Michael Kay, Paul O’Neill react to Yankees ‘worst loss of the year’

Friday night’s game against the Miami Marlins wasn’t simply a loss for the New York Yankees; it was a nightmare. Calling the game for the Yankees on YES, Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill made that clear.

Things started great for the Yankees, who opened up a 6-0 lead. And while the Marlins cut that to 6-4 in the sixth inning, the Yankees responded with three in the top of the seventh inning to go up 9-4. That’s when things got really bad for New York. Jake Bird, making his debut with the Yankees, recorded only one out before allowing a grand slam to Kyle Stowers. At that point, Aaron Boone went to another new Yankee, David Bednar. Bednar had historically struggled in Miami’s LoanDepot Park, something Kay noted. O’Neill, though, suggested that maybe a change of uniform would fix the problem. One pitch later, he surrendered a game-tying home run.

Michael Kay and Paul O’Neil on David Bednar at LoanDepot Park.

“He has a 7.04 ERA in nine games and thrown right into the fire in now a nail-biting game.”

“He’s got a different uniform now, Mike. That’s gonna change his luck.”

One pitch later… pic.twitter.com/68ukS4sxN4

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 2, 2025

The Marlins scored one more off of Bednar in the seventh, taking the lead. The Yankees, though, tied the game when Anthony Volpe homered. After Bednar pitched a scoreless eighth inning, New York scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a 12-10 lead. It was then time for Camilo Doval, another new acquisition, to come on to close the game. It did not happen.

While Doval retired the first hitter he faced, the next two men reached base with a single and a walk, respectively. Miami’s Xavier Edwards then rapped a single to right field. While bad for the Yankees, it was not a complete disaster until José Caballero, also making his debut for the Yankees, let the ball go under his glove. Javier Sanoja and Jakob Marsee both scored to tie the game for the Marlins, while Edwards got to third base.

O’Neill and Kay could not sugarcoat what they saw.

“Michael, you get to a point where you just can’t make this up,” O’Neill said. “I mean, the ball gets by, the base hits, the runners are running. It’s like a Little League game going on out here.”

“This whole game, Paul, kind of has the feel of you’re having a bad dream and you cannot wake up,” Kay added later.

“Michael, you get to a point where you just can’t make this up … it’s like a Little League game going on out here.”

“This whole game, Paul, kind of has the feel of you’re having a bad dream and you cannot wake up.”

Paul O’Neil and Michael Kay react to José Caballero’s error. pic.twitter.com/9kvKeRCECB

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 2, 2025

And it only got worse.

The next hitter, Agustín Ramírez, managed only a swinging bunt with the ball not even reaching the infield grass before Austin Wells could corral it. It went far enough, though, as Edwards crossed the plate without a serious tag attempt, scoring the winning run.

“It is hard to believe what we just watched. Oh, my goodness. What a loss for the Yankees,” Kay said. “All three relievers that the Yankees acquired, that were so touted, that the Yankees acquired. They all did not do their job tonight. And then it ends this way. In a game that the Yankees led 6-0. And we keep digging new holes, Paul. And this one goes under the worst loss of the year.”

“All 3 relievers that the Yankees acquired, that were so touted. They all did not do their job tonight…we keep digging new holes, Paul. And this one goes under the worst loss of the year.”

Michael Kay reacts to the Marlins beating the Yankees on a walk-off swinging bunt. pic.twitter.com/TnbDbHTA7v

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 2, 2025

At the very least, it’s the worst loss of the year so far.