Heading into this highly-anticipated World Series, the Yankees appeared to have their work cut out for them with a stacked Dodgers lineup that just won the most lopsided playoff series in history by run differential, as well as a bullpen that can trade zeroes with just about anybody.
But the one key advantage many expected New York to have was in the starting rotation. Armed with Gerrit Cole at the top and a seemingly new and improved Carlos Rodon behind him, the Yankees had arms that were capable of giving length, while Dodgers starters were averaging less than four innings of work heading into the Fall Classic.
But through two games, Los Angeles took that matchup and turned it on its head, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead in the process.
Rodon was back at his worst in a crucial game two, surrendering three home runs, including back-to-back jacks by Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave the Dodgers plenty, going 6.1 innings while allowing just one run on one hit, a solo home run by Juan Soto.
Yamamoto had been up and down throughout his first big-league season, and hadn’t pitched into the sixth inning in any of his previous three playoff starts. In fact, he lasted just three in a disastrous outing in the NLDS opener, and made it through 4.1 innings against the Mets in his lone NLCS start.
Meanwhile, the Yanks got no such length from Rodon, who was pulled in the fourth inning as the home-run woes returned at the worst time. The lefty looked like the man the Yanks invested $162 million in during his previous two playoff starts, but on Saturday night, he struggled mightily to generate any swing and miss on his fastball.
In game one, Gerrit Cole was his ace self, but Jack Flaherty went toe-to-toe, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings of work, his lone mistake being a two-run home run by Giancarlo Stanton. In his previous start, Flaherty was tagged for eight runs in three innings of work by the Mets. But the Yankees couldn’t get to him and generate breathing room that would have been vital in an eventual 6-3 loss in 10 innings, capped off by a Freeman grand slam.
You certainly can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.
Through two games, it is the Dodgers starters providing length and limiting a Yankee offense that is certainly capable of hanging crooked numbers on the opposing rotation. Now, the Yanks will turn to Clarke Schmidt to try and keep the likes of Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Mookie Betts quiet to potentially save the Bombers’ season. In game four, it will be Luis Gil, with the Yanks in danger of the series ending with Cole only getting one start.
The Dodgers have neutralized the Yankees’ biggest advantage in this series, and have taken full control as a result, while keeping their bullpen mainly rested. If the Yankee bats can’t figure out these Dodger starters that had looked very hittable for much of this postseason, their title drought will drag on for another year.