The Yankees also recalled outfielder Mason Williams from Triple-A before Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. NY is two games behind Baltimore and Toronto for a wild card spot and four behind first-place Boston, which it visits for a four-game series Thursday.
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But by the end of the ugly frame, they couldn’t be in a worse spot: about to head out on a make-or-break, 11-game road trip coming off three losses in four games.
“Every time we get a left-hander, we feel good about it and are optimistic, but it has been a tough year against left-handed pitching”, Roberts said afterward. They couldn’t get any rally going.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw pitched five almost ideal innings and Justin Turner hit an RBI double off Betances to put Los Angeles ahead.
Coupled with another loss by the second-place San Francisco Giants, the win moved the Dodgers’ lead in the National League West back out to five games and cut their magic number to clinch the division to 13.
Kershaw, in his second start after a serious back injury and first at Yankee Stadium, was ideal for the first four innings and finished having allowed one hit in five innings. He allowed five hits in eight scoreless innings but NY scored three times in the ninth inning in a 3-0 victory. He returned to the mound for the fourth after a brief 12-minute rain delay and again after the second, 48-minute delay following the top of the fifth.
After four 1-2-3 innings in this start, Castro led off the fifth with a hard bouncer that Turner couldn’t handle for an error. Getting in scoring position proved to be important, as he scored first run for the Dodgers.
Luis Avilan (2-0) got four outs and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth, matching his career high with 44 saves in 50 chances.
Every Los Angeles commuter can tell you that three inflated tires are not enough to get the auto from the front door to the office. Tyler Clippard worked a 1-2-3 eighth before giving way to Dellin Betances. After Seager stole second – base-stealers are 19-for-19 against Betances this season – Justin Turner doubled down the third-base line to drive in the first run of the game. “Obviously we’re trying to make a push here for the playoffs, so it definitely hurts”, Betances said. Last week, he gave up two runs and five hits in three innings at Miami. Michael Pineda, though, got that 3-6-1 double play out of Andre Ethier and then left, having yielded just two hits.
A’S 9, ROYALS 0: Yonder Alonso and Marcus Semien hit two-run doubles as visiting Oakland beat Kansas City for the third straight game.
Nick Swisher hung around with his former Yankees teammates during batting practice. The Yankees went 8-12 against NL teams this season.
The 20-year-old Urias, outdone by a fellow southpaw 16 years his senior, walked three and threw 78 pitches in what is expected to be his final start this season. Comedian Bill Murray was in the crowd. The Yankees won’t DL Judge since rosters have expanded, but it’s possible he won’t return during the regular season.
Judge had seemingly injured himself during a swing in the bottom of the fourth inning, but told manager Joe Girardi and the team’s trainer he was okay. Girardi said Ellsbury would play all four games this weekend against the Boston Red Sox, who are slated to pitch three lefties.
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The hit by Headley prevented Roberts having to make a tough decision for the second time on this trip, five days after pulling left-hander Rich Hill after seven ideal innings and 89 pitches.
