“Why the Yankees vs. Dodgers game is a preview of the World Series”

On Saturday night, the New York Yankees managed to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 6-3 at Dodger Stadium. The game saw star performances from Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Jake Bauers; here are some takeaways from the game as well as a preview of Sunday’s series finale.

Unexpected Power Source: Jake Bauers Homers Twice

Jake Bauers was an essential piece of the puzzle for the Yankees, contributing two homers in his first career two-homer game. The fourth-year big leaguer hit a pair of two-run homers, with his initial blast giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead while the second gave them a 4-1 lead. Eventually, the Yankees stretched that lead out to 5-1 and then 6-3 thanks to solo homers from Judge and Oswaldo Cabrera.

With Harrison Bader likely to return soon, the Yankees will have to decide who stays and who goes to clear a roster spot. Between Triple-A and MLB, Bauers has hit 14 home runs in 156 plate appearances this season, and his outstanding performance in Saturday’s game has undoubtedly helped his case to stay.

Gerrit Cole Exits Game with Cramping

After a few rough outings in May, Gerrit Cole bounced back with a solid performance, holding the Dodgers to one run in six efficient innings. Though the run scored when Cole hit Jason Heyward with an 0-2 pitch, then allowed a David Peralta bloop single along the left-field foul line, Los Angeles didn’t exactly punish the ball to score that inning. Cole was so efficient; he needed only 80 pitches to get through those six innings, but that would be the end of his evening as he exited the game due to cramping.

It’s unclear what cramped up, but there was a brief interruption earlier in the match when Cole went to drink water during his warm-up pitches. The Dodgers were pleased to see Cole exit the game, and they took advantage by pushing two runs across in the seventh inning. Lefty Wandy Peralta allowed all three batters he faced to get on base, which left the Yankees‘ bullpen vulnerable.

Aaron Judge: MVP Performance

In the eighth inning, Aaron Judge made a fantastic running catch to rob J.D. Martinez of extra bases, and in the process, he dislodged the bullpen fence in right field. Fortunately, Judge was not hurt, and the fence was quickly repaired. The catch was spectacular as Statcast had an .890 expected batting average based on the exit velocity and launch angle of Martinez’s rocket.

As noted earlier, Judge also went deep earlier in the game, hitting his 19th home run of the season, one behind Pete Alonso for the MLB lead. Judge missed ten games earlier this season with a minor hip issue, so he has considerably fewer at-bats than Alonso. The reigning AL MVP once again made an impact on both ends of the field.

Series Finale Preview

The Yankees and Dodgers have split the first two games of this three-game weekend series, and they will wrap it up with the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game. Domingo German (3-3, 3.98 ERA) will start for New York, and it will be his second start back from his 10-game foreign substance suspension. Rookie Bobby Miller (2-0, 1.64 ERA) will start for the Dodgers, and it will be Miller’s third career big league start.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Saturday’s game was full of great moments and left us excited for what’s to come on Sunday. The Yankees‘ unexpected power source added another dimension to their play, while Cole’s cramping showed the vulnerability of their bullpen. However, Judge’s MVP performance was the highlight of the game, and with Sunday’s game being the series finale, one can only wonder whether Judge will continue his impressive form.