Dodgers 2, Yankees 1: Teoscar Hernandez wins it with a double in extras, Yoshinobu Yamamoto with an ace showcase

Chad Moriyama 06/07/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Via @Dodgers

A Dodgers–Yankees series? I’m sure nobody will have overheated opinions about it.

Anyway, while the hitters in this matchup got most of the attention, it turned out to be a hell of a pitchers’ duel to kick things off. That was more understandable for the Yankees lineup, who had to face a motivated Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but the Dodgers lineup didn’t really have the same excuse and they also struggled to put much together tonight.

The game was deadlocked at 0-0 through nine, and it took until a Teoscar Hernandez two-run double in the 11th for a score. The Yankees tried to fight back in the bottom half, but fell short in great game that thankfully resulted in a 2-1 victory.

======

So apparently Yamamoto was hiding another gear this whole season and just decided to use it against the Yankees tonight. Good to know.

Things started off a bit shaky as Anthony Volpe led the game off with a flyball to left that required a Teoscar leaping catch against the wall.

Later on with two down in the frame, Aaron Judge doubled, but Yamamoto made quick work of Giancarlo Stanton.

In the 2nd, the defensive struggles showed up again, as Enrique Hernandez made a one-out error. When Trent Grisham singled with two outs, that left the runners cornered, but Yamamoto again stepped up with a strikeout of Jose Trevino.

That strikeout started a string of 12 straight retired until the 6th when he unintentionally intentionally walked Judge, then struck out Stanton again to end that frame.

Yamamoto came back out for the 7th as well, and a one-out walk to Gleyber Torres looked like he might be tiring. However, after a quick glance at Dave Roberts led to no movement, Yamamoto finished off his night by getting a double play from DJ LeMahieu on the next pitch.

Just stellar stuff: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 106 Pitches.

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t leave with the lead. Yankees starter Cody Poteet was making just his third appearance of the season, and while the Dodgers managed some traffic against him, most of it wasn’t especially threatening because it came with two outs.

There was a two-out walk in the 1st, a lead-off single erased by a double play in the 2nd, an error that was picked off (Enrique) and a two-out walk in the 3rd, and a two-out HBP in the 4th. Poteet navigated around all that with relative ease.

He wasn’t allowed to do so in the 5th with two outs, however, as a walk of Enrique and a Mookie Betts single gave the Dodgers their first RISP of the game. That brought in old friend Victor Gonzalez for Shohei Ohtani, and he got him to ground out harmlessly to first.

It seemed like the Dodgers might get another rallying chance in the 6th, as Gonzalez hit Freddie Freeman and then threw a 3-2 fastball to Will Smith that was a ball out of hand. However, Smith swung at that for a strikeout, then Michael Tonkin entered and notched a quick strikeout and groundout to end any hopes.

It happened again in the 7th, as Tonkin got the first two Dodgers out, then Enrique doubled down the line in left. Of course, Mookie grounded out feebly to third to end that threat as well.

Old friend Caleb Ferguson got the 8th in order, and Clay Holmes did the same in the 9th to close the book on the Dodgers offense in regulation.

——

Relieving Yamamoto was Anthony Banda, perhaps for matchup reasons, but also because most of the leverage options were used yesterday in a blowout and they probably wanted to stay away from them initially. He struck out the first two hitters he faced, then gave up back-to-back singles. That saw Dave turn to Blake Treinen, who walked Judge after a 10-pitch battle to load them up, but got Stanton to fly out harmlessly to left to leave things knotted. Sure made it seem exciting, though.

Because Evan Phillips threw 30 pitches in a blowout yesterday, he was unavailable for the 9th, so it was Daniel Hudson instead. Thankfully, he looked sharp, carving the Yankees in an 11-pitch frame.

BONUS BASEBALL IN NEW YORK!

The Yankees sent out Ian Hamilton in the 10th, who got Gavin Lux to strikeout looking, then got a groundout from Enrique where Andy Pages (as the Manfred Runner) got thrown out at third. Good going! After a Mookie walk, Shohei continued to roll over anything down, grounding out to first.

Michael Grove then had a tall task in the 10th, but he got a flyout, a pop foul, and then another fly out to give us more baseball. He has continued to look great in relief of late.

Hamilton continued in the 11th for the Yankees, which started with a Freddie walk. After a flyout, Teoscar stepped up and smacked a hanging slider to left for a double to make it 2-0!

Old friend Dennis Santana then entered and limited the damage with a strikeout and flyout.

That left … uhhh, Yohan Ramirez, who is pitching with confidence now. A strikeout started things well, but Judge then singled in the Manfred Runner to make it 2-1. That was really just a case of being happy it wasn’t a homer, and Yohan came right back with another strikeout to put him on the verge of a save.

Then he indeed sealed it with a pop-out to Will, during which he tried to slide tackle him or something.

======

NL WESTRECORD
Dodgers40-25
Padres32-34 (8.5 GB)*

*Either still playing or will play later.

The same two teams will battle it out again tomorrow a bit later at 1:35 PM HT/4:35 PM PT/7:35 PM ET. It’ll be also get a national audience again, this time on FOX, with Gavin Stone looking to continue his breakout against Nestor Cortes, who already had one of his own a couple years back.

About Chad Moriyama

Avatar photo
"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2014-2023 | Dodgers Digest | All Rights Reserved