Yamamoto needs 96 pitches in his 3⅔ innings. Dodgers offense could not solve former teammate Ryan Yarbrough. New York salvages series finale at Dodger Stadium.
LOS ANGELES — The Yankees turned the tables on the Dodgers, beating Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his shortest start of the season. The 7-3 win by New York snapped the Dodgers' two-game win streak.
After the Dodgers got six innings out of their starting pitchers in each of the first two games of this series, their ace Yamamoto couldn't finish the fourth inning on Sunday. He allowed four runs, the biggest blow a two-run home run by designated hitter Ben Rice in the third inning.
The Dodgers were out of sync almost from the start.
Andy Pages airmailed a throw home in the first inning as the Yankees scored their first run, then was thrown out trying to steal third base after a double in the second inning, just ahead of a home run by Tommy Edman that scored one run instead of two.
Will Smith had a passed ball in the second inning, and Yamamoto wild pitched home a run in the third.
Yamamoto faced 21 batters, and 14 of them came to the plate with somebody on base. Seven hits allowed were a season high against Yamamoto, who walked more (three) than he struck out (two) for the first time this season.
All that busy work took its toll, as Yamamoto needed 96 pitches to get 11 outs, pulled with two outs in the fourth inning with a runner on first base, who was stranded. Yamamoto completed five innings in each of his first 11 starts before Sunday.
The Dodgers managed only one and four hits off old friend Ryan Yarbrough in six innings. The veteran left-hander pitched in bulk relief for New York for the season's first month, but has thrived as a regular member of the rotation since the beginning of May. In five starts for the Yankees, Yarbrough has a 2.08 ERA, allowing only six runs in 26 innings, with 24 strikeouts against five walks.
Once the Yankees un-pinched the Dodgers offense hose by removing Yarbrough, runs began flowing out. Pages and Max Muncy hit solo home runs off Jonathan Loáisiga in the seventh, and Kiké Hernández nearly hit another but it went foul down the left field line. But the Dodgers never got closer than three runs the rest of the way.
Sunday particulars
Home runs: Tommy Edman (9), Andy Pages (11), Max Muncy (7); Ben Rice (12)
WP — Ryan Yarbrough (3-0): 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 5 strikeouts
LP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4): 3⅔ IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts
Up next
The all-New-York homestand continues with the Mets coming to Dodger Stadium for four games beginning Monday night (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Dustin May starts the opener for the home team, and Paul Blackburn returns from the injured list to make his season debut for the Mets.
