Teoscar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking two-run double with one out in the 11th inning, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed two hits in seven outstanding innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 on Friday night in the opener of a highly anticipated three-game series in New York.
With Shohei Ohtani placed on second base to start the inning, Freddie Freeman fell behind 0-2 before drawing a walk against Ian Hamilton to lead off the top of the 11th. After Will Smith flied out, Hernandez sliced an 0-2 slider past New York left fielder Alex Verdugo and to the warning track in front of the Los Angeles bullpen to score Ohtani and Freeman.
In a game that had a postseason feel, Hernandez had two of the Dodgers’ four hits and also made a leaping catch against the wall on Anthony Volpe’s liner to open the bottom of the first.
Michael Grove (4-2) retired Volpe to end a 1-2-3 10th and set up Hernandez’s clutch hit. Yohan Ramirez allowed an RBI single to Aaron Judge but secured his seventh career save and first with the Dodgers by striking out Giancarlo Stanton and getting Anthony Rizzo to pop out to catcher Smith to end the game.
Blake Treinen entered the game with runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth and walked Judge to load the bases. But he got Stanton to fly out to left. Daniel Hudson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the Dodgers.
Yamamoto kept the Yankees quiet at the plate throughout his outing. He struck out seven, walked two and threw a career-high 106 pitches against one of the teams that pursued him in the offseason.
New York saw its season-high eight-game winning streak stopped and lost for only the third time in its past 15 games. The Yankees played without Juan Soto for the first time this season as the star outfielder was held out of the game due to left forearm inflammation.
Soto was pulled during a rain delay in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins and is considered day-to-day.
New York’s pitching held Ohtani hitless in five at-bats. Ohtani grounded out three times and also hit fly balls to center and left field.
New York starter Cody Poteet allowed two hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked three before being lifted after allowing a single to Mookie Betts to put runners at first and second.
–Field Level Media
