The Yankees powered their way to a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night to avoid the three-game sweep.
Here are some takeaways…
– Oswaldo Cabrera started the scoring in the bottom of the third with a solo homer to right field off the Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow, giving the Yanks a 1-0 lead. After two quick zeros Alex Verdugo hit a double to keep the inning alive. Aaron Judge came through with a deep line drive to the middle, and got some help from Andy Pages who misplayed the ball a bit to make it a 2-0 game.
– Luis Gil got through most of the Dodgers lineup twice, including strikeouts from Mookie Betts And Shohei Ohtani, before running into trouble in the top of the fifth inning. Gil gave up a one-out double to Pages and a single to Gavin Lux, but then recorded a strikeout for our number two. Betts then doubled in his third at bat to tie the game, 2-2. Gil prevented more damage by getting Ohtani to fly to left field for the third out.
– After two quick outs to start the sixth, Gil allowed a solo home run Teoscar Hernández (his third in the series after two on Saturday) and the Dodgers took a 3-2 lead.
Gil’s night came to an end after the homer, as he allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk over 96 pitches and 5.2 IP. The young star’s ERA rose from 1.82 to 2.04 after the performance.
– Verdugo and Judge hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the sixth, and after Giancarlo Stanton struck out, Trent Grisham crushed a three-run homer off Glasnow to give the Yanks a 5-3 lead. Glasnow gave up another single, but then struckout DJ LeMahieu and Cabrera to stop the bleeding.
– Lucas Weaver He allowed a leadoff double to Ohtani in the eighth, and he advanced to third base on a grounder by Freddie Freeman. Weaver then let a bag fly up Will Smith, as Judge’s throw from right nearly brought Ohtani home, but the Dodgers made it a one-run game as they trailed 5-4. The reliever then struck out the hot-hitting Hernandez for the third out.
– Judge put his stamp on the series in the bottom of the eighth with a monstrous home run to left field, giving the Yanks a 6-4 lead. It was his MLB-leading 24th home run of the year.
– Clay Holmes gave up two singles with two outs in the top of the ninth, but struck out Betts on a slider to end the game and give the Yanks the win.
Game MVP: Aaron Judge
Judge’s homer in the eighth sealed the game for the Yanks and helped the team avoid a sweep. It was career HR No. 281 for the slugger, which is two more than any other player in MLB history through their first 1,000 games… And this was Judge’s 902nd career game (h/t Sarah Langs).
Highlights
Upcoming schedule
The Yankees travel to Kansas City and begin a four-game series against the Royals on Monday at 8:10 p.m.
Left-handed Carlos Rodon (8-2, 3.08 ERA) gets the start for NY despite being a veteran Seth Lugo (9-1, 2.13 ERA) takes the mound for KC.
