Keypoints Summary โ Yankees Halt Dodgersโ Party with 7-3 Win: Yankees Comeback
- Ryan Yarbrough held LA to one run in six dominant innings
- Dodgersโ bats went cold after two explosive wins
- Ben Riceโs 425-foot bomb shifted momentum in the third
- Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge both went hitless
- Dodgersโ top four hitters were all shut down
- Yankees avoided their first sweep of the season
- Over 54,000 fans filled Dodger Stadium for the thriller
Dodgers Fall Flat as Yankees Escape Sweep in 7-3 Spoiler Showdown
Dodger Nation was roaring all weekend, but Sunday brought the one thing no fan in blue wanted to see: the Yankees standing tall, snapping back with a 7-3 win and stopping the sweep. Yes, the Dodgers outscored them 26-7 in the first two games, but baseball doesnโt hand out trophies for Saturday blowouts.
Ryan Yarbrough, of all people, came back to haunt LA โ just a year after wearing Dodger blue himself. And while the Dodgers were still celebrating Max Muncyโs fireworks from the night before, the Yankees punched them right in the gut with a clean, controlled win.
Yarbrough Gets His Ring โ and Then Muzzles LA
The script was supposed to be all Dodgers again. But Ryan Yarbrough flipped it, tossing six beautiful innings and giving up just one run. Talk about awkward โ he got his World Series ring from the Dodgers before the gameโฆ and then proceeded to silence their offense.
The soft-tossing lefty baffled baseballโs most dangerous lineup, retiring 13 of 15 after Tommy Edmanโs solo shot in the second. Five strikeouts, just four hits โ and the Dodgersโ stars? Nowhere to be seen.
Yamamotoโs Worst Day in the Big Leagues
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been LAโs ace-in-waiting, but Sunday was his nightmare. He just never looked right.
- Only 3.2 innings pitched
- Season-high 7 hits allowed
- A pair of strikeouts โ his lowest of the year
- Four runs, three walks, one wild pitch
- And a Yankee lineup that clearly had his number
From the moment Jasson Domรญnguez drove in a run in the first โ aided by a throwing blunder โ it was clear Yamamoto wasnโt himself. And the Yankees made him pay.
The Blast Heard Round Chavez Ravine
With the game tied 1-1 in the third, Ben Rice stepped up and launched a moonshot to center field. The 425-foot two-run blast was the turning point. Just like that, the Yankees were up 4-1, and the stadium โ filled with over 54,000 fansโ suddenly fell eerily quiet.
Judge scored on the play, but that would be his only mention for the day, becauseโฆ
Ohtani and Judge? Nowhere to Be Found
If you bought a ticket hoping to see Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge go back-to-back like Friday nightโฆ sorry.
- Judge: 0 for 4, two strikeouts, one walk โ only Yankee to go hitless
- Ohtani: 0 for 4, one strikeout, no sparkle, no fireworks
- Dodgersโ top four hitters โ Ohtani, Teoscar Hernรกndez, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith โ 0 for 15 combined
Thatโs the first time all season LAโs big bats were completely silenced. You could feel the frustration bubbling in the crowd.
Rookie Mistakes and Costly Blunders
The Dodgers didnโt help themselves, either. In the first inning, Andy Pages airmailed a throw home, allowing Domรญnguez to slide in. Yamamoto hustled to back it up and made a perfect throw to secondโฆ but Kikรฉ Hernรกndez dropped the ball. Oof.
Later, in the fifth, New York added insult to injury with back-to-back RBI singles from DJ LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza off reliever Lou Trivino. That made it 6-1 and just about sealed the deal.
The Crowd Was Massive โ But the Energy Fizzled
Sunday brought the biggest crowd of the season at Dodger Stadium โ 54,031 fans strong. They showed up hungry for a sweep. But after Edmanโs early homer, there wasnโt much to cheer for.
Sure, Pages and Muncy added solo shots late, but they were too little, too late.
LeMahieu Turns Back the Clock
It wasnโt just Yarbrough who flashed old-school excellence. DJ LeMahieu, who hasnโt had a four-hit game since 2021, went off with:
- 4 hits
- 2 RBIs
- A ninth-inning RBI double that made it 7-3
He looked like the LeMahieu of MVP-vote-getting days. And the Dodgers couldnโt stop him.
Rice Rises, Domรญnguez Injured
Ben Riceโs homer was the big blow, but his game showed heโs more than a flash in the pan. His 425-foot blast was vintage Yankee power.
But the Bombers werenโt injury-free. Jasson Domรญnguez, who opened the scoring, left with a bruised left thumb. The Yankees will monitor it โ and pray itโs nothing serious.
Dodgers Still Win the Weekend โ But the Sweep Slips Away
Letโs be clear โ the Dodgers dominated the first two games of this series. They outscored New York 26-7 across Friday and Saturday. They looked like World Series favorites. But in baseball, every game is a new story โ and Sundayโs belonged to the Yankees.
Yes, LA fans leave with a series win. But that sour taste from the final game stings.
Whatโs Next for Both Squads?
The Yankees head to Cleveland with momentum, sending Carlos Rodรณn (7-3, 2.60 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday.
The Dodgers regroup quickly and will face the Mets Monday night. Dustin May (3-4, 4.20 ERA) takes the hill, hoping to get LAโs energy back on track.
A Bump, Not a Breakdown
If youโre a Dodgers fan, take a breath. Itโs one game. Yarbrough had a chip on his shoulder, and the Yankees got lucky with some early gifts. Ohtani and Freeman wonโt go 0-for again anytime soon.
Still, Sunday proved the Dodgers arenโt invincible. And if these two teams meet in October again โ which they very well might โ this loss might be just the fuel LA needs.
Because no one hates losing to the Yankees more than us.