Juan Soto-less Yankees drop nail-biting series opener to Dodgers to snap eight-game win streak

MLB

By Greg Joyce

The Yankees and their fan base exhaled Friday afternoon, then spent the night elevating heart rates around the tri-state area for different reasons. 

The encouraging news of Juan Soto’s only having forearm inflammation soon gave way to a highly anticipated showdown that had a playoff feel between the Yankees and Dodgers. 

The series opener lived up to the hype surrounding it, with a nail-biting scoreless game going to extras before the Dodgers crashed the party in their first visit to Yankee Stadium since 2016. 

Teoscar Hernandez finally broke the ice by drilling a two-run double to the gap off Ian Hamilton in the 11th inning, lifting the Dodgers to a 2-1 win and snapping the Yankees’ eight-game winning streak in front of a buzzing sellout crowd of 48,048. 

“Those are the games you want to play in,” Aaron Judge said. “You got two great teams, two great matchups, going back and forth, back and forth. 

“It was a fun one tonight. Just wish it would have ended a little different.” 

The Yankees (45-20) got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Judge roped a one-out single to score automatic runner Anthony Volpe from second.

But Yohan Ramirez got Giancarlo Stanton to strike out and Anthony Rizzo to pop out to secure the win for the Dodgers (40-25). 

Soto, missing his first game of the season, added some extra drama to the late innings by standing on the top step of the dugout multiple times with a bat in his hands and his batting gloves on, acting as if he might pinch-hit.

But manager Aaron Boone said he was not going to use Soto, who did not take any swings underneath in an attempt to get ready but acted the part well as a decoy. 

“I was hoping,” Judge said with a grin. “I think everybody in the stadium wearing pinstripes was hoping he’d get an at-bat there with the game on the line. But it didn’t happen. Let him rest and he’ll be back out there.” 

Soto, who called the inflammation diagnosis a “relief,” said it was tough to watch the game from the dugout without being able to help.

He is hoping to be available at some point over the next few days if the inflammation calms down. 

“We have a plan of what we’re going to do throughout these days,” Soto said. “But definitely it was tough moments. I tried to be right there for my teammates.” 

Hamilton had kept the Dodgers (40-25) at bay with a scoreless top of the 10th inning, giving the Yankees a chance to win it in the bottom half.

But Trent Grisham could not get a bunt down to lead off the inning, instead flying out before Dodgers reliever Michael Grove got Jose Trevino and Volpe to pop out, sending the game to the 11th. 

Earlier, in the eighth inning, the Yankees had a prime chance to take the lead when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Stanton flew out to end the threat. 

For most of the night, the Yankees were held in check by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the prized right-hander who turned down their 10-year, $300 million offer to sign with the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million contract in December. 

The Japanese ace, who heard plenty of boos when he was introduced pregame, rose to the occasion with his best start as a major leaguer, tossing seven shutout innings in which he allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. 

Yamamoto seemed to have some extra juice for the big matchup.

He came into the start averaging 95.3 mph on his four-seam fastball but averaged 97 mph on it Friday night, one of the six different pitches he employed. 

“He signed the deal he did for a reason,” Judge said. “He’s a great pitcher. Besides having elite stuff, he’s got great command. 

Cody Poteet matched him for 4 ²/₃ scoreless innings before the Yankees got quality relief work from Victor Gonzalez, Michael Tonkin, Caleb Ferguson and Clay Holmes to help send the game to extras. 

And while the end result was not the one they wanted, the Yankees took some solace from the day through Soto’s diagnosis. 

“We got the best news we could tonight,” Judge said. “He’s a big part of this team, we’ve seen it all year. He comes up in big moments, plays great defense, great clubhouse guy.

“It was tough not having him out there tonight, but I’ll take missing one game over missing him for a season.”