Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers

Red Sox Win Over LA Caps a 24-2 July

by

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer and Andruw Monasteiro added a two-run double in a five-run seventh inning as the visiting Boston Red Sox earned a 9-4 ​victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opener of a ‌three-game series. Jarren Duran drove in two runs one day after he caused a stir when he gestured toward third base after Willson Contreras did not tag up from third base on his fly ball. Boston interim manager ​Chad Tracy continued to downplay the incident.

Embed from Getty Images
The Red Sox saw Contreras depart for precautionary ​reasons in the third inning after he was hit in the side of ⁠the helmet on a 95.4 mph fastball from Dodgers right-hander Will Klein. Boston improved to 4-1 ​on a seven-game road trip, 12-3 since the All-Star break and 21-4 in July, their best ​winning percentage (.840) in any month in franchise history.
Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers one game after he sat out with left knee discomfort. Freddie Freeman (3-for-4) and Eliezer Alfonzo each drove in a run, while ​Cole Irvin (0-1) was tagged for six runs on eight hits over six innings in his Dodgers ​debut.
The Red Sox took the early lead when Duran delivered an RBI single to center in the second ‌off ⁠Klein, who was replaced by Irvin after hitting Contreras to load the bases. Masataka Yoshida hit a ground ball to first base that Freeman misplayed for an error, allowing two runs to score for a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers began to chip away in the fourth on an RBI single ​from Freeman. Los Angeles took ​a 4-3 lead in ⁠the fifth when Alfonzo had an RBI single and Ohtani followed with a two-run blast, his 24th, off reliever Jovani Moran.
The Red Sox moved ​back in front for good at 5-4 in the seventh on ​Rafaela’s two-run shot ⁠off Irvin. It was Rafaela’s 12th of the season. Five batters later, Monasterio ripped his two-run double to left and Duran followed with an RBI groundout for an 8-4 lead. Carlos Narvaez added a ⁠sacrifice fly ​in the ninth.
Boston left-hander Ranger Suarez was charged with ​three runs on four hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from a left ​groin strain and an illness. Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (3-6) pitched four scoreless innings.
–Field Level Media

Sox vs. Shohei Ohtani

by

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After Shohei Ohtani received an unexpected day off, the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to have their star back at the top of the order to open a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox tonight.

Ohtani has been dealing with a sore left knee and some right biceps tightness of late, which has forced him out of the rotation since the return from the All-Star break, but not from the designated hitter spot until Thursday.

After a recent run of five hits in seven at-bats, including three extra-base hits, Ohtani went in for treatment on his knee late Wednesday and was given some downtime.

“The last couple days he’s been on base a lot more, so I think that’s been a good thing in one sense whereas the last part of the (recent) road trip he wasn’t,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So there might have been a little something to that.”

Ohtani received an injection in the knee during the All-Star break and had been making progress with the injury, according to Roberts.

With Tommy Edman in the leadoff spot Thursday, and Teoscar Hernandez serving as the designated hitter, the Dodgers earned a 6-2 victory over the Mariners to take two of the three games in the series. Hernandez hit his first home run since July 3, while Dalton Rushing added a three-run shot.

With Ohtani out of the mix in a six-man rotation, Roberts has resorted to bullpen games on occasion, with another one set for Friday. Right-hander Edgardo Henriquez (4-1, 2.79 ERA) is set to pitch the opening inning.

The Red Sox have a trio of left-handers lined up to face the Dodgers over the weekend, with Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.02) set to take the ball in the series opener.

Suarez returned from the injured list Sunday, after recovering from a left groin strain and an illness, then delivered four scoreless innings in an eventual victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

“The first couple innings, I was kind of nervous, because I didn’t know how I was going to feel,” Suarez said. “After that, I felt pretty good.”

Suarez gave up four hits with six strikeouts and threw 64 pitches.

“(For) three weeks I never stopped throwing,” Suarez said. “I wasn’t surprised I had my command.”

In eight career appearances (five starts) against the Dodgers, Suarez is 3-2 with 3.64 ERA.

Boston arrived at Los Angeles after rallying for a 5-4 road victory over the Athletics on Thursday with back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning from Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras.

The Red Sox improved to 20-3 since July 3 and 25-5 since June 25 when they entered the day with a 32-46 record.

In the midst of his own rough season, Boston’s Jarren Duran appeared to question why Contreras did not tag up from third base on his fly ball in the sixth inning. He gestured back toward the infield as he returned to the dugout. After the game, Duran downplayed the incident.

“That’s nothing. It’s something that, within the team, that we have, that we work on, and it’s nothing,” Duran told reporters. “Like, you guys don’t need to know. Nobody needs to know. That’s something between us and the team that we know (what) it’s about. That doesn’t really matter.”

–Field Level Media

Dodgers Come Back, Win World Series

by

TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – In 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers came back to the World Series. They came back in Game 7, too. They came all the way back to become the first repeat winners of the World Series since the New York Yankees hit the trifecta in 1998-2000.

Will Smith hit a home run with two outs in the 11th to send the Dodgers to a 5-4 Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night. The Dodgers were down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series after a Game 5 loss on Wednesday.

Embed from Getty Images

Smith’s second homer of the postseason came on a shot to left on a 2-0 slider from Shane Bieber (2-1).

The Dodgers overcame a 4-2 deficit, tying the game at 4 on Miguel Rojas’ first homer of the postseason on a Jeff Hoffman 3-2 slider with one out in the ninth.

“There was so many pressure points and how that game could have flipped,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And we just kept fighting, and guys stepped up big. So I could just go on and on about the big plays, the big performances. It’s one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of, and this whole series and what the Blue Jays did and they gave us everything they had and just such a first-class organization.”

In keeping with the rallying theme, Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-1), who pitched six innings to earn the win in Game 6 on Friday, came back Saturday to pitch the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings to win Game 7. He also pitched a complete game to win Game 2 and was named World Series MVP.

“It’s unheard of, and I think that there’s a mind component, there’s a delivery, which is a flawless delivery, and there’s just an unwavering will,” Roberts said. “I just haven’t seen it. I really haven’t. You know, all that combined. And there’s certain players that want moments and there’s certain players that want it for the right reasons, but Yoshi is a guy that I just completely implicitly trust and he’s made me a pretty dang good manager.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the home 11th with a double against Yamamoto. Guerrero took third on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s sacrifice. Addison Barger walked before Alejandro Kirk grounded into a season-ending double play.

“Man, it’s hard. I had my first team meeting of the year after the game,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “There’s so many things that to unpack there, not just the series as a whole, seven games, two of them go to extras. I thought we played great baseball, both teams having chances there late. I feel for the guys. This is a special group of guys.”

Both teams had chances to win earlier. In the home ninth, Blake Snell allowed a one-out single and a walk before Yamamoto came in to load the bases with a hit batter before getting a force at home and a flyout to force extra innings.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the 10th against Seranthony Dominguez but failed to score.

Max Muncy also homered for the Dodgers and Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays.

Toronto’s Ernie Clement had three hits to set a postseason record of 30. He extended his postseason hit streak to 13 games, a franchise record.

“Historic,” Schneider said. “You don’t see that very often. We’re talking about really good pitchers, right-handers, left-handers. Ernie had a phenomenal year. I hope he wins a Gold Glove. He should. And he kind of became one of the faces of our team because of the way he plays.”

George Springer added three hits for Toronto.

Shohei Ohtani, L.A.’s Game 4 starter, allowed Springer’s leadoff single in the third. Springer took second on Nathan Lukes’ sacrifice and moved to third on a wild pitch to Guerrero, who was then walked intentionally. Bichette smashed a first-pitch slider to center for his first homer of the postseason and the Blue Jays jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Ohtani allowed three runs, five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.

Smith doubled high off the wall in left-center against Toronto starter Max Scherzer to start the fourth and took third on Freddie Freeman’s single. Muncy walked with one out. Center fielder Daulton Varsho made a diving catch on Teoscar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly but Smith scored.

Scherzer allowed one run, four hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Toronto’s Chris Bassitt walked Mookie Betts to start the sixth. Muncy singled and was out at second on Hernandez’s bouncer to the mound. Tommy Edman hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Clement led off the home sixth with a single, stole second and scored on Andres Gimenez’s double to center.

Toronto’s Trey Yesavage allowed Muncy’s third homer of the postseason with one out in the eighth on a 1-1 splitter.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Take Dodgers Series

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Alex Bregman hammered a go-ahead two-run homer to help the Red Sox defeat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 Sunday. The Red Sox took the three-game series, 2-1.

Embed from Getty Images

Bregman’s 13th home run of the year came against Los Angeles starting pitcher Dustin May to conclude a three-run fifth inning.

Michael Conforto had three hits — a solo home run and two doubles — for the Dodgers, who also received two hits from Shohei Ohtani.

The Red Sox prevailed twice in the three-game series. Los Angeles won 5-2 Friday, and Boston earned a 4-2 victory Saturday.

Boston starter Walker Buehler pitched against the Dodgers — his former team — for the first time in his career, and was pulled with two outs in the fifth. Buehler gave up three runs on four hits, struck out four and walked five.

Brennan Bernardino (4-2) earned the win for recording the final out of the fifth inning.

Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman left the game with one out in the eighth. He threw 11 pitches in the inning and walked two. Jordan Hicks got the final five outs for Boston for his second save.

May (6-7) pitched the first five innings for Los Angeles. He surrendered four runs on five hits and struck out five without a walk.

The Red Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Roman Anthony was hit by a pitch, took third on Jarren Duran’s single and scored on Trevor Story’s sacrifice fly to center field. It was the second time the Red Sox have scored first in their nine games since the All-Star break.

Boston regained the lead by scoring three times in the fifth. It was 3-2 after Roman Anthony hit an RBI triple that drove in Abraham Toro, and Bregman followed with his two-run home run that put Boston in front.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox, Crochet Prevail vs LA

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Garrett Crochet allowed two solo home runs in the top of the first, but then pitched five shutout innings to help the Boston Red Sox defeat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 Saturday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Crochet (12-4) limited the Dodgers to two runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out 10 and walked two.

It was the fifth time this season Crochet has recorded 10 or more strikeouts and allowed no more than two earned runs in at least six innings.

Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez each homered against Crochet. Ohtani opened the game by hitting his 38th home run of the season. Two batters later Hernandez hit his 16th home run, which was his second in as many games.

Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran each collected three hits for the Red Sox, who also received two hits from Roman Anthony. Duran had two triples and a double.

Boston overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the second. The key hit in the inning was Duran’s two-run triple.

Hyeseong Kim collected two of the Dodgers’ nine hits.

Mookie Betts was not in the Dodgers starting lineup, but did pinch hit with two outs and a runner on first in the ninth. He struck out looking against Aroldis Chapman for the game’s final out. Chapman earned his 18th save.

Betts did not play in Los Angeles’ 5-2 victory on Friday night because he was in Tennessee taking care of a personal matter.

Los Angeles starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw exited the mound with two outs in the fifth. He gave up four runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two.

The Dodgers grabbed a 2-0 lead on the first-inning home runs from Ohtani and Hernandez, but Boston took the lead by scoring three runs in the second. After Duran tied the game with his two-run triple, Abraham Toro drove in Duran on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Boston added to its lead in the fifth. Bregman reached on a two-out single and scored on Anthony’s double to make it 4-2.

–Field Level Media

Teoscar Winning Performance

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -LA’s Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run home run to help the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

Embed from Getty Images

After Freddie Freeman singled to open the eighth inning, Hernandez homered against Boston reliever Jorge Alcala to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 5-2. It was his 15th home run of the season. Hernandez drove in three of Los Angeles’ five runs.

Freeman, Will Smith and Andy Pages each collected two hits in the victory, but Shohei Ohtani failed to homer for the sixth straight game. Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Emmet Sheehan (2-1) pitched the first five innings for Los Angeles. He surrendered two runs on three hits, struck out five and walked two. The Dodgers’ bullpen provided four scoreless innings, including a scoreless ninth from Ben Casparius.

The Red Sox had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth, but Casparius retired Rob Refsnyder on a grounder to second to end the game. It was his first major league save.

Boston starting pitcher Brayan Bello (6-5) was pulled with one out in the sixth. He gave up three runs on six hits, struck out five and walked two.

The Red Sox were limited to five hits: doubles by Connor Wong, Alex Bregman and Trevor Story, and singles by Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida.

The Dodgers grabbed a 3-0 lead by scoring a run in the second and two in the third. Pages made it 1-0 when he scored from third on Tommy Edman’s infield single. It was 2-0 after Ohtani scored when Hernandez drew a bases-loaded walk, and Smith scored on a Pages sacrifice fly to give Los Angeles a 3-0 advantage.

The Red Sox sliced their deficit to 3-2 by scoring twice in the bottom of the third. Wong doubled and scored on a Duran single, and then Bregman drove in Duran with a double.

The teams meet again this evening and Sunday afternoon for the three-game set before the Dodgers travel to Cincinnati and the Red Sox hit the road again for a trip to the Twin Cities.

–Field Level Media

The Revenge of Mookie Betts

by

NEW YORK – Was it the revenge of Mookie Betts, the Curse of the Betts-bino, or is it a deeper, darker Curse of the Morons? That’ll be the question the New York Yankees and their ill-fated fans will have to answer after the Los Angeles Dodgers performed the unthinkable and defeated the Yankees in a comeback for the ages, a day after a fan attempted to grab a baseball right out of Betts’ glove. The fan was ejected and banned from baseball but, the Curse might remain.

Embed from Getty Images

Betts, LA’s right fielder, lifted a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers overcame a five-run deficit and clinched their eighth World Series title with a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 5 in the Bronx.

Six outs away from being forced back to Los Angeles for a sixth game on Friday, the Dodgers won their second title in five seasons and first in a full season since Kirk Gibson and the 1988 team stunned the Oakland Athletics.

Los Angeles also avoided becoming the first team to win the first three games of a best-of-seven Fall Classic and get taken to a sixth game.

The Dodgers trailed 6-5 entering the eighth before Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle (1-1) allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Gavin Lux cracked a tying sacrifice fly to center field off Luke Weaver.

Shohei Ohtani then reached base on catcher’s interference when his bat grazed Austin Wells’ glove. Following a brief review, the call was confirmed.

On the next pitch, Betts lifted a fly ball to center fielder Aaron Judge, and utility man Tommy Edman trotted home for a 7-6 lead.

It was the largest comeback ever in a World Series clincher, surpassing the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates overcoming a four-run deficit in Game 7 against the Washington Senators.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead after Los Angeles erased its 5-0 deficit by sending 10 to the plate in fifth. The Dodgers capitalized on physical errors by Judge and Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe along with a mental error by Gerrit Cole, New York’s starting pitcher.

New York held a 5-0 lead and Cole had yet to allow a hit before Enrique Hernandez singled to open the fifth inning.

Edman reached when his fly ball caromed off Judge’s glove, putting runners at first and second. Will Smith followed by hitting a grounder to Volpe, whose throw bounced in front of third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., loading the bases with no outs.

After Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, Betts hit a soft grounder to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Cole went about halfway off the mound before stopping, and Betts beat Rizzo to the bag allowing the Dodgers’ first run to score.

Cole was one strike away from ending the inning with a 5-1 lead but allowed a two-run single to Freddie Freeman. Teoscar Hernandez also was one strike away from making the final out before lining a two-run double over Judge’s head, tying the game 5-5.

Los Angeles rallied after getting a short start from Jack Flaherty, who was tagged for four runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Blake Treinen (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out Anthony Rizzo with two on in the eighth.

Two days after winning Game 3, Walker Buehler pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first major league save, regular season or postseason.

Judge hit a two-run homer in the first and Chisholm followed with a solo shot. Alex Verdugo added an RBI single to chase Flaherty in the second, and Stanton homered in the third off Ryan Brasier.

Cole allowed five unearned runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.

–Field Level Media

Series Goes to Game 5

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole spent Tuesday afternoon preparing for a game they weren’t certain would happen. A few hours later, Anthony Volpe ensured the World Series would continue with Game 5 on Wednesday, when Flaherty pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cole starts for the New York Yankees.

Embed from Getty Images

The Dodgers held a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series entering play on Tuesday, but New York cruised to an 11-4 victory in Game 4, sparked by Volpe’s third-inning grand slam.

Another Yankees win on Wednesday would create some history. Of the 24 previous teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series, 21 were swept in four games and the other three were eliminated in Game 5.

If New York can extend the series again, Game 6 would be played Friday in Los Angeles.

The Yankees hit .186 in the first three games and scored a total of seven runs. The Dodgers then grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Wednesday before Volpe sparked a comeback.

“They’re just like, ‘Let’s go get it,’” New York manager Aaron Boone said of his players. “Again, these guys love playing with each other, and you kind of got that sense before the game. And obviously as the game unfolded, it kind of got better and better tonight.

“It’s one game. We wanted to get it to tomorrow, and we’ve done that. Excited for the opportunity tomorrow.”

The Yankees are now hitting .206 in the series after posting their highest-scoring World Series game since a 12-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1978 Fall Classic.

Besides Volpe, Austin Wells and Gleyber Torres homered for New York. Aaron Judge hit an RBI single and walked, and every New York player except Anthony Rizzo reached base at least once.

“We’re just going to play our game,” Volpe said. “We feel like if we do that and we play the way we know we’re capable of playing, they can — they’re obviously a good team, and they can do what they do and whatever they want to do. We just have so much confidence in us that we play … that way, we feel like we’ll win.”

The Dodgers had few highlights other than Freddie Freeman setting a pair of major league records by homering in his sixth straight World Series game and becoming the first player to homer in the opening four games of a Fall Classic. Los Angeles mustered just six hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

“We’re up 3-1 right now,” Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts said. “We feel pretty good about it, but you know that they’re going to fight. It doesn’t matter what the score is and it doesn’t matter when it is; they’re going to fight. So, I mean, no lead is safe until you win the fourth game.”

Flaherty (1-2, 6.10 ERA in the postseason) allowed eight runs in three innings during Game 5 of the NLCS against the New York Mets on Oct. 18, but he opened the World Series by allowing two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Flaherty departed his first World Series start due to hamstring tightness he felt on the pitch before allowing a two-run homer to Giancarlo Stanton on his final delivery, but he said he feels fine now.

“It’s caused a little extra work that I normally wouldn’t have to do, but I’m feeling good today, felt good yesterday during my bullpen (session),” Flaherty said before Game 4. “At this point, it’s not anything I’m worried about.”

Cole (1-0, 2.82) will make his fourth career World Series start and first in an elimination game. Cole is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in World Series starts, and he took a no-decision in Game 1 when he allowed one run on four hits in six innings while throwing 88 pitches.

Cole was not a consideration to start Game 4 on three days of rest because his season began with a 2 1/2-month absence caused by an elbow injury.

“I feel now like I’m in good shape,” he said. “I have a reserve while I’m pitching. So if I need to dip into the tank, I can go get it, and then I can go get it again. It’s not like a one-time thing.

“And then familiarity both with myself and my delivery, how I’m moving, how well I’m concentrating the ball in the areas of the strike zone that I want to get. I’m … missing east and west very rarely anymore. Things are more defined.”

–Field Level Media

Bullpen Opener for World Series?

by

BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With a commanding lead in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to rookie right-hander Ben Casparius to open Game 4 on the road against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Holding a 3-0 advantage in the series, the Dodgers are in position to pull off the sweep for their first title since 2020, and their first championship after a full 162-game season since 1988.

Embed from Getty Images

Casparius, 25, has just three games of regular-season experience. They all came after Aug. 31 when he went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 total innings. After he was given a spot on the postseason roster, he has made three appearances in the playoffs, going 1-0 without allowing a run in 4 1/3 innings.

Tuesday’s game will be the Dodgers’ fourth bullpen game of the postseason, going 2-1 in those contests. They entered the playoffs with just three healthy starters: Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler.

The Dodgers’ most recent bullpen came in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against New York Mets when they earned a 10-5 victory to clinch a spot in the World Series. Casparius went 1 1/3 scoreless innings in that game while earning the win.

Right-hander Ryan Brasier started two bullpen games in the playoffs for Los Angeles, while right-hander Michael Kopech started the other.

–Field Level Media

World Series: LA Dodgers Thwart NY Yankees, Lead 2-Games-to-None

by

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up one hit into the seventh inning, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back home runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers delivered a 4-2 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Saturday to take a 2-0 World Series lead.

Embed from Getty Images

Tommy Edman also hit a home run, while Yamamoto (2-0) allowed one run and two walks with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, helping the Dodgers move two wins away from their first World Series title since 2020 and their first after a full regular season since 1988.

Dodgers right-hander Blake Treinen gave up an RBI single in the ninth to Giancarlo Stanton and departed with two outs and the bases loaded. Left-hander Alex Vesia entered and got pinch hitter Jose Trevino to fly out to center field for his first save of the postseason.

The lone area of concern for the Dodgers came when designated hitter Shohei Ohtani left the field with a trainer at the end of the seventh inning with an apparent left arm injury after an unsuccessful stolen-base attempt at second base.

Juan Soto hit a home run for the Yankees, while left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-2) gave up four runs on six hits, including three home runs, over 3 1/3 innings.

The series shifts to New York for the next three contests, starting with Game 3 on Monday. Game 4 is Tuesday and Game 5, if necessary, is Wednesday.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when the switch-hitting Edman hit a home run into the left field corner against Rodon while batting from the left side. It was his second home run of the postseason to go along with 13 RBIs for the National League Championship Series MVP.

Soto tied it 1-1 in the third with a blast into the right field corner against Yamamoto, his fourth of the postseason.

The Dodgers moved in front 3-1 in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run from Hernandez, his third of these playoffs, while Freeman followed with a drive to right field in nearly the same spot he hit his grand slam that ended Game 1.

It was just the 19th time a team has hit back-to-back home runs in the World Series with the only other occurrence by the Dodgers coming in Game 5 in 1981 against the Yankees by Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager.

The Yankees had just one hit heading into the ninth when Soto singled off the right field wall and scored on a single off the third base bag by Stanton. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Treinen struck out Anthony Volpe before Vesia got the last out on his first pitch.

–Field Level Media