A split is not what the New York Yankees wanted against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but after the way the opener went, they will take the 2-1 win that closed Saturday’s doubleheader.
The nightcap turned on one swing. Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered, Cody Bellinger went 2-for-3 and drove in a run against his former club, and Paul Goldschmidt added two hits. That was enough offense for a bullpen that carried the day: Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough and Brent Headrick bridged the middle innings without allowing a run, and David Bednar closed it out. Tommy Edman‘s solo homer was the only blemish in the second game.
The opener was a different afternoon entirely. Yoshinobu Yamamoto spun a complete game and held the Yankees to two runs, and Los Angeles rolled 8-2. Cam Schlittler struck out eight but could not get out of the fifth, and by the time the New York bullpen settled the game was gone. Trent Grisham‘s home run accounted for one of the two runs Yamamoto allowed.
The split leaves the Yankees at 55-44, and the standings did them a favor: Tampa Bay’s own loss means New York is now a game and a half back in the AL East. That is the version worth focusing on. A team with October ambitions does not get to feel good about breaking even with the Dodgers, but with the Rays skidding, the Yankees are close enough to the top that every game against a contender is a measuring stick — and they passed half of Saturday’s test.
For fantasy managers, Bednar’s grip on the ninth inning is worth tracking closely; the save chances are there in a Yankees bullpen that has sorted out its late-inning order. Chisholm continues to provide power and speed from the middle of the lineup, a top-tier producer when healthy. Grisham’s homer keeps a streaky bat relevant in deeper formats, though he remains a matchup play rather than an everyday start.
