Dodgers Recap: Yamamoto Struggles as Dodgers Fall to Yankees in Series Finale, 7–3

CHAVEZ RAVINE — In the finale of the three-game series against the New York Yankees, Dodger Stadium was the place to be on Sunday afternoon as Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound. But the right-hander ran into early trouble, and he never recovered as the Dodgers dropped their last game of season (maybe) against the Yankees by a score of 7-3.

Things started off on the wrong foot for Yamamoto in the first inning, as he surrendered two hits, two walks, and a run in a shaky first frame, though truth be told, his defense didn’t do him any favors. Andy Pages airmailed a throw to the plate, and Kiké Hernández dropped a tag play at second that cost Yamamoto a bunch of extra pitches. Still, he was able to get through the inning with only the one run scoring.

The Dodgers briefly responded at the bottom of the second when Tommy Edman launched a solo home run off Yankees starter Ryan Yarbrough to tie the game at 1–1.

But the Yankees quickly regained control in the top of the third. Designated hitter Ben Rice crushed a two-run homer, giving New York a 3–1 lead. Later in the inning, a wild pitch from Yamamoto allowed another run to score, extending the lead to 4–1. Yamamoto was pulled after just 3.2 innings. He finished the outing allowing seven hits, four earned runs, three walks, and recording two strikeouts.

In the fourth, left-hander Anthony Banda came on in relief and escaped the inning without allowing a run. He returned for the fifth but struggled, issuing two walks and surrendering two earned runs in just 0.2 innings.

Lou Trivino entered in relief of Banda and gave up two hits in the top of the fifth, as the Yankees continued to apply pressure.

Noah Davis took over at the top of the sixth and looked sharp, striking out the first two batters he faced and working a scoreless inning. He returned for the seventh and continued his strong outing, delivering another clean frame.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ offense failed to find a rhythm, managing just four hits through six innings as former Dodger Ryan Yarbrough kept the lineup in check. Yarbrough, a junk-balling lefty who played parts of two seasons with the Dodgers (and got his ’24 Series ring this weekend), got a LOT of soft contact with multiple Dodgers popping up and just not being able to square up any of Yarbrough’s pitches.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers’ bats showed signs of life against the pen as Andy Pages launched a solo home run off reliever Jonathan Loáisiga. Moments later, Max Muncy followed with a solo blast of his own, narrowing the Yankees advantage to three runs. However, that would be as close as the Dodgers would get on Sunday.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Yankees extended their lead with an RBI double from DJ LeMahieu, bringing Cody Bellinger home from second base. And that was basically all she wrote.

Ultimately, the Dodgers couldn’t mount a comeback and dropped the series finale by a score of 7–3. In arguably his toughest outing of the season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was tagged with his fourth loss. Offensively, the Dodgers struggled for most of the afternoon, with the only highlights coming from solo home runs by Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, and Max Muncy.

The Dodgers will look to bounce back when they return to action tomorrow evening, hosting the New York Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., and Dustin May will take the mound.

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