Yankees’ Doubleheader Ends in Contrasting Outcomes
The first matchup of the Sunday doubleheader saw the Yankees’ struggling bullpen turn what was a narrow lead into a significant loss.
However, they bounced back in the nightcap.
At Yankee Stadium, going up against what many consider the top batting lineup in baseball, five relief pitchers stepped up impressively, yielding just one run over nine innings and ultimately clinching a 2-1 victory against the Dodgers.
Ryan Yarbrough (2/3 innings), Paul Blackburn (2/3 innings), Brent Headrick (2 innings), Fernando Cruz (1/3 innings), and David Bednar (1/3 innings) performed largely as expected. Except, of course, for Cruz giving up a solo home run to pinch-hitter Tommy Edman in the eighth, which marked a rough close to the series for the Yankees.
“Yarves pitched almost three innings…he was very efficient,” manager Aaron Boone noted after the game. “And Blackburn managed to get seven outs for us, which was crucial. It really let us capitalize on what was happening on the field.”
After the Dodgers made Cam Schlitzer work 98 pitches in just over four innings during Game 1, it was clear Yarbrough (36 pitches), Blackburn (25 pitches), and Headrick (22 pitches) were notably more efficient. In fact, Headrick has been quite the unsung hero for the bullpen, maintaining a shutout in 41 of his 49 relief appearances, leading the league.
Boone had essentially sacrificed Game 1 to set up the nightcap.
The Yankees initially went ahead 3-1 entering the eighth inning, but Boone decided to bring in Jake Byrd and Camilo Doval, only for the Dodgers to extend their winning streak to seven by taking Game 1 with an 8-1 final score.
Byrd, while responsible for all five of those runs, has struggled this season with a 5.93 ERA over 36 games and after this outing, he was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
In an effort to find improved performance, the Yankees added Carvin Castro to the bullpen lineup before the nightcap, testing if he might provide a better option while pondering potential external relief solutions as the trade deadline approaches.
The rainout on Saturday gave the Yankees a chance to adjust their rotation, which was particularly important given Max Fried’s injury and the absence of a fifth starting pitcher.
They held Ryan Weathers back for Monday’s game against the Pirates, while Elmer Rodriguez was called up as the 27th man for the second game of the doubleheader, although he wasn’t ultimately needed that evening.
The Yankees were eager to utilize Rodriguez since he has only two remaining minor league options this season, but it turns out being ejected after entering as the 27th man doesn’t count against that.
Looking ahead, the Yankees are preparing for a bullpen game on Tuesday or could risk another option with Rodriguez, but instead, ended up with him providing backup length.
With Weathers set to pitch Monday, followed by Will Warren and Gerrit Cole against the Pirates, the Yankees will have an off day Thursday. This break aims to keep their four starting pitchers on regular rest, with the hope that Fried could return next week after more rehabilitation.
In another update on Carlos Rodon, he received a second injection for left elbow inflammation after throwing just 10 pitches from the bullpen mound on Friday. Feeling good enough to play catch on Sunday, the team maintains optimism that he could throw a full bullpen session this week.
