Yankees lose to Dodgers in 11 innings on Teoscar Hernandez's two-run double
Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton reacts after he struck out looking against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eleventh inning of an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Friday, June 7, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It’s safe to say that Yankee Stadium was electric Friday night with the Yankees facing the Dodgers. But the power was in short supply on either side.
The teams traded zeros through 10 innings before the Dodgers, making their first Bronx trip since 2016, broke through in the 11th. Ian Hamilton allowed a two-run double by Teoscar Hernandez, which was enough for a 2-1 win by Los Angeles that snapped the Yankees’ winning streak at a season-high eight games.
With ghost runner Shohei Ohtani on second to open the 11th, Freddie Freeman drew a walk and Hernandez doubled to left-centerfield to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
Aaron Judge singled home ghost runner Anthony Volpe with one out in the bottom of the 11th, but Giancarlo Stanton took a called third strike — his third strikeout of the game — and Anthony Rizzo popped to catcher Will Smith.
Judge and Volpe both extended their on-base streaks to 33 games.
“There’s just a lot of good pitching, good plays, tough at- bats,’’ Aaron Boone said. “Both sides had a couple opportunities to break through, couldn’t, but just a very well-pitched game, both sides.”
The Yankees were handcuffed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed two hits and two walks in seven innings, striking out seven. At one point, he retired 12 consecutive batters.
“More velo than we’ve probably seen all year,’’ Boone said. “We obviously haven’t seen him in person, but I thought he was throwing really hard . . . and he commanded it. He was really tough on us tonight and had a big role in them winning the ballgame.”
Said Judge: “Hey, Yamamoto looked great. He signed the deal he did for a reason. He’s a great pitcher. Besides having elite stuff, he’s got great command. I think that’s what we really noticed today. We get into hitter’s counts and he still wouldn’t give in to the heart of the plate.’’
Yamamoto was booed during player introductions, which was not unexpected after he spurned the Yankees (and Mets) and signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers in December.
“He’s that guy that people want to do their best against and he’s come over here and answered what I think a lot of people expected,” Boone said before the game. “That’s not always easy early on.”
The Yankees (45-20) didn’t help themselves, stranding nine baserunners and going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They mustered only five hits in front of an announced sellout crowd of 48,048, their largest this season. The Dodgers had only four hits.
Volpe and Alex Verdugo singled with two outs in the eighth for the Yankees’ first hits since the second inning. Judge fell behind 0-and-2 but worked a 10-pitch at bat and walked to load the bases, but Stanton flied out to leftfield to end the threat.
Yankees starter Cody Poteet allowed two hits and three walks on 84 pitches in 4 2⁄3 innings. It was his shortest of three starts this season, but Victor Gonzalez, Michael Tonkin, Caleb Ferguson and Clay Holmes allowed one hit in 4 1⁄3 innings before Hamilton entered the game.
“I thought he was on the attack,’’ Boone said of Poteet. “They were real patient with him in that first inning and I thought he executed a lot right out of the gate there and then has a quick second inning. He did everything we needed him to do tonight to set us up and give us a real good opportunity. And, you know, unfortunately we just couldn’t break through today.’’
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
