'Yankees Bullpen Stinks,' MLB Scout Rips New York After Loss to Marlins

After New York Yankees relievers surrendered four earned runs in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Miami Marlins, one scout didn't hold back in their assessment of the team's flaws.

While speaking to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the scout declared that the "Yankees bullpen stinks."

After 6.2 solid innings of work from starting pitcher Max Fried, the Yankees carried a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning of Sunday's game before Fernando Cruz and Jake Bird surrendered a combined four runs in the frame. The team tried to rally in the ninth with a two-run double by Jazz Chisholm Jr., but Marlins reliever Anthony Bender closed things out with two men left on base to earn the save.

"I gave them freebies," Bird said after the loss, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "You should never, ever give freebies. That's not big league baseball. It's not good."

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While the Yankees rank second in MLB with a collective 2.35 ERA this season, their bullpen has a 3.23 ERA, per MLB.com. Sunday's loss dropped New York's record to 7-2 and stopped the team from matching the best nine-game start in franchise history. The bullpen was responsible for the team's other loss this season as well, as reliever Paul Blackburn surrendered a walk-off RBI single to Seattle Mariners star slugger Cal Raleigh on March 30.

Still, the players aren't placing the blame for their losses solely on their relievers, as Fried accepted responsibility for the three earned runs he surrendered in Sunday's loss.

"I didn't do a good enough job, especially when the offense comes back," Fried said. "I gave up one in the first, and then Ben [Rice] hits the home run in the first. I ended up giving up three, which cuts down the lead. There were some things that definitely could have been avoided."

The Yankees will try to bounce back when they face the Athletics (3-6) on Tuesday.