So all the Marlins needed was J.T. Realmuto?
While it remains to be seen how much of a long-term effect he can have on the struggling Marlins’ lineup, Realmuto gave Miami the offensive jolt it desperately needed Tuesday night during a 9-1 win over the host New York Yankees.
In his third at-bat in the fifth inning, Realmuto belted a three-run home run off Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka that broke the game open.
Realmuto went 2 for 4 with four RBI in his season debut after being sidelined with a back bruise since March 11. Tomas Telis, Starlin Castro and Derek Dietrich each had two hits as the Marlins struck quickly with three in the first and one in the second capitalizing on a pair of Yankees errors.