Dodgers Rally Past Yankees 2-1 on Muncy Homer After Cole Issues Leadoff Walk

The New York Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Friday night in New York after Gerrit Cole allowed a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked to the mound after Cole issued a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts with New York leading 1-0. Boone asked Cole if he had one more inning in him and decided to leave the right-hander in the game.

Cole then threw a slider to Max Muncy that Muncy hit into the second deck in right field for a two-run lead the Dodgers did not give back. "Sometimes you've got to take it out of their hands," Boone said after the game. "It's tough, especially when Gerrit's throwing the ball as well as he did tonight.

But, at the same time, we're teed up there [with Headrick]. " Cole pitched six innings, allowed one earned run, struck out eight and walked one on 103 pitches in his 10th start since returning from Tommy John surgery. The 35-year-old said he wanted to push his stamina.

"It's nice to push the stamina to get back out there for an extra hitter and just keep going for it, keep competing," Cole said. The Yankees scored their only run in the fourth when Jasson Dominguez doubled, advanced to third on an error by Andy Pages and scored on a passed ball. Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki allowed one unearned run on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk over 5⅔ innings.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton did not play for New York. Brent Headrick, the Yankees' best reliever this season, was warming in the bullpen during the seventh inning. The game was a 2024 World Series rematch.