In a World Series rematch, Max Fried had his worst start this season and the Yankees bullpen imploded, allowing six unanswered runs across two innings, in New York’s 8-5 loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Friday night.
-In a matchup between the two reigning MVPs, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani showed why they were deserving of that honor early in this one. Judge took Tony Gonsolin deep on the third pitch he saw with one out to put the Yankees out in front. Ohtani jumped on a Fried sinker over the middle of the plate to lead off the first with his league-leading 21st homer of the year.
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It’s the first time in MLB history that both reigning MVPs homered in the first inning of the same game.
-They wouldn’t be the only former MVPs to hit a longball in this one. Paul Goldschmidt launched a leadoff homer in the third to put the Yankees up 5-2 over the Dodgers. How did the Yankees score their other three runs? Via the home run, of course. Austin Wells hit the first pitch from Gonsolin over the right field wall to lead off the second and Trent Grisham capped off that inning with a two-run shot.
Friday was the third game this season that the Yankees hit four-plus home runs in the first three innings of a game, the most in franchise history. (h/t Katie Sharp)
-Fried entered the game with a sub-2.00 ERA so it was odd that he allowed two runs in the first two innings. But the southpaw settled in, pitching three straight scoreless innings but it fell apart in the sixth. After Ohtani led off with his second homer of the game, Fried allowed three straight hits, including an RBI double to Freddie Freeman. Manager Aaron Boone pulled his starter with men on second and third and no outs. First out of the pen was Jonathan Loaisiga to face Andy Pages. Pages singled to left to tie the game at 5-5. After a fielder’s choice, Max Muncy was intentionally walked and Tim Hill was brought in to get the left-hander Michael Conforto. Unfortunately, Hill walked Conforto on six pitches to bring in the go-ahead run. A double-play ended the four-run inning but it was a disaster for Fried and the Yankees.
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Fried entered the game allowing 10 runs in his first 11 starts without allowing more than two earned runs in a start, but gave up six earned runs on eight hits across five-plus innings while striking out three batters. His ERA went from 1.29 to 1.92 after the start.
-The bullpen in the seventh didn’t fare much better for the Yanks. After Hill got Ohtani to fly out, Yerry De los Santos came in. He got Teoscar Hernandez to ground out but then imploded, giving up a single to Will Smith, then Freeman doubled. Page singled to drive in both runners and put the Dodgers up 8-5.
-After Goldschmidt’s homer in the third, the Yankees offense was stagnant but they had a chance to get back in this game in the eighth. With runners on first and third and no out, Boone brought up J.C. Escarra to face the righty. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put in the lefty Tanner Scott, and Boone swapped Escarra for DJ LeMahieu, but the veteran infielder flew out to end the threat.
Judge finished going 2-for-5 while Ben Rice (2-3) and Grisham (2-5) were the only Yankees to have a multi-hit game.
The 2024 World Series MVP had three hits and was in the middle of every Dodgers rally
The Yankees continue their three-game series with the Dodgers on Saturday night at 7:15 p.m.
