Ryan Yarbrough performed strongly against one of Major League Baseball’s most productive lineups, guiding the New York Yankees to a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium. The victory prevented a three-game sweep and maintained New York’s record of avoiding series sweeps this season.
The Dodgers entered the matchup as favorites on the betting line, listed around -150 on most sportsbooks, while the Yankees were the underdogs at approximately +130. The over/under was set at 8.5 total runs, surpassed by the combined offensive output in the contest.
Yarbrough, a former Dodger who received his 2023 World Series ring in Los Angeles, allowed just one run and four hits over six innings, striking out five and walking none. The outing marked his fifth season start and improved his record to 3-0. In contrast, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4), who has been a key contributor to an injury-depleted rotation, struggled early and departed after 3 2/3 innings. He surrendered four runs on seven hits and issued three walks while striking out only two, all of which were season lows.
The Yankees scored in the first inning when Jasson Domínguez drove in a run with a single to left field. A defensive miscue allowed him to advance safely to second base. Domínguez later exited the game due to a bruised left thumb. New York extended its lead in the third inning when Ben Rice launched a two-run home run to center field, scoring Aaron Judge. Additional singles from Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells set the table, and a wild pitch by Yamamoto allowed Volpe to score, stretching the Yankees’ advantage to 4-1.
Tommy Edman briefly tied the game for the Dodgers in the second inning with a solo home run, but the Yankees responded quickly and consistently added to their lead. DJ LeMahieu, who recorded his first four-hit game since 2021, added an RBI single in the fifth, followed by Oswald Peraza’s run-scoring single to push the score to 6-1. LeMahieu’s RBI double in the ninth brought the Yankees’ run total to seven.
Los Angeles showed signs of life in the seventh inning with home runs from Andy Pages and Max Muncy, trimming the deficit to 6-3, but they could not generate further offense. The Dodgers’ top four hitters — Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith — were hitless for the first time this season. Ohtani and Judge, who both homered in the first inning of Friday’s series opener in a rare MVP showdown, went a combined 0-for-8 on Sunday with three strikeouts.
The Yankees now hold a perfect 4-0 record this season when entering a game facing the threat of a series sweep, previously avoiding such outcomes against Arizona, Detroit, and Cleveland. They remain one of only three MLB teams that have yet to be swept in a series of two games or more.
Following an off day, the Yankees will return to action on Tuesday, sending left-hander Carlos Rodón (7-3, 2.60 ERA) to the mound against the Cleveland Guardians. The Dodgers resume their schedule on Monday, hosting the New York Mets with right-hander Dustin May (3-4, 4.20 ERA) set to start.
