The Yankees’ Tuesday night affair with the Los Angeles Dodgers was a bit of a strange game. The final score, 3-0, suggested a pitcher’s duel, but that wasn’t exactly the case. L.A. starter Julio Urias left after only 3 2/3 innings due to an inflated pitch count, and then we were in September baseball mode for a few batters. Then, Ross Stripling tossed 2 2/3 innings in relief and the Yankees took the lead.
Anyways, CC Sabathia pitched very well for New York, going 6 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out seven. The bullpen combination of Adam Warren, Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances combined to pitch the rest of the game, giving up two hits and keeping the Dodgers off the board.
Jacoby Ellsbury, who didn’t start because Joe Girardi wanted to give him a rest after starting eight straight games, smashed a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to give New York the only offense it would need. The next at-bat, Didi Gregorius followed with a home run of his own. Gary Sanchez later continued his torrid stretch run with the team’s third solo shot of the night in the eighth.
THE PLAY: BURY ‘EM, JACOBY (+.224 WPA)
The aforementioned Ellsbury home run was a no-doubter, launched into the second deck. It was just Ellsbury’s ninth home run of the season, but it came at the perfect moment for Tuesday’s contest. As a pinch-hitter this season, Ellsbury is 4-for-8 with a double and home run.
TOP PERFORMERS
Dodgers — Kike Hernandez: 1-for-2, 2B
Yankees — Starlin Castro: 3-for-4
NOTES
— Ellsbury was only in the game Tuesday because Aaron Judge left after the fourth inning when he fouled a ball back to the screen and appeared to tweak his ankle. Judge finished the at bat, and went to first base after Urias walked him, but did not take the field in the top of the fifth.
— This is only the fourth regular-season series ever between the Yankees and Dodgers, two storied franchises who used to meet almost every year in the World Series back in the ’50s. Tuesday’s win brought the Yankees’ overall record to 6-6 in such meetings.
THE HIGHLIGHT: GARY, COME HOME (AGAIN)
Before Monday’s game, Joe Girardi said that Gary Sanchez deserves Rookie of the Year consideration. Tuesday night, Sanchez tried to prove him right. In just 34 games — an extremely small sample size for any major award — Sanchez has hit 14 home runs. His arm behind the plate is one of the best in the majors. And even though he’s cooled off a bit after his torrid August, he seems to be embracing the New York spotlight by sending out tweets like this:
#StartSpreadingTheNews @Yankees don't quit. NYC, you with us?
— Gary Sanchez (@ElGarySanchez) September 10, 2016
UP NEXT
The Yankees will conclude their series against the Dodgers at 4:05 p.m. before beginning a four-game series with the Red Sox. Clayton Kershaw (11-3, 1.89 ERA) will make his second start back from the disabled list and will face Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.07 ERA) on the hill.