LOS ANGELES — Before this World Series rematch weekend at Dodger Stadium was over, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked to put it in perspective.
The Dodgers beat unbeaten ace Max Fried in the series opener, then handed the Yankees their worst beating in six seasons the next day, an 18-2 shellacking.
The Yankees turned the tables on Sunday with a convincing 7-3 victory, but the Dodgers still won the series.
Are there any psychological advantages to winning or losing a series like this?
“I don’t know,” Boone said. “The game’s littered with examples of both ways. I understand the bigness and the hype around a series like this in May, so it’s going to lead to people trying to make sense of it and having a take on it.
“But it’s baseball and it’s a long season. We know we’re really good team and we just got to handed it to us, especially (Saturday).”
But what if the Yankees and Dodgers meet up again in October?
Will what happened last year and this weekend mean anything?
“If we play them again, it’ll be in the World Series,” Boone said. “It’s kind of similar to the first week of the season when everyone overreacts to everything.
“You know what? If we get to that point, if we’re in the World Series again with them and they beat us, it’ll be a thing. If we beat them, it’ll be another thing. Hopefully we have that opportunity again. We’ll see.”
At least the Yankees headed back to New York feeling better about themselves after blew a 5-2 lead and lost 8-5 on Friday night and were blown out 18-2 on Saturday.
This was their first series loss in their last eight, but they finished this three-city trip that included stops in Denver and Anaheim with six wins in nine games.
The Yankees’ win on Sunday was impressive.
Ben Rice hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the third, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was knocked out in the fourth, DJ LeMahieu had his first four-hit game since June 2021 and soft-tossing lefty Ryan Yarbrough dialed up another excellent start.
Concern did arise during the win:
Rookie left fielder Jasson Dominguez left in the sixth inning with a left thumb concussion and closer Luke Weaver couldn’t pitch the ninth after warming up in the bullpen due to hamstring discomfort that started while he was stretching.
Dominguez was injured stealing second base in the fifth inning and was pinch-hit for the next inning because he couldn’t grip a bat.
Before the Yankees headed to LAX for a flight back to New York, manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees would know more on how serious both injuries are during Monday’s off day.
Weaver didn’t talk after the game because he was in the trainer’s room, but Dominguez said “I don’t think there’s much concern.”
Yarbrough (3-0) made it five good outings in five starts since he joined the rotation in early May holding the Dodgers to one run in six innings. He won all three of his battles with Shohei Ohtani with a strikeout in the first, flyball to center in the third and grounder to third in the sixth.
The only time the Dodgers got to Yarbrough was in the second inning when Tommy Edman homered to tie the game 1-1.
“He’s fun to watch,” Boone said. “He’s different from anything you face, but he’s got a lot of ways to get you out. Just went you think he’s slowing you down, slowing you down, he’s able to speed you up again.
“It’s kitchen sink. It’s sinker, cutter, four-seam, changeup, sweeper and then it’s that funky angle for a tall guy.”
With the Yankees leading 6-1, Jonathan Loaisiga took over in the seventh and allowed solo homers to Andy Pages and Max Muncy that cut the lead to three, but that was as close as the Dodgers got.
“Nice, happy flight home,” Rice said. “It feels good to salvage the series there and just take that momentum into the next one.”
NOTABLE
— Right-hander Carlos Carrasco was called up from Triple-A to give the Yankees’ tired bullpen a long relief option. He replaced Yerry De los Santos, who was optioned to Triple-A after pitching two days in a row.
— Carrasco likely will be DFA’d for the second time this season before the Yankees next play on Tuesday because they plan to activate reliever Fernando Cruz from the 15-day injured list. The righty will return on the day he’s eligible from minor shoulder inflammation.
— After beginning a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset by playing two games at third base, Jazz Chisholm was 0-for-3 DHing on what could have been his last game on Sunday. Like Cruz, Chisholm is expected to come off the IL on Tuesday. He was 3-for-9 with a double and walk in three games with Somerset.
— The Yankees haven’t yet finalized a plan this week for rehabbing DH Giancarlo Stanton, who spent most of last week getting at-bats in simulated games in Tampa. He could repeat that or play rehab games this week. By next week, he’ll likely be off the IL and starting his season if he doesn’t have a setback with his tennis elbow in both arms.
LOOKING AHEAD
Monday: Off day.
Tuesday: Guardians at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., YES & TBS. RHP Tanner Bibee (4-5, 3.86) vs. LHP Carlos Rodon (7-3, 2.60).
Wednesday: Guardians at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., Amazon Prime. RHP Luis Ortiz (2-6, 4.40) vs. RHP Clarke Schmidt (2-2, 3.95).
Thursday: Guardians at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., YES & MLB Network. RHP Slade Cecconi (1-1, 5.28) vs. LHP Max Fried (7-1, 1.92).
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected].