Monday, October 28, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
Despite a two-out two-run homer by former Dodger Alex Verdugo, the Los Angeles Dodgers need only one more win to become the 2024 world champions. Freddie Freeman homered in the first, and the Dodgers never looked back. Walker Buehler was awesome in five innings. While the Dodgers had a brilliant defense, the Yankees still struggled with theirs and locating the strike zone. The New York Yankees looked flat. The Dodgers defeated the Yankees 4-to-2.
Playing with a partially separated left shoulder, Shohei Ohtani walked to open the game. Freddie Freeman blasted a two-run homer.
Walker Buehler hadn’t pitched at Yankee Stadium but enjoyed pitching in cold weather. He walked the lead-off batter. Buehler didn’t allow anything else and struck out Aaron Judge.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the second.
Buehler looked like himself before his second Tommy John surgery. He was perfect in the second.
To start the third, Tommy Edman walked. Edman advanced to second on Ohtani’s grounder. Mookie Betts singled in Edman. Freeman walked. Max Muncy walked to load the bases. Will Smith hit a comebacker to strand three runners.
With two outs in the third, Buehler walked a batter but got Juan Soto to ground out.
Gavin Lux walked to begin the fourth. Kiké Hernández singled Lux to third. A failed squeeze play made Lux out, but Edman reached first. Kiké Hernández was at second. The Dodgers stranded the runners.
Buehler allowed a double to Giancarlo Stanton with an out in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández threw out Stanton at home plate to end the inning.
Freeman reached on an error by Jazz Chisholm to begin the fifth. Muncy grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Buehler mowed down the Yankees in the fifth.
With an out in the sixth, Lux was plunked. Lux stole second and scored on Kiké Hernández’s single. The Dodgers didn’t score any more runs.
Brusdar Graterol relieved Buehler in the sixth. With an out, Graterol walked Soto. Graterol turned a comebacker into a force play. Staton singled Judge to second.
Alex Vesia relieved Graterol with two outs in the sixth. He retired Chisholm to end the inning.
With an out in the seventh, Betts walked. Freeman’s grounder erased Betts. Teoscar Hernández singled moving Freeman to third. The Dodgers didn’t score.
Daniel Hudson relieved Vesia in the seventh. After an out, he allowed a single.
Anthony Banda relieved Hudson with two outs in the seventh. He walked Alex Verdugo. He retired the last batter of the inning.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the eighth.
Ryan Brasier relieved Banda in the eighth. With an out, he walked Aaron Judge. Brasier didn’t allow anything else.
In the ninth, Ohtani was plunked with an out. Betts hit into a double play.
Michael Kopech relieved Brasier in the ninth. With an out, Kopech walked Anthony Rizzo. Kopech uncorked a wild pitch moving Rizzo to second. Verdugo blasted a two-run homer.
