MIAMI — The Yankees have a new candidate for the most unforgivable baserunning play of the season.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was doubled off at first base on a high popout to second base in the top of the second inning Saturday afternoon, inexplicably dancing too far off the base before trying to dive back too late.
On a day when offense was hard to come by for the Yankees, the brutal gaffe loomed over their 2-0 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot Park.
During the Yankees’ summer swoon, there have been too many times when their poor fundamentals have come back to cost them — as if it backfiring on them in the World Series last October did not haunt them enough — and Saturday’s example may have risen to the top of the list.
As has been the case most times when these things have popped up, Aaron Boone did not pull Chisholm from the game. The 27-year-old remained out on the field after the blunder because it was the third out of the inning, but then, when he returned to the dugout after the bottom of the second, Boone pulled him underneath for what looked like a conversation out of the view of cameras.
At one point, Boone did appear to be ticked off at and expressing his frustrations with first base coach Travis Chapman in plain view of cameras, likely for not making an over-concerted effort to get Chisholm back to the bag.
Chisholm’s mental gaffe was just the latest in a line of too many by the Yankees (60-51) this season. The last one was Austin Wells getting tagged out in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday after thinking there were three outs.
Before Chisholm’s miscue, the Yankees cost themselves a run in the top of the first inning on a questionable send by third base coach Luis Rojas. Trent Grisham was on second base with two outs when Giancarlo Stanton hit a line-drive single to left field. Kyle Stowers fielded it and came up firing, with Rojas waving Grisham around third, only for him to be tagged out easily at home plate to end the inning.
Otherwise, the Yankees barely threatened against Marlins stud right-hander Eury Perez, who scattered two hits and three walks across six shutout innings. The final 14 Yankees were retired in order as three Marlins relievers shut them down following Perez.
Cam Schlittler was solid in his fourth big league start, with two swings hurting him across five innings of work. They were both from Agustin Ramirez, the former Yankees prospect who headlined the return for Chisholm last summer, who crushed a pair of solo home runs.
