before the regular season begins, there is time for this to drag on, depending on how far into the preseason Cook is comfortable with continuing to hold in. There's always the option to return to practice without a new deal if it's cutting it too close to the regular season. If the Bills and Cook can't meet in the middle on a long-term deal, there's always the option of doing what the Bills did with safety Jordan Poyer in 2022. It was essentially a bandage deal that reworked the one year with enhanced bonus incentives to potentially earn more in a single season, rather than committing to a long-term deal. At the very least, that could be enough to get Cook back on the field in 2025, and then they can try to figure things out again in the upcoming offseason. There's also the option of signing a long-term deal closer to where the Bills' APY value is on him over the initial seasons, while backloading the contract to bring the APY up closer to where Cook's camp is comfortable to help get the deal over the line. Most guaranteed money is usually on the first two seasons of new contracts, anyway. For those wondering about a potential trade of Cook before the season, there is no indication that it is anywhere in the conversation, at least not at this point. The two sides have been very firm in wanting to make it work in Buffalo. If a trade or trade request were to happen, it would mean a complete breakdown in communication between the two sides and a continued hold-in from Cook that potentially threatens to extend into the regular season. Cook doesn't want that, and the Bills don't want that. For now, the staring contest remains, and given both the short-term and long-term ramifications from both sides, it remains a complex conundrum without an easy answer. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
"He was like, 'Dude I couldn't believe you did that'" - Jeremy Lin recalls how Kobe Bryant acknowledged his iconic 38-point MSG game
"He was like, 'Dude I couldn't believe you did that'" - Jeremy Lin recalls how Kobe Bryant acknowledged his iconic 38-point MSG game originally appeared on Basketball Network. It had been two years since that unforgettable night at Madison Square Garden — the night Jeremy Lin exploded for 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time Lin arrived in L.A. as Bryant's teammate, the Linsanity wave had already crested. The hype had faded, the headlines cooled. But the memory of that February night still lingered — especially between the two men at the center of it. When Lin finally got to wear the purple and gold and walk into that locker room, the moment came — quiet, but unforgettable. When things come full circle Lin still remembers the car ride, the small talk that morphed into something much more. He'd waited for this kind of moment, and when it arrived, it was all the sweeter for how understated it was. "When we were teammates he just briefly mentioned it," Lin recalled in an interview with GQ Sports. "He was like, 'Dude I couldn't believe you did that. And after you did that, that's when I had a lot of respect for you.'" For any player, those words would carry their own weight. Coming from Kobe, a man whose respect had to be earned the hard way, it was no small compliment. Lin had shown up at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 10, 2012, with the world watching No. 24 in purple. But it was the rising Asian basketball sensation who stole the show, hitting pull-up jumpers, attacking the rim and finishing with a career-high 38 points in a 92-85 Knicks win. The Garden roared every time he touched the ball, and Bryant, though visibly frustrated that night, never dismissed what he saw. Lin admitted he was stunned when Bryant brought it up years later, in that casual yet disarming way only Kobe could manage. "I was like, okay wow that was really impressive," Lin said of the exchange. "So we did talk about it afterwards." In that instant, it was clear the game had come full circle for respect of a legend The first few weeks of Lin's stint with the Lakers felt surreal. Not just because of the bright lights of Staples Center or the expectations of donning a jersey with all that history stitched into it, but because every day meant sharing the floor with the man he'd once lit up under the most unforgiving spotlight in sports. He came into the Lakers locker room a bit older and certainly wiser than the kid who'd sprinted through defenses in New York. But there was still that glimmer of the underdog in him. The hunger never left. Bryant's comment was brief but revealing and a rare peek into the way he kept mental notes about everyone who crossed his path. Lin's night at the Garden wasn't just a fluke in Bryant's eyes. Even though the Lakers at that time were a team trying to find itself again, Lin took pride in the small moments. Moments like watching Bryant command the respect of the room, even when his body began to betray him. Moments like hearing that quiet acknowledgment of what Lin had done on that snowy night in Manhattan. It spoke to something larger than just basketball — the recognition of a battle well fought, of someone stepping into their moment when the world least expected it. Lin would later say the memory of Kobe's words meant more than he could have ever said in that moment. For a kid who'd gone undrafted, cut more than once, and nearly faded into obscurity before Linsanity — that respect felt like validation. By the time their time as teammates ended, Lin had learned plenty more from Bryant — about preparation, mental toughness, and owning your moment when it comes. But nothing quite matched that quiet car ride, that short exchange, that unmistakable feeling of a circle being closed. Though they didn't linger on the subject, Lin walked away knowing he'd left a mark. And that Kobe, in his own way, had let him know story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
