New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe (11) hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 4, 2023. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) (Ashley Landis, AP)
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Volpe’s two-run homer in the ninth put a dagger in the Dodgers, but the Yankees also needed some small ball to win Sunday’s rubber match, 4-1.
The first run of the game would not have been possible without a well-placed Isiah Kiner-Falefa bunt and an inexplicable, off-balance throw from Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol, who fired to an uncovered first base. The ill-advised decision gave the Yankees runners on second and third with one out in the seventh, and Jake Bauers proceeded to score on a broken bat groundout from Kyle Higashioka.
J.D. Martinez answered back with a solo home run off Domingo German in the bottom of the seventh, but the Yankees responded in the eighth with a walk from Anthony Rizzo and a double from Giancarlo Stanton. The recently demoted and promoted Oswaldo Cabrera then brought the game-winning run home with a soft groundball to the first base side of the mound.
Volpe then gave the Yankees breathing room, crushing his ninth homer of the season in the game’s final inning.
Volpe had been slashing just .164/.203/.353 over his last 123 plate appearances entering Sunday, but he totaled two hits in the game.
German, meanwhile, tallied 6.2 innings, four hits, one earned run, one walk and six strikeouts against the Dodgers in his second start back from a sticky stuff suspension. The Martinez home run was the only run German permitted.
He now has a 3.69 ERA over 11 starts this season.
Clay Holmes recorded one scoreless frame in relief of German, while Wandy Peralta took care of the remaining outs.
The Dodgers’ starter, Bobby Miller, dealt as well, as the right-handed rookie surrendered just one hit to the Yankees over six scoreless innings. Miller, 24, walked two and struck out seven in the third start of his young career.
Now that the Yankees’ successful west coast trip is over — they went 4-2 in Seattle and Los Angeles — the banged-up team can enjoy a needed off day on Monday. The day should produce some more information on Aaron Judge (toe) and Nestor Cortes (shoulder), among others, as the two are expected to undergo further tests and evaluations back in New York.
The Yankees begin a three-game set against the White Sox on Tuesday, when Clarke Schmidt is scheduled to pitch. Lucas Giolito will throw for Chicago.
Schmidt is coming off his best start of the season, as he tossed 5.2 scoreless innings against the Mariners on May 31. The righty has allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts.
With Cortes probably heading to the injured list, the Yankees’ Wednesday starter remains up in the air. Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez are two starters on the 40-man roster who have pitched in the majors this season and could line up for Wednesday’s game.
Ex-Yankee Lance Lynn will start for the South Siders on Wednesday, while Mike Clevinger will square off with Luis Severino on Thursday before the Yankees play the Red Sox over the weekend.
That series will mark the Yanks’ first against their division rival this year.
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Originally published at Tribune News Service