Ryan McMahon’s comments might have seemed optimistic to some, but to anyone following the Yankees, they could have felt a bit alarming after witnessing the team’s struggles over the past month.
“We have one more game after this one today,” McMahon mentioned between games in the doubleheader on Sunday. “So the day hasn’t been completely ruined yet.” But as the hours went by, it started looking like Monday would turn out miserable due to another weak offensive showing.
Yet, everything changed when Jazz Chisholm Jr. stepped up in the eighth inning, hitting a home run that secured a 2-1 win against the Dodgers, splitting the doubleheader and preventing a sweep in the Bronx.
This season has been less than stellar for Chisholm, contributing to the Yankees’ struggles, especially without Aaron Judge. However, he stepped up, hitting game-winning home runs late in two of the last six matches.
In the first game earlier that day, the Yankees, led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete performance, had a strong start, but they still ended the day in a precarious position. They remained in first place in the AL East, just 1½ games behind the Rays, who had been swept by the Red Sox. This was the closest the standings had been since late June.
The Dodgers (63-37) didn’t have the same success against the Yankees’ bullpen in the second game as they did against starter Cam Schrittler earlier. They managed to squeeze out some good performances from their pitchers, including Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn, keeping a slim 1-0 lead for most of the game.
As the matchup continued into the eighth inning, Fernando Cruz took the mound but quickly ran into trouble. After giving up a home run to pinch hitter Tommy Edman, the game was tied at 1-1. Cruz then issued two walks, prompting manager Aaron Boone to bring in reliever David Bednar, who managed to strike out Shohei Ohtani and retire Andy Pages, preserving the 1-1 standoff.
Chisholm’s timely home run shifted the momentum back to the Yankees, but Bednar had to work hard in the ninth, walking Freddie Freeman yet getting through the inning unscathed.
The Yankees were initially aggressive in the second game, capitalizing quickly. Paul Goldschmidt’s double in the first inning initiated a rally, leading to Cody Bellinger’s single that pushed him across home plate.
Jason Dominguez added to the excitement with another single, yet the Yankees squandered several chances to extend their lead throughout the game.
As the night dragged on, missed opportunities became painfully clear. Jack Dryer issued walks to Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells in the fourth inning, but the Yankees’ inability to capitalize continued with a scoreless result. Then in the fifth inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases, but remained scoreless after a series of crucial strikeouts.
