Category: MLB

Amed Rosario is the ultimate hype man, always the first Yankee out of the dugout when a teammate delivers a big hit.

Except on the biggest swing of the night Tuesday, his teammates had to take his place, because Rosario was the one in the batter’s box.

The reserve infielder came through in the clutch on a frigid night in The Bronx, crushing a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth — his second home run of the game — to lift the Yankees past the Athletics 5-3.

“Lot of emotions there,” Rosario said through an interpreter. “Just looking for a pitch that I could do some damage [on], and I got it.”

The Yankees (8-2) brought Rosario back this season to be a lefty killer off the bench, but Tuesday he was starting at third base against righty Aaron Civale for the struggling Ryan McMahon and made the most of it.

He homered on the first pitch he saw against Civale in the bottom of the second and then had an even bigger swing against former Yankee Mark Leiter Jr. in the bottom of the eighth to cap a four-run rally against the A’s (3-7).

“He’s the energy in the dugout, so we were excited for him to come through in those big moments,” José Caballero said. “It’s great to have someone like him on the team. He never has a bad day. He’s always high-energy. It’s good for the clubhouse, good for him and good for everyone.”

The Yankees saw enough innings like the eighth out of Leiter during his season and a half in The Bronx, but they were finally able to enjoy it Tuesday.

They had mustered just four hits entering the bottom of the eighth and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position before stringing together three straight hits to start the frame.

Cody Bellinger drilled a single up the middle, Ben Rice blooped a broken-bat single to right field and Giancarlo Stanton sliced a single with some crazy spin past shortstop Jacob Wilson to pull the Yankees within 3-2.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“G hit a weird G ball,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I don’t know what that was. Feels like the 24-degree ball — something, somehow landed out there.”

One out later, Rosario — starting just his third game of the season — clobbered a 414-foot blast, immediately dropping the bat, pounding his chest and yelling to pump up the dugout as the ball sailed into the night.

“We brought Rosie back because not only is he a really good player, but he’s a tremendous teammate and sets an amazing example for everyone,” Boone said. “He’s become beloved in that room in short order. I think they all get thrilled by his successes, too.”

David Bednar then closed out the win in the top of the ninth, throwing the last of four scoreless innings by the bullpen in relief of Cam Schlittler, who gave up his first runs of the season — three runs over five solid innings while striking out seven.

Schlittler came into the night having thrown 11 ²/₃ scoreless innings to start the year, allowing just three hits and no walks in his first two starts, against the Giants and Mariners.

But the Athletics surpassed that hit total in the third inning alone to jump out to a 3-1 lead.

Still, the right-hander felt that if he could just keep the Yankees within striking distance, good things would happen by the end of the night.

“I was pretty confident we were going to come back and win that game,” Schlittler said. “We have great hitters in the lineup, so not too worried about the early results, but I think we look great and hopefully things keep rolling after this.”

TORONTO –– Last time he was in Toronto, Yoshinobu Yamamoto almost single-handedly neutralized the Blue Jays.

In his return Tuesday night, he needed a little help.

Through five innings in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win, the reigning World Series MVP was mimicking his Fall Classic brilliance. He’d struck out six batters, including three in a row to begin the game. He’d allowed only one hit, on a second-inning fly ball that got over Kyle Tucker’s head in right.

The outing might have lacked the stakes of his previous visit to Rogers Centre, when Yamamoto logged back-to-back victories in Games 6 and 7 of an epic World Series battle. 

But up to that point, he’d been almost as dominant.

“He commanded everything,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He threw the baseball really well.”

Then, out of nowhere, he almost squandered the Dodgers’ 3-0 lead.

The Blue Jays finally broke through in the sixth, when Andrés Giménez hit a leadoff single and George Springer brought him home with an RBI double. In the seventh, Yamamoto left behind an even bigger jam, exiting the game with the tying runners aboard after Kazuma Okamoto doubled (staying alive via an ABS challenge that negated a called third strike earlier in his at-bat) and Ernie Clement bunted for a hit.

Just like that, reliever Alex Vesia was inheriting a high-leverage mess. And after he walked his first batter, the Blue Jays had the bases loaded with no outs.

“You gotta walk the first guy,” Vesia deadpanned, “and then make it really hard for yourself.”

Alas, as became their habit last October, the Dodgers found a way to escape and prevail.

Vesia prevented any runs from scoring, skipping off the bump three outs later with a pump of his fist. Blake Treinen and Edwin Díaz took care of the next two innings, sewing up the team’s fifth-consecutive win to clinch this week’s highly-anticipated rematch series.

And this time, it was Yamamoto cheering the biggest moments from the dugout, getting a lift from his teammates in a victorious six-plus-inning, one-run performance.

“I was saved by Vesia,” he said.

What it means

The Dodgers had already clinched a winning road trip with their victory in Monday’s series opener. Now, they’ve secured two series wins and have the chance Wednesday to go 6-0 on this East Coast swing.

It’s a sign that everything is clicking for the team right now –– from the offense (which now has 49 runs on the trip) to the starting pitching (led by Yamamoto and his 2.50 ERA through three outings) and even a bullpen that is off to a resurgent start to the season (lowering its ERA to 2.70 after Wednesday’s three scoreless innings).

At 9-2 overall, the Dodgers are also on the verge of reaching the 10-win mark faster than they have since 2021.

Who’s hot

How about the two names at the bottom of the order Tuesday, who helped spark all three scoring rallies for the Dodgers on the night.

No. 8 hitter Hyeseong Kim (who was a late addition to the lineup after Miguel Rojas was scratched because of a family matter) hit a leadoff double in the third inning, spurring a two-run frame that also included a 105 mph RBI single from Shohei Ohtani off the wall in right. In the fifth, he drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a Kevin Gausman balk.

No. 9 hitter Alex Freeland, who was in a 1-for-21 slump entering Tuesday, scored Kim in the fifth with an RBI single. Later, he added a double in the seventh, then a two-out infield single in the ninth. The latter knock was also accompanied by a throwing error from Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela, allowing Freeland to go to second. He eventually scored on an RBI single from Tucker, giving Díaz a little extra insurance for his fourth save.

Who’s not

Just like Monday night, it remains the Blue Jays.

And to be more specific, their manager John Schneider.

After Gausman’s balk in the fifth inning, Schneider came out of the dugout with only one intention. With his team in an early-season rut, it seemed like he was begging to get ejected from the game.

Following an extended argument, home plate umpire Dan Merzel finally obliged –– prompting a red-faced Schenider to dramatically spike his cap to the ground before berating Merzel inches away from his face.

If the outburst was intended to wake up his team, it failed. Instead, the banged-up Blue Jays dropped their sixth-straight game, and fell to 4-7 on the season. 

Up next

The Dodgers will go for the series sweep Wednesday, when Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for the second time this season. He’ll face off against Toronto’s marquee offseason signing, Dylan Cease, for a 12:07 p.m. Pacific first pitch.

The St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night game against the Washington Nationals was a parade of missed opportunities and sloppy play, but the St. Louis Cardinals found more late game magic as Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt played the role of the heroes.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start Tuesday night as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk to lead off the game and then stole 2nd. Alec Burleson singled to right, but Wetherholt was unable to score as he had to make sure Burleson’s ball was not caught. Thanks to an error by JJ Abrams, Wetherholt scored on a ground ball from Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman then singled to score Alec Burleson making the score 2-0 Cardinals, but he was thrown out trying to take 2nd base.

Matthew Liberatore was not able to take advantage of his early lead as Washington answered in the bottom of the 1st as Wood singled to center. After Mead struck out looking, House singled to center moving Wood up to 2nd. Lile singled Mead in making the score 2-1 Cardinals.

Washington would draw even in the bottom of the 3rd inning when James Wood hit an opposite field bomb. Mead would give the Nationals a 3-2 lead when he hit a 398 foot home run in the bottom of the 5th inning making it 3-2 Nationals. Lile would also score in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single from Abrams giving Washington a 4-2 lead. The Nationals would get another RBI single from Mead in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring Wood making it 5-2 Washington. Matthew Liberatore was not sharp as he completed 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity in the top of the 4th inning when Thomas Saggese grounded into a double play after a Gorman single and a walk by Winn. Similar situation in the top of the 6thn when Saggese would strike out with Gorman and Winn on base again, but he would more than make up for it later.

The score would stay 5-2 Nationals until the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker would slam an opposite field home run getting the Cardinals one run closer making it 5-3.

In the 8th inning, Masyn Winn walked after nearly being hit by another pitch. That brought up Nathan Church who would turn on a 1-2 pitch from Varland and tie the game with a 2-run bomb.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly set the Nationals down 1-2-3 including 2 strikeouts. He would also shut down Washington in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th.

In the top of the 10th inning, Thomas Saggese would redeem himself with a hustle double to left-center scoring Masyn Winn making it 6-5 Cardinals.

Yohel Pozo successfully moved Saggese to third base grounding out to the right side of the infield. Nathan Church was unable to bring him in, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up as he ripped a double down the right field line giving St. Louis a 7-5 lead.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning. He would bring drama as he hit Vivas after getting two strikes, but he then struck out JJ Abrams. Nolan Gorman channeled his inner Nolan Arenado making an incredible barehanded throw to first base to get Young which Alec Burleson also made a great play on. Lile would score on a wild pitch to make the game 7-6, but O’Brien struck out Nasim Nuñez to end the game.

The Cardinals are now 6-5 through the first two weeks of the season and will face former teammate Miles Mikolas Wednesday afternoon. Game time is scheduled to be 3:05pm central time.

The St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night game against the Washington Nationals was a parade of missed opportunities and sloppy play, but the St. Louis Cardinals found more late game magic as Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt played the role of the heroes.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start Tuesday night as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk to lead off the game and then stole 2nd. Alec Burleson singled to right, but Wetherholt was unable to score as he had to make sure Burleson’s ball was not caught. Thanks to an error by JJ Abrams, Wetherholt scored on a ground ball from Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman then singled to score Alec Burleson making the score 2-0 Cardinals, but he was thrown out trying to take 2nd base.

Matthew Liberatore was not able to take advantage of his early lead as Washington answered in the bottom of the 1st as Wood singled to center. After Mead struck out looking, House singled to center moving Wood up to 2nd. Lile singled Mead in making the score 2-1 Cardinals.

Washington would draw even in the bottom of the 3rd inning when James Wood hit an opposite field bomb. Mead would give the Nationals a 3-2 lead when he hit a 398 foot home run in the bottom of the 5th inning making it 3-2 Nationals. Lile would also score in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single from Abrams giving Washington a 4-2 lead. The Nationals would get another RBI single from Mead in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring Wood making it 5-2 Washington. Matthew Liberatore was not sharp as he completed 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity in the top of the 4th inning when Thomas Saggese grounded into a double play after a Gorman single and a walk by Winn. Similar situation in the top of the 6thn when Saggese would strike out with Gorman and Winn on base again, but he would more than make up for it later.

The score would stay 5-2 Nationals until the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker would slam an opposite field home run getting the Cardinals one run closer making it 5-3.

In the 8th inning, Masyn Winn walked after nearly being hit by another pitch. That brought up Nathan Church who would turn on a 1-2 pitch from Varland and tie the game with a 2-run bomb.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly set the Nationals down 1-2-3 including 2 strikeouts. He would also shut down Washington in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th.

In the top of the 10th inning, Thomas Saggese would redeem himself with a hustle double to left-center scoring Masyn Winn making it 6-5 Cardinals.

Yohel Pozo successfully moved Saggese to third base grounding out to the right side of the infield. Nathan Church was unable to bring him in, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up as he ripped a double down the right field line giving St. Louis a 7-5 lead.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning. He would bring drama as he hit Vivas after getting two strikes, but he then struck out JJ Abrams. Nolan Gorman channeled his inner Nolan Arenado making an incredible barehanded throw to first base to get Young which Alec Burleson also made a great play on. Lile would score on a wild pitch to make the game 7-6, but O’Brien struck out Nasim Nuñez to end the game.

The Cardinals are now 6-5 through the first two weeks of the season and will face former teammate Miles Mikolas Wednesday afternoon. Game time is scheduled to be 3:05pm central time.

The St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night game against the Washington Nationals was a parade of missed opportunities and sloppy play, but the St. Louis Cardinals found more late game magic as Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt played the role of the heroes.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start Tuesday night as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk to lead off the game and then stole 2nd. Alec Burleson singled to right, but Wetherholt was unable to score as he had to make sure Burleson’s ball was not caught. Thanks to an error by JJ Abrams, Wetherholt scored on a ground ball from Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman then singled to score Alec Burleson making the score 2-0 Cardinals, but he was thrown out trying to take 2nd base.

Matthew Liberatore was not able to take advantage of his early lead as Washington answered in the bottom of the 1st as Wood singled to center. After Mead struck out looking, House singled to center moving Wood up to 2nd. Lile singled Mead in making the score 2-1 Cardinals.

Washington would draw even in the bottom of the 3rd inning when James Wood hit an opposite field bomb. Mead would give the Nationals a 3-2 lead when he hit a 398 foot home run in the bottom of the 5th inning making it 3-2 Nationals. Lile would also score in the bottom of the 5th inning on a single from Abrams giving Washington a 4-2 lead. The Nationals would get another RBI single from Mead in the bottom of the 6th inning scoring Wood making it 5-2 Washington. Matthew Liberatore was not sharp as he completed 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity in the top of the 4th inning when Thomas Saggese grounded into a double play after a Gorman single and a walk by Winn. Similar situation in the top of the 6thn when Saggese would strike out with Gorman and Winn on base again, but he would more than make up for it later.

The score would stay 5-2 Nationals until the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker would slam an opposite field home run getting the Cardinals one run closer making it 5-3.

In the 8th inning, Masyn Winn walked after nearly being hit by another pitch. That brought up Nathan Church who would turn on a 1-2 pitch from Varland and tie the game with a 2-run bomb.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning and quickly set the Nationals down 1-2-3 including 2 strikeouts. He would also shut down Washington in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the 9th.

In the top of the 10th inning, Thomas Saggese would redeem himself with a hustle double to left-center scoring Masyn Winn making it 6-5 Cardinals.

Yohel Pozo successfully moved Saggese to third base grounding out to the right side of the infield. Nathan Church was unable to bring him in, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up as he ripped a double down the right field line giving St. Louis a 7-5 lead.

Riley O’Brien was brought in to shut down the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning. He would bring drama as he hit Vivas after getting two strikes, but he then struck out JJ Abrams. Nolan Gorman channeled his inner Nolan Arenado making an incredible barehanded throw to first base to get Young which Alec Burleson also made a great play on. Lile would score on a wild pitch to make the game 7-6, but O’Brien struck out Nasim Nuñez to end the game.

The Cardinals are now 6-5 through the first two weeks of the season and will face former teammate Miles Mikolas Wednesday afternoon. Game time is scheduled to be 3:05pm central time.

Amed Rosario hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 comeback win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at The Stadium.

With the Yanks' offense as cold as the outdoor temperature, Rosario's second blast in the eighth helped New York avoid their first losing streak of the season. 

The Yankees (8-2) have now won the first game of each of their series to start the season.

Here are the takeaways....

-Cam Schlittler started the game by getting behind Nick Kurtz 3-0, but bounced back to strike out Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, throwing six straight strikes. The young right-hander would sit down the first six batters, but the A's led off the third with back-to-back singles. Kurtz would make Schlittler pay with a one-out double to give the A's a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom doubled home the third Athletics run of the inning. 

It's the first runs Schlittler has allowed all year, ending a streak of 15 scoreless to start the season. 

Schlittler would gut through five innings to give the Yankees a chance. He tossed 84 pitches (58 strikes) across those five frames, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. He also struck out seven batters.

-Rosario started at third base in place of Ryan McMahon and the move by manager Aaron Boone paid off. Rosario got around a 91 mph sinker up and in and deposited it 399 feet over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from that, the Yankees offense could not figure out A's starter Aaron Civale. Civale came into the game with a 6.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including a 7.15 ERA in five starts at the Stadium. The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and four walks while striking out six batters across five innings. 

-The Yankees went 0-for-7 with RISP entering the eighth, but going up against former Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr.,Giancarlo Stanton got the team their first hit with RISP with a single to score Cody Bellinger. Rosario followed, two batters later, with a three-run shot to put the Yankees up for good. It's the third time Rosario has had a multi-homer game (8/31/21 & 5/20/18).

-Another bright spot for the Yankees was the bullpen. After allowing four runs in their loss on Sunday, and three in their win on Saturday, they shut down the A's. 

Here's how the bullpen performed...

• Jake Bird: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
• Brent Headrick: 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
• Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K
• David Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Game MVP: Amed Rosario

The Yankees offense stalled for most of this game, but Rosario's blast woke up the team and the fans. 

Highlights

Amed Rosario crushes his first home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/1bYH1LfQvI

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 7, 2026

Giancarlo Stanton hits a knuckleball to get the Yankees within one! pic.twitter.com/cB4TlloVl5

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 8, 2026

AMED ROSARIO'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT!

THE YANKEES TAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/SldIEeMLIL

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 8, 2026

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Athletics on Wednesday night. First pitch of the middle game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound against former Yankee Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA).

Amed Rosario hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 comeback win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at The Stadium.

With the Yanks' offense as cold as the outdoor temperature, Rosario's second blast in the eighth helped New York avoid their first losing streak of the season. 

The Yankees (8-2) have now won the first game of each of their series to start the season.

Here are the takeaways....

-Cam Schlittler started the game by getting behind Nick Kurtz 3-0, but bounced back to strike out Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, throwing six straight strikes. The young right-hander would sit down the first six batters, but the A's led off the third with back-to-back singles. Kurtz would make Schlittler pay with a one-out double to give the A's a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom doubled home the third Athletics run of the inning. 

It's the first runs Schlittler has allowed all year, ending a streak of 15 scoreless to start the season. 

Schlittler would gut through five innings to give the Yankees a chance. He tossed 84 pitches (58 strikes) across those five frames, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. He also struck out seven batters.

-Rosario started at third base in place of Ryan McMahon and the move by manager Aaron Boone paid off. Rosario got around a 91 mph sinker up and in and deposited it 399 feet over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from that, the Yankees offense could not figure out A's starter Aaron Civale. Civale came into the game with a 6.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including a 7.15 ERA in five starts at the Stadium. The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and four walks while striking out six batters across five innings. 

-The Yankees went 0-for-7 with RISP entering the eighth, but going up against former Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr.,Giancarlo Stanton got the team their first hit with RISP with a single to score Cody Bellinger. Rosario followed, two batters later, with a three-run shot to put the Yankees up for good. It's the third time Rosario has had a multi-homer game (8/31/21 & 5/20/18).

-Another bright spot for the Yankees was the bullpen. After allowing four runs in their loss on Sunday, and three in their win on Saturday, they shut down the A's. 

Here's how the bullpen performed...

• Jake Bird: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
• Brent Headrick: 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
• Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K
• David Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Game MVP: Amed Rosario

The Yankees offense stalled for most of this game, but Rosario's blast woke up the team and the fans. 

Highlights

Amed Rosario crushes his first home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/1bYH1LfQvI

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 7, 2026

Giancarlo Stanton hits a knuckleball to get the Yankees within one! pic.twitter.com/cB4TlloVl5

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 8, 2026

AMED ROSARIO'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT!

THE YANKEES TAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/SldIEeMLIL

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 8, 2026

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Athletics on Wednesday night. First pitch of the middle game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound against former Yankee Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA).

Amed Rosario hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 comeback win over the Athletics on Tuesday night at The Stadium.

With the Yanks' offense as cold as the outdoor temperature, Rosario's second blast in the eighth helped New York avoid their first losing streak of the season. 

The Yankees (8-2) have now won the first game of each of their series to start the season.

Here are the takeaways....

-Cam Schlittler started the game by getting behind Nick Kurtz 3-0, but bounced back to strike out Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, throwing six straight strikes. The young right-hander would sit down the first six batters, but the A's led off the third with back-to-back singles. Kurtz would make Schlittler pay with a one-out double to give the A's a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom doubled home the third Athletics run of the inning. 

It's the first runs Schlittler has allowed all year, ending a streak of 15 scoreless to start the season. 

Schlittler would gut through five innings to give the Yankees a chance. He tossed 84 pitches (58 strikes) across those five frames, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. He also struck out seven batters.

-Rosario started at third base in place of Ryan McMahon and the move by manager Aaron Boone paid off. Rosario got around a 91 mph sinker up and in and deposited it 399 feet over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

Aside from that, the Yankees offense could not figure out A's starter Aaron Civale. Civale came into the game with a 6.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees, including a 7.15 ERA in five starts at the Stadium. The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and four walks while striking out six batters across five innings. 

-The Yankees went 0-for-7 with RISP entering the eighth, but going up against former Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr.,Giancarlo Stanton got the team their first hit with RISP with a single to score Cody Bellinger. Rosario followed, two batters later, with a three-run shot to put the Yankees up for good. It's the third time Rosario has had a multi-homer game (8/31/21 & 5/20/18).

-Another bright spot for the Yankees was the bullpen. After allowing four runs in their loss on Sunday, and three in their win on Saturday, they shut down the A's. 

Here's how the bullpen performed...

• Jake Bird: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
• Brent Headrick: 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 3 K
• Fernando Cruz: 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K
• David Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Game MVP: Amed Rosario

The Yankees offense stalled for most of this game, but Rosario's blast woke up the team and the fans. 

Highlights

Amed Rosario crushes his first home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/1bYH1LfQvI

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 7, 2026

Giancarlo Stanton hits a knuckleball to get the Yankees within one! pic.twitter.com/cB4TlloVl5

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 8, 2026

AMED ROSARIO'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT!

THE YANKEES TAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/SldIEeMLIL

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 8, 2026

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Athletics on Wednesday night. First pitch of the middle game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound against former Yankee Luis Severino (0-1, 6.48 ERA).

But hey, at least nobody seems to have gotten hurt.

Kevin Gausman had a strong first two innings. He walked Shohei Ohtani to start the game, but then retired the next six Dodgers. They go to him in the third, though. Hyeseong Kim lead offf with a line double to centre, then Alex Freeland laid down a sac bunt that he actually beat out to put men on the corners. An Ohtani single cashed one runner, and a Will Smith fielder’s choice plated another, staking LA to a 2-0 lead. He bounced back, getting out of that inning and retiring the side in the fourth.

LA added on in the fifth. Kim walked, then advanced to second on what looked to me like a pretty questionable balk call. John Schneider protested and got himself tossed. It was an extremely quick hook, before Schneider appeared to even raise his voice. Either home plate ump Dan Marzel is having a bad day, or Schneider said something to get the heave and try to fire up the troops. Anyway, that set Kim up to come home to score on a Freeland line single. Gausman was able to stop the bleeding there, getting a strikeout and a pair of fly outs.

Freddie Freeman opened the sixth with a ground ball single. Gauman got Teoscar Hernandez swinging, but another ground single by Andy Pages knocked him out of the game. Mason Fluharty got the call to face the lefty Max Muncy, grounding him out and then getting Kim swinging to preserve the margin at three. Overall it wasn’t a great outing for Gausman, but it was serviceable. He allowed three runs over 5.1 innings, conceding five hits and two walks with five Ks.

On the other side, a lineup that’s been struggling for a week did not show signs of breaking out against Yoshinobu Yamamoto early on. He struck out the side in the first, then erased a Jesus Sanchez double with a couple pop outs and another K in the second. He got back to facing the minimum at that point, retiring a full turn of the lineup in order over the next three innings. Andres Gimenez broke the streak, leading off the sixth with a soft single to right. One batter later, George Springer lined a double to the wall in right to finally get the Jays on the board. A Daulton Varsho walk put the tying run aboard, but a pair of ground outs prevented them from capitalizing.

Fluharty came back out to start the seventh, giving up a double to Freeland but then getting Ohtany to fly out and striking out Kyle Tucker. That was the end of his night, as Louis Varland was summoned to handle the rightie Will Smith. He got his man, with a harmless fly to right.

Moto on Moto violence opened the bottom of the seventh, as Kazuma Okamoto won a challenge to stay alive and then took a Yamamoto fastball off the wall in centre for a double. Ernie Clement followed by bunting for a single, which knocked the Dodgers starter out of the game. Reliever Alex Vesia walked pinch hitter Davis Schneider, loading the bases. It would be another squandered opportunity, though, as a pair of soft fly outs and a strikeout ended the inning.

Varland came back for the eighth, retiring the side with a pair of Ks. Blake Treinen didn’t strike anyone out in the bottom half, but he didn’t give up a base runner either.

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth. Jeff Hoffman got the first two batters swinging. Freeland hit a soft grounder into the second base hole. Vlad made a play on the ball but missed his throw to the bag to allow Freeland to reach. Brandon Valenzuela backed him up, but tried a sneak throw to get Freeland stepping off first and sailed the throw into right, allowing the runner to advance. A Kyle Tucker single scored him before Hoffman got a pop out to end the inning. They didn’t wind up needing the extra breathing room, as closer Edwin Diaz worked around a walk to Clement and a Gimenez line single to escape the bottom of the ninth without the Jays managing to close the gap.

Jays of the Day: Clement (0.10)

Less so: Gausman (-0.12), Vlad (-0.13), Valenzuela (-0.18 and an error)

Mercifully, we only have one more against LA and then an off day. They’ll have to deal with Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00), but they do get to send Dylan Cease (0-0, 2.79) out themselves. First pitch goes at 3:07pm ET.

But hey, at least nobody seems to have gotten hurt.

Kevin Gausman had a strong first two innings. He walked Shohei Ohtani to start the game, but then retired the next six Dodgers. They go to him in the third, though. Hyeseong Kim lead offf with a line double to centre, then Alex Freeland laid down a sac bunt that he actually beat out to put men on the corners. An Ohtani single cashed one runner, and a Will Smith fielder’s choice plated another, staking LA to a 2-0 lead. He bounced back, getting out of that inning and retiring the side in the fourth.

LA added on in the fifth. Kim walked, then advanced to second on what looked to me like a pretty questionable balk call. John Schneider protested and got himself tossed. It was an extremely quick hook, before Schneider appeared to even raise his voice. Either home plate ump Dan Marzel is having a bad day, or Schneider said something to get the heave and try to fire up the troops. Anyway, that set Kim up to come home to score on a Freeland line single. Gausman was able to stop the bleeding there, getting a strikeout and a pair of fly outs.

Freddie Freeman opened the sixth with a ground ball single. Gauman got Teoscar Hernandez swinging, but another ground single by Andy Pages knocked him out of the game. Mason Fluharty got the call to face the lefty Max Muncy, grounding him out and then getting Kim swinging to preserve the margin at three. Overall it wasn’t a great outing for Gausman, but it was serviceable. He allowed three runs over 5.1 innings, conceding five hits and two walks with five Ks.

On the other side, a lineup that’s been struggling for a week did not show signs of breaking out against Yoshinobu Yamamoto early on. He struck out the side in the first, then erased a Jesus Sanchez double with a couple pop outs and another K in the second. He got back to facing the minimum at that point, retiring a full turn of the lineup in order over the next three innings. Andres Gimenez broke the streak, leading off the sixth with a soft single to right. One batter later, George Springer lined a double to the wall in right to finally get the Jays on the board. A Daulton Varsho walk put the tying run aboard, but a pair of ground outs prevented them from capitalizing.

Fluharty came back out to start the seventh, giving up a double to Freeland but then getting Ohtany to fly out and striking out Kyle Tucker. That was the end of his night, as Louis Varland was summoned to handle the rightie Will Smith. He got his man, with a harmless fly to right.

Moto on Moto violence opened the bottom of the seventh, as Kazuma Okamoto won a challenge to stay alive and then took a Yamamoto fastball off the wall in centre for a double. Ernie Clement followed by bunting for a single, which knocked the Dodgers starter out of the game. Reliever Alex Vesia walked pinch hitter Davis Schneider, loading the bases. It would be another squandered opportunity, though, as a pair of soft fly outs and a strikeout ended the inning.

Varland came back for the eighth, retiring the side with a pair of Ks. Blake Treinen didn’t strike anyone out in the bottom half, but he didn’t give up a base runner either.

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth. Jeff Hoffman got the first two batters swinging. Freeland hit a soft grounder into the second base hole. Vlad made a play on the ball but missed his throw to the bag to allow Freeland to reach. Brandon Valenzuela backed him up, but tried a sneak throw to get Freeland stepping off first and sailed the throw into right, allowing the runner to advance. A Kyle Tucker single scored him before Hoffman got a pop out to end the inning. They didn’t wind up needing the extra breathing room, as closer Edwin Diaz worked around a walk to Clement and a Gimenez line single to escape the bottom of the ninth without the Jays managing to close the gap.

Jays of the Day: Clement (0.10)

Less so: Gausman (-0.12), Vlad (-0.13), Valenzuela (-0.18 and an error)

Mercifully, we only have one more against LA and then an off day. They’ll have to deal with Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00), but they do get to send Dylan Cease (0-0, 2.79) out themselves. First pitch goes at 3:07pm ET.

But hey, at least nobody seems to have gotten hurt.

Kevin Gausman had a strong first two innings. He walked Shohei Ohtani to start the game, but then retired the next six Dodgers. They go to him in the third, though. Hyeseong Kim lead offf with a line double to centre, then Alex Freeland laid down a sac bunt that he actually beat out to put men on the corners. An Ohtani single cashed one runner, and a Will Smith fielder’s choice plated another, staking LA to a 2-0 lead. He bounced back, getting out of that inning and retiring the side in the fourth.

LA added on in the fifth. Kim walked, then advanced to second on what looked to me like a pretty questionable balk call. John Schneider protested and got himself tossed. It was an extremely quick hook, before Schneider appeared to even raise his voice. Either home plate ump Dan Marzel is having a bad day, or Schneider said something to get the heave and try to fire up the troops. Anyway, that set Kim up to come home to score on a Freeland line single. Gausman was able to stop the bleeding there, getting a strikeout and a pair of fly outs.

Freddie Freeman opened the sixth with a ground ball single. Gauman got Teoscar Hernandez swinging, but another ground single by Andy Pages knocked him out of the game. Mason Fluharty got the call to face the lefty Max Muncy, grounding him out and then getting Kim swinging to preserve the margin at three. Overall it wasn’t a great outing for Gausman, but it was serviceable. He allowed three runs over 5.1 innings, conceding five hits and two walks with five Ks.

On the other side, a lineup that’s been struggling for a week did not show signs of breaking out against Yoshinobu Yamamoto early on. He struck out the side in the first, then erased a Jesus Sanchez double with a couple pop outs and another K in the second. He got back to facing the minimum at that point, retiring a full turn of the lineup in order over the next three innings. Andres Gimenez broke the streak, leading off the sixth with a soft single to right. One batter later, George Springer lined a double to the wall in right to finally get the Jays on the board. A Daulton Varsho walk put the tying run aboard, but a pair of ground outs prevented them from capitalizing.

Fluharty came back out to start the seventh, giving up a double to Freeland but then getting Ohtany to fly out and striking out Kyle Tucker. That was the end of his night, as Louis Varland was summoned to handle the rightie Will Smith. He got his man, with a harmless fly to right.

Moto on Moto violence opened the bottom of the seventh, as Kazuma Okamoto won a challenge to stay alive and then took a Yamamoto fastball off the wall in centre for a double. Ernie Clement followed by bunting for a single, which knocked the Dodgers starter out of the game. Reliever Alex Vesia walked pinch hitter Davis Schneider, loading the bases. It would be another squandered opportunity, though, as a pair of soft fly outs and a strikeout ended the inning.

Varland came back for the eighth, retiring the side with a pair of Ks. Blake Treinen didn’t strike anyone out in the bottom half, but he didn’t give up a base runner either.

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth. Jeff Hoffman got the first two batters swinging. Freeland hit a soft grounder into the second base hole. Vlad made a play on the ball but missed his throw to the bag to allow Freeland to reach. Brandon Valenzuela backed him up, but tried a sneak throw to get Freeland stepping off first and sailed the throw into right, allowing the runner to advance. A Kyle Tucker single scored him before Hoffman got a pop out to end the inning. They didn’t wind up needing the extra breathing room, as closer Edwin Diaz worked around a walk to Clement and a Gimenez line single to escape the bottom of the ninth without the Jays managing to close the gap.

Jays of the Day: Clement (0.10)

Less so: Gausman (-0.12), Vlad (-0.13), Valenzuela (-0.18 and an error)

Mercifully, we only have one more against LA and then an off day. They’ll have to deal with Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00), but they do get to send Dylan Cease (0-0, 2.79) out themselves. First pitch goes at 3:07pm ET.

The 2025 Mets had a terrible time turning around games late. Through 11 games of the 2026 season, the Mets are showing a penchant for late-inning drama.

“We’re never out of games,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after his club’s 4-3 win that saw them score one run in the eighth to tie it before Ronny Mauricio's walk-off hit in the 10th.

“We’re gonna continue to grind at-bats, and it’s a good feeling in the dugout. Understanding that we get one guy on, we got the ability to keep the line moving. And it’s good to see it this early,” he said of the comeback culture being established in the season’s first fortnight.

Before Tuesday’s heroics, the Mets overturned a one-run deficit in the 11th for a win over Pittsburgh and a 2-1 deficit with a four-run eighth for a win in San Francisco.

Mendoza called last year’s stats – which had the Mets going 0-70 when trailing after eight innings – “crazy.”

“It’s hard to explain, it’s baseball,” the skipper said. “Here we are within the first 10, 11 games, coming back, it’s good to see.

“I think it’s guys trusting each other, trusting their preparation, their game plan, not panicking, and just continuing to have fun, and continue to have good at-bats.”

And part of being able to come back is the bullpen keeping the game close. On Tuesday, the Mets’ final four relievers came into the game looking to keep the deficit to one run, and they delivered five shutout innings, capped by Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in the ninth and 10th.

"They are used to pitching in high-leverage situations,” Mendoza said of Williams and Weaver. “That's what we brought them in for, to lock games down, to keep games in there for us, and today was a perfect example.”

So far, the bullpen has allowed just seven runs over its first 43.1 innings, second-fewest in baseball, and is holding opponents to a .213 average, seventh-lowest.

Pushing the right buttons

The decision to send up Ronny Mauricio in the 10th may have been Mendoza’s best call of the day, but it only came about because he pushed the right button earlier in the game, too.

On Sunday, Jared Young was called upon to fill in for Brett Baty and make just his second-ever start in the outfield. He went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and collected an outfield assist before he was substituted for pinch-hitter Luis Torrens, who hit the game-winning two-RBI double.

On Tuesday, he was called who was called upon to pinch-hit with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth inning and came through with the game-tying sacrifice fly.

“He’s gonna continue to give you professional at-bats,” Mendoza said, adding that it was likely just the wind that kept Young’s fly ball to right from being a three-run home run. “It’s one of those nights that that ball doesn’t go out, but it was like 107 [mph off the bat] with a 39 [degree launch angle]. That ball should be in the bullpen.”

“He’s a pro,” the skipper continued. “He’s another guy that understands his role. Another guy that, even though his name is not in the lineup, he knows opportunities are coming.”

Mendoza said that with the Diamondbacks’ righty-heavy bullpen, there were a couple of pitchers he was targeting who would present matchup troubles for his righty batters. Jonathan Loáisiga was one of them, which is why he lifted Mark Vientos, who has been swinging a hot bat himself, for Young in that situation.

“You watch the inning unfold,” he said, mentioning hits from lefties Jorge Polanco and Baty, “the game is basically telling you to continue to trust your guts there.”

“And as hard as it is to take the bat away from Mark,” the skipper added, “it’s first and third, double-play is in play, Loáisiga is a big-time groundball pitcher. You got a pretty good left-handed bat off the bench, I felt like I needed to do it. I’m glad he got the job done.”

Hold onto your hats

The Mets moved the start time of Tuesday’s game up by three hours because of the expected cold temperatures and windy conditions, but there was no escaping the cold and wind even with the mid-afternoon first pitch. 

“Tough conditions overall,” Mendoza said. “With how windy it was, that ball was moving pretty much everywhere.”

“Crazy,” starter Freddy Peralta said of the conditions. “It was a battle. From the first pitch of the game, I knew. I was a little uncomfortable. But it’s gonna happen. We’re gonna have days like that.”

Was it the wind or the cold? “It was a little bit of everything,” the starter said, “but it was more the wind. It was coming straight from [behind] home plate to me, but I was trying to make adjustments.”  

Weaver said it is all part of the game. 

“The winds kinda blowing in pretty hard in your face,” Weaver said. “I don’t know. I’m in a box most of the game, so the heat is on and it feels pretty good until you get out into the climates. You’re really hoping to be efficient. 

“But at the end of the day, it’s early in the season, you know you’re gonna get this every year. And then it’s gonna get really hot and then we’re gonna complain about that, too. And then we’ll get to September and we’ll be right back to where we started. Just happy to be here.”

The 2025 Mets had a terrible time turning around games late. Through 11 games of the 2026 season, the Mets are showing a penchant for late-inning drama.

“We’re never out of games,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after his club’s 4-3 win that saw them score one run in the eighth to tie it before Ronny Mauricio's walk-off hit in the 10th.

“We’re gonna continue to grind at-bats, and it’s a good feeling in the dugout. Understanding that we get one guy on, we got the ability to keep the line moving. And it’s good to see it this early,” he said of the comeback culture being established in the season’s first fortnight.

Before Tuesday’s heroics, the Mets overturned a one-run deficit in the 11th for a win over Pittsburgh and a 2-1 deficit with a four-run eighth for a win in San Francisco.

Mendoza called last year’s stats – which had the Mets going 0-70 when trailing after eight innings – “crazy.”

“It’s hard to explain, it’s baseball,” the skipper said. “Here we are within the first 10, 11 games, coming back, it’s good to see.

“I think it’s guys trusting each other, trusting their preparation, their game plan, not panicking, and just continuing to have fun, and continue to have good at-bats.”

And part of being able to come back is the bullpen keeping the game close. On Tuesday, the Mets’ final four relievers came into the game looking to keep the deficit to one run, and they delivered five shutout innings, capped by Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in the ninth and 10th.

"They are used to pitching in high-leverage situations,” Mendoza said of Williams and Weaver. “That's what we brought them in for, to lock games down, to keep games in there for us, and today was a perfect example.”

So far, the bullpen has allowed just seven runs over its first 43.1 innings, second-fewest in baseball, and is holding opponents to a .213 average, seventh-lowest.

Pushing the right buttons

The decision to send up Ronny Mauricio in the 10th may have been Mendoza’s best call of the day, but it only came about because he pushed the right button earlier in the game, too.

On Sunday, Jared Young was called upon to fill in for Brett Baty and make just his second-ever start in the outfield. He went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and collected an outfield assist before he was substituted for pinch-hitter Luis Torrens, who hit the game-winning two-RBI double.

On Tuesday, he was called who was called upon to pinch-hit with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth inning and came through with the game-tying sacrifice fly.

“He’s gonna continue to give you professional at-bats,” Mendoza said, adding that it was likely just the wind that kept Young’s fly ball to right from being a three-run home run. “It’s one of those nights that that ball doesn’t go out, but it was like 107 [mph off the bat] with a 39 [degree launch angle]. That ball should be in the bullpen.”

“He’s a pro,” the skipper continued. “He’s another guy that understands his role. Another guy that, even though his name is not in the lineup, he knows opportunities are coming.”

Mendoza said that with the Diamondbacks’ righty-heavy bullpen, there were a couple of pitchers he was targeting who would present matchup troubles for his righty batters. Jonathan Loáisiga was one of them, which is why he lifted Mark Vientos, who has been swinging a hot bat himself, for Young in that situation.

“You watch the inning unfold,” he said, mentioning hits from lefties Jorge Polanco and Baty, “the game is basically telling you to continue to trust your guts there.”

“And as hard as it is to take the bat away from Mark,” the skipper added, “it’s first and third, double-play is in play, Loáisiga is a big-time groundball pitcher. You got a pretty good left-handed bat off the bench, I felt like I needed to do it. I’m glad he got the job done.”

Hold onto your hats

The Mets moved the start time of Tuesday’s game up by three hours because of the expected cold temperatures and windy conditions, but there was no escaping the cold and wind even with the mid-afternoon first pitch. 

“Tough conditions overall,” Mendoza said. “With how windy it was, that ball was moving pretty much everywhere.”

“Crazy,” starter Freddy Peralta said of the conditions. “It was a battle. From the first pitch of the game, I knew. I was a little uncomfortable. But it’s gonna happen. We’re gonna have days like that.”

Was it the wind or the cold? “It was a little bit of everything,” the starter said, “but it was more the wind. It was coming straight from [behind] home plate to me, but I was trying to make adjustments.”  

Weaver said it is all part of the game. 

“The winds kinda blowing in pretty hard in your face,” Weaver said. “I don’t know. I’m in a box most of the game, so the heat is on and it feels pretty good until you get out into the climates. You’re really hoping to be efficient. 

“But at the end of the day, it’s early in the season, you know you’re gonna get this every year. And then it’s gonna get really hot and then we’re gonna complain about that, too. And then we’ll get to September and we’ll be right back to where we started. Just happy to be here.”

The 2025 Mets had a terrible time turning around games late. Through 11 games of the 2026 season, the Mets are showing a penchant for late-inning drama.

“We’re never out of games,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after his club’s 4-3 win that saw them score one run in the eighth to tie it before Ronny Mauricio's walk-off hit in the 10th.

“We’re gonna continue to grind at-bats, and it’s a good feeling in the dugout. Understanding that we get one guy on, we got the ability to keep the line moving. And it’s good to see it this early,” he said of the comeback culture being established in the season’s first fortnight.

Before Tuesday’s heroics, the Mets overturned a one-run deficit in the 11th for a win over Pittsburgh and a 2-1 deficit with a four-run eighth for a win in San Francisco.

Mendoza called last year’s stats – which had the Mets going 0-70 when trailing after eight innings – “crazy.”

“It’s hard to explain, it’s baseball,” the skipper said. “Here we are within the first 10, 11 games, coming back, it’s good to see.

“I think it’s guys trusting each other, trusting their preparation, their game plan, not panicking, and just continuing to have fun, and continue to have good at-bats.”

And part of being able to come back is the bullpen keeping the game close. On Tuesday, the Mets’ final four relievers came into the game looking to keep the deficit to one run, and they delivered five shutout innings, capped by Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in the ninth and 10th.

"They are used to pitching in high-leverage situations,” Mendoza said of Williams and Weaver. “That's what we brought them in for, to lock games down, to keep games in there for us, and today was a perfect example.”

So far, the bullpen has allowed just seven runs over its first 43.1 innings, second-fewest in baseball, and is holding opponents to a .213 average, seventh-lowest.

Pushing the right buttons

The decision to send up Ronny Mauricio in the 10th may have been Mendoza’s best call of the day, but it only came about because he pushed the right button earlier in the game, too.

On Sunday, Jared Young was called upon to fill in for Brett Baty and make just his second-ever start in the outfield. He went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and collected an outfield assist before he was substituted for pinch-hitter Luis Torrens, who hit the game-winning two-RBI double.

On Tuesday, he was called who was called upon to pinch-hit with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth inning and came through with the game-tying sacrifice fly.

“He’s gonna continue to give you professional at-bats,” Mendoza said, adding that it was likely just the wind that kept Young’s fly ball to right from being a three-run home run. “It’s one of those nights that that ball doesn’t go out, but it was like 107 [mph off the bat] with a 39 [degree launch angle]. That ball should be in the bullpen.”

“He’s a pro,” the skipper continued. “He’s another guy that understands his role. Another guy that, even though his name is not in the lineup, he knows opportunities are coming.”

Mendoza said that with the Diamondbacks’ righty-heavy bullpen, there were a couple of pitchers he was targeting who would present matchup troubles for his righty batters. Jonathan Loáisiga was one of them, which is why he lifted Mark Vientos, who has been swinging a hot bat himself, for Young in that situation.

“You watch the inning unfold,” he said, mentioning hits from lefties Jorge Polanco and Baty, “the game is basically telling you to continue to trust your guts there.”

“And as hard as it is to take the bat away from Mark,” the skipper added, “it’s first and third, double-play is in play, Loáisiga is a big-time groundball pitcher. You got a pretty good left-handed bat off the bench, I felt like I needed to do it. I’m glad he got the job done.”

Hold onto your hats

The Mets moved the start time of Tuesday’s game up by three hours because of the expected cold temperatures and windy conditions, but there was no escaping the cold and wind even with the mid-afternoon first pitch. 

“Tough conditions overall,” Mendoza said. “With how windy it was, that ball was moving pretty much everywhere.”

“Crazy,” starter Freddy Peralta said of the conditions. “It was a battle. From the first pitch of the game, I knew. I was a little uncomfortable. But it’s gonna happen. We’re gonna have days like that.”

Was it the wind or the cold? “It was a little bit of everything,” the starter said, “but it was more the wind. It was coming straight from [behind] home plate to me, but I was trying to make adjustments.”  

Weaver said it is all part of the game. 

“The winds kinda blowing in pretty hard in your face,” Weaver said. “I don’t know. I’m in a box most of the game, so the heat is on and it feels pretty good until you get out into the climates. You’re really hoping to be efficient. 

“But at the end of the day, it’s early in the season, you know you’re gonna get this every year. And then it’s gonna get really hot and then we’re gonna complain about that, too. And then we’ll get to September and we’ll be right back to where we started. Just happy to be here.”

It wasn’t always easy, but the Dodgers took an early lead and never relinquished it, beating the Jays 4-1. For the third time in a row, following in the footsteps of their two games versus Kevin Gausman in last year’s World Series, the Dodgers scored exactly three runs against the Blue Jays starter. After the outburst of 14 runs in the previous win, a performance like that from Gausman has its value for Toronto, but going up against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it wasn’t quite enough for the home team to avoid their sixth straight defeat.

Standing out defensively since his call-up replacing the recently injured Mookie Betts, Hyeseong Kim got the scoring started in the third inning—Kim doubled off Gausman and came around to score on a massively long single off the wall from Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers’ DH hit the ball with such force that when it came off the wall, he had no choice but to stand pat at first on what looked like an extra-base hit. Los Angeles added one more run when Will Smith was able to avoid the double play, hitting with one out and runners at the corner.

Unlike in the two World Series games, Gausman couldn’t get the quality start, removed after a pair reached in the sixth with still a manageable pitch count at 84. Facing this lefty-heavy Dodger lineup, the Blue Jays went to Mason Fluharty, who got Max Muncy and Kim to close the threat.

The thing about an apparent dominant win due to great pitching is that you’re still always on edge. Through five innings, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had been spotless, and the only hitter to reach base did so as Kyle Tucker misjudged a deep fly ball, resulting in a double to Jesús Sánchez that should’ve been an out. In the sixth, Yamamoto dialed up the excitement meter—George Springer hit an RBI double, and one walk later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came up as the go-ahead run at the plate. Perhaps a bit anxious for a signature moment, Vladdy hacked at a well-located splitter down and away for a harmless forceout, quickly followed by another groundout to end the inning.

While the Jays chose to err on the side of caution in the sixth when Gausman was laboring, the Dodgers pushed the envelope with Yamamoto, a decision that ultimately proved ill-advised. Yamamoto became the first Dodger starter to pitch into the seventh inning, but failed to record an out in it. After an overturned strike-three call on Kazume Okamoto, the Blue Jays third baseman hit a double and advanced to third on a bunt single from Enie Clement. Those would be the two hitters Yamamoto would face in the seventh before Alex Vesia would come in for his 300th appearance as a Dodger, few bigger than this one. Vesia loaded the bases with a walk before retiring three straight and stranding his inherited runners. A lazy fly ball wasn’t enough for the slow Okamoto to try and score from third; a strikeout later, and all that stood in the way of Vesia preserving the 3-1 lead was George Springer. Dave Roberts had Blake Treinen warming in the bullpen and could’ve gone for the righty-righty matchup, but he trusted Vesia, who rewarded that trust with another flyout.

Given the drama of innings six and seven, the Dodgers added a much appreciated insurance run in the ninth—Alex Freeland advanced to second on an infield single courtesy of some sloppy defense from the Jays, Ohtani was intentionally walked, and Kyle Tucker overcame his three strikeouts in the previous at-bats to drive him in. Edwin Díaz did allow a couple of hitters to reach in the ninth, bringing up the tying run, but a strikeout to Tyler Heineman sealed the win.

An important note about this game is that in the fifth inning, right before the Dodgers scored their third run, John Schneider was ejected for arguing a balk call on Gausman. Contextualizing this moment, Schneider and the Jays are not only coming off a blowout defeat against the Dodgers but also a shocking sweep at the hands of the White Sox in their previous series.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: none

WP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1): 6+ IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts

LP — Kevin Gausman (0-1): 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts

SV— Edwin Díaz (4): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers will meet a familiar foe in an unfamiliar territory. Looking for his first win since joining the Blue Jays, Dylan Cease will square off against Shohei Ohtani in the final game of this road trip for the Dodgers. Be ready for an early start with the first pitch set for 12:07 pm (PT).