Jazz HR in 8th, & Bednar Moxie Win Nightcap! Yankees 2 Dodgers 1

July 20, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits opposite-field HR in bottom of the 8th to put Yanks ahead 2-1.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo HR in the bottom of the 8th to give NY a 2-1 lead, and David Bednar got out of a jam in the top of the 8th, then pitched a shutout 9th for the win over the Dodgers on a beautiful Sunday evening in the Bronx.

The win enabled the Yankees to split the day-night doubleheader (having lost the first game 8-2), salvage a game in the 3-game series (having lost Friday night 2-1), and pull within 1.5 games of Tampa, which lost again to Boston.

The Yanks held a 1-0 lead throughout the evening after Cody Bellinger singled in Paul Goldschmidt, who had doubled, in the 1st inning. But the Dodgers tied the game in the top of the 8th on a Tommy Edmund HR against Fernando Cruz, after which Cruz walked 2 batters to bring up Shohei Ohtani and the heart of the LA lineup. Disaster (of a 3-game sweep) was at the doorstep.

That’s when David Bednar came in to strikeout Ohtani and get Andy Pages to pop out, then get 3 straight outs in the 9th after walking Freddie Freeman leading off.

Ryan Yarbrough opened for the Yanks on a bullpen day and threw 2.2 shutout innings, followed by Paul Blackburn who threw 2.1 shutout innings, followed by Brent Headrick who threw 2 shutout innings.

“I feel like we match up against any team in the league,” said Jazz Chisholm Jr. afterwards. “I feel like we beat ourselves a lot. I feel like that stuff, we’re going to clean up as it goes.”

“They did a tremendous job all series,” said Cody Bellinger afterwards about the Yankee pen.

“He’s the best closer in the game and we love having him on our team,” said Brent Headrick afterwards about David Bednar.

NY improves to 55-44, 1.5 behind Tampa, with Boston 6 back. LA drops to 63-37.

1. Goldy & Bellinger Put Yanks on Top 1-0

It was a bullpen game for both teams. The Dodgers opened with Will Klein, a 26-year-old, 6’5 righty and the Yanks got to him with 2 outs in the bottom of the 1st — a double to right by Paul Goldschmidt and a single to center by Cody Bellinger for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

Next batter Jasson Dominguez singled to right for 3 straight Yankee hits and runners on 1st and 3rd — but Klein was able to strike out Jazz Chisholm to end the inning.

2. Yarbrough, Blackburn, & Headrick Tremendous

The Yankees opened with Ryan Yarbrough, and he retired the first 8 batters of the game in order, before allowing consecutive singles with 2 outs in the 3rd.

Paul Blackburn came in with runners on 1st and 2nd and got the final out of the 3rd. Blackburn then pitched a shutout 4th and 5th — allowing a leadoff baserunner in each inning followed by a double play and a 3rd out.

Brent Headrick was even more impressive — blowing through the 6th and 7th with 6 straight outs, including 3 strikeouts.

3. Yanks Load Bases with Nobody Out in 5th; Don’t Score

Kyle Hurt pitched a shutout 2nd and 3rd inning

But in the 4th, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells worked consecutive 1-out walks off Edgardo Henriquez, and moved to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch. Henriquez, however, got Jose Caballero to hit a grounder to 3rdand Volpe was thrown out at home.

Justin Dreyer came in to get the final out of the 4th — getting Trent Grisham to ground out to 1st, stranding Austin Wells at 3rd.

Dreyer then got into trouble in the 5th — allowing consecutive singles to Ben Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger to start the inning.

LA brought in Brock Stewart — the 34-year-old, 6’3 righty — with bases loaded and nobody out, and he proceeded to strike out Jasson Dominguez on a 2-2, 94-MPH cutter, get Jazz Chisholm Jr. to foul out to 3rd, and strike out Anthony Volpe on a 98-MPH fastball.

Brock Stewart stayed in to pitch a 1-2-3 shutout 6th, and Alex Vesia pitched a shutout 7th.

4. Cruz Coughs Up HR to Edmunds for 1-1 Tie in 8th

So it was 1-0 Yankees in the top of the 8th. NY was 6 outs away from a win and brought out Fernando Cruz.

But Tommy Edman fouled off a slider and ambushed a cutter for a 387-foot HR to right center and tie game at 1-1.

Deflated, Cruz struck out Teoscar Hernandez but walked Max Muncy and pinch-hitter Dalton Rushing to put runners on 1st and 2nd and only 1 out with Shoehei Ohtani and the heart of the Dodger lineup coming up.

4. Bednar Gets Out of Jam

With disaster at the doorstep — runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out, Ohtani up and the Yankees facing a possible sweep — Boone went for David Bednar, and he struck out Ohtani on a 2-2 splitter, then got Andy Pages to pop out to end the threat and keep the game 1-1.

5. Jazz HR in 8th Puts NY Up 2-1

Evan Phillips — a 6’2 righty who throws 97-MPH heat — came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th. He struck out The Martian leading off, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a 1-0, 97-MPH fastball 402 feet to the opposite field, into the Yankee Stadium left-field bleachers for a 2-1 Yankee lead!

Ryan McMahon followed with a ground rule double and Austin Wells walked — but Jose Caballero grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Trent Grisham popped out so we were to the 9th.

6. Bednar Bears Down to Close It

David Bednar came back out for the 9th and proceeded to walk Freddie Freeman leading off. Alex Freeland came in to run for Freeman, confusing some. With Freeman on 1st — representing the tying run — Bednar bore down like a bear, striking out Mookie Betts, getting Kyle Tucker to ground into a fielder’s choice (Freeland out at 2nd), and Tommy Edman popping out to 3rd for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401816172

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