LOS ANGELES (AP) — Despite battling injuries all season, the New York Yankees continue to win.
With AL MVP Aaron Judge sidelined after injuring his foot Saturday, the Yankees threw hard and were able to use some small ball to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 Sunday and win two of three games in the weekend series.
“Just a very good overall effort. A lot of winning things happened in that game,” manager Aaron Boone said.
New York put up runs in the seventh and eighth on soft groundouts before Anthony Volpe provided some insurance with a two-run homer in the ninth.
JD Martinez homered for the Dodgers, who lost the last two games of the series.
Clay Holmes (4-2) pitched an inning for the win, and Wandy Peralta got the last four outs for his fourth save.
It was a six-inning pitching duel between the Yankees’ Domingo Germán and the Dodgers’ Bobby Miller. The right-handers tied it scoreless as the teams combined for just four hits through the first six innings.
Dodgers rookie Miller allowed just one hit in his six innings, becoming the first Dodgers pitcher since at least 1901 to allow one hit or less in his first three major league starts. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out seven and walked two in his third start.
Germán pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run and four hits, including a solo home run by Martínez to tie the score 1–1 in the seventh. The right-hander has held opponents to one run or less in four of his last six starts.
Jake Bauers, who was playing right field in place of Judge, scored the first run of the game in the seventh on Kyle Higashioka’s broken-bat groundout to short.
Bauers came aboard with a base hit and then advanced to third when Brusdar Graterol bunted out on Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
After Martinez’s homer, the Yankees retook the lead in the eighth against Evan Phillips (1-1). Oswaldo Cabrera drove in Anthony Rizzo with the go-ahead run on a slow grounder that second baseman Miguel Vargas could only throw to first.
“Not being close helps when the fielders have to move around a bit. That’s what you’re selling yourself for. Good job baserunners there,” Boone said.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the Yankees hitters couldn’t have placed both balls better.
“I don’t think they had a chance on both balls. The base runners had a good jump. They were impromptu shots,” Roberts said. “There were a lot of things we did as far as giving away a couple of bases on the defensive end.”
Volpe had two hits after being mired in a 38-3 slump in his last 11 games. He extended the lead by driving Caleb Ferguson’s fastball over the left-center wall in the ninth. It was Volpe’s ninth home run, second among AL rookies.
“We’re very confident,” Volpe said after the Yankees won four of six on the road trip.
BOMBS AWAY
Martinez matched it in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot to left-center. It was his 10th home run in the last 21 games.
Martinez has 20 home runs against the Yankees, his third-most against any club. He has 35 against Baltimore and 23 against Cleveland. He is four home runs shy of his career 300.
WEATHER MILLER
Miller, the 29th overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft, looked like he might get a short outing after throwing 27 pitches in the first inning. He struck out three but also walked two.
Miller retired seven straight between the third and fifth innings before Volpe hit a two-out hit to center field in the fifth.
“It felt really good. I’ve been working on my slider a lot lately,” said Miller, who threw 86 pitches, including 39 sliders. “They know I’ve got a good fastball, so I’ve got to make my other pitches work too.”
COACHES ROOM
Yankees: LHP Néstor Cortés is expected to be placed on the disabled list Monday or Tuesday with a shoulder injury. Manager Aaron Boone said Cortés has taken longer to recover between starts and is likely to miss a start or two. … LHP Carlos Rendon (left forearm strain) will face hitters on Wednesday.
Dodgers: OF Trayce Thompson was placed on the disabled list with a left oblique strain. OF Johnny Deluca was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Yankees: Return home for six games starting Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Clarke Schmidt (2-5, 5.01 ERA) has pitched at least five innings in six of his last eight starts.
Dodgers: Hit the road starting Tuesday against Cincinnati. RHP Tony Gonsolin (3-1, 1.77 ERA) has gone 3-0 in his last four starts.
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