Late home runs, left-handed pitching doom Dodgers in New York

Home runs on back-to-back pitches in the seventh inning turned the tide for the Yankees in a 3-0 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium in New York.

The Dodgers continued their season-long struggle against left-handed pitching, collecting just three hits and a walk against southpaw CC Sabathia in his 6⅓ innings, never more than one baserunner in any single frame.

In the first two games of this series, the Dodgers are were 12-for-31 (.387) with a home run, a double and six strikeouts against right-handed pitchers, and 4-for-40 (.100) with a home run, a double, a hit by pitch, two walks and 13 strikeouts against left-handers.

On the season, the Dodgers are hitting just .214/.294/.335 against southpaws, at or near the bottom in most offensive categories.

Julio Urias wasn’t at his sharpest, but left in a scoreless tie with two outs in the fourth inning after 78 pitches. The bases were loaded, thanks to a walk, single and hit by pitch after a double play earlier in the inning.

Louis Coleman induced a ground out to end the frame, and the Dodgers bullpen kept the game scoreless into the seventh. Ross Stripling recorded eight outs in relief the first six of which before hanging a curveball to Jacoby Ellsbury with one out in the seventh. Ellsbury launched a ball into the second deck, giving New York a 1-0 lead, the one pitch later Didi Gregorius hit a home run of his own into the right field stands for a 2-0 advantage.

Red-hot rookie Gary Sanchez launched a solo shot off Jesse Chavez in the eighth inning to complete the scoring, his 14th home run in his 38th major league game.

Tuesday marked the third time this season the Dodgers bullpen allowed three home runs in a game. They also did so on May 27 in a loss to the Mets in New York, and again on June 16 in a loss to the Brewers at home.

Dellin Betances recorded the final out in the eighth inning for the Yankees, then finished things off in the ninth for his 11th save of the season, and fourth of the four-out variety.

Up next

The Dodgers go for the series win on Wednesday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. PT start in the series finale, with Clayton Kershaw on the mound trying to even the Dodgers’ 2016 interleague record both overall and on the road. Michael Pineda starts for the Yankees.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Jacoby Ellsbury (9), Didi Gregorius (18), Gary Sanchez (14)

WP - Adam Warren (6-3): ⅔ IP, 1 strikeout

LP - Ross Stripling (4-7): 2⅔ IP, 3 hits, 2 runs

Sv - Dellin Betances (11): 1⅓ IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts