The 2024 World Series was decided in part because of attention to detail, and that surfaced in a rematch at Yankee Stadium as mental lapses had the Los Angeles Dodgers trending toward a loss to the New York Yankees.
Their fortunes changed in the seventh inning thanks to a big swing from Max Muncy. With that, the Dodgers have now won theirnfirst game after the All-Star break in eight of the last 10 seasons. This year marked the first time they faced the Yankees in their initial game after the Midsummer Classic.
The win prevented the Dodgers from enduring a third four-game losing streak of the season. They additionally improved to 18-12 in one-run games.
Dodgers 2, Yankees 1
Roki Sasaki’s velocity spikes
Roki Sasaki put together an encouraging outing as he limited the Yankees to just one unearned run over 5.2 innings. He was aided by Jack Dreyer stranding two inherited runners upon entering in the bottom of the sixth.
Sasaki’s first two pitches of the night were both well out of the strike zone but he had better command from that point forward.
Included in that was Sasaki setting a career high for his fastest pitch thrown. He did so on a 101.8 mph four-seam fastball to Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning. Sasaki followed it with a 101.7 mph heater. Prior to Friday night, he’d only surpassed 101 mph three times in his MLB career, with each instance coming as a relief pitcher during the 2025 postseason.
Sasaki’s 17th start of the season tied him with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan for the team lead. Though, Sheehan and Yamamoto will both pull ahead when they start Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The series opener at Yankee Stadium was Sasaki’s seventh time this year pitching into the sixth inning.
Dodgers errors
One inning after Sasaki erased a leadoff double and one-out walk by inducing a double play, he was let down by the Dodgers’ defense that has been in a rut.
In his hast to cut a ball off in the left-center field gap, Andy Pages bobbled it before he could make a throw. The error gifted third base to Jasson Domínguez on what otherwise should’ve been a double. The error was the Dodgers’ sixth in their last 10 games.
It was compounded when Dalton Rushing failed to catch a splitter, with the passed ball allowing Domínguez to score.
Pages and the Dodgers’ defense atoned for their miscue in the eighth inning to keep the lead. Pages’ throw on a double was slightly off target but Mookie Betts ranged to his left and threw home in time — with help from Rushing stretching back across the plate — to nab Trent Grisham in time.
Max Muncy rescues Dodgers
The unearned run was still the difference for New York when Gerrit Cole took the mound in the seventh inning. He issued a leadoff walk but convinced Yankees manager Aaron Boone to remain in the game despite Muncy and Kyle Tucker due up next, and left-hander Brent Headrick warming up in the bullpen.
That backfired as Muncy launched a 416-foot two-run homer to the second deck in right field. The home run was Muncy’s 18th of the season and 227th with the Dodgers. He’s one away from tying Ron Cey for second most home runs in L.A. franchise history.
Eric Karros holds that record with 270 home runs. Duke Snider is the all-time Dodgers home run leader at 389.
Shohei Ohtani in lineup
While the Dodgers don’t plan on having Shohei Ohtani pitch until next week in the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, he remained in the lineup to fulfill duties as a designated hitter.
Five days removed from receiving an orthovisc injection into his balky left knee, Ohtani went hitless in four at-bats.
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