After dropping the first two games and staring down a near-certain sweep by the Dodgers, the New York Yankees were almost hopeless. Fresh off a humiliating 18–2 blowout loss just a day earlier, largely derailed by starter Will Warren’s struggles, it looked like they were on the brink of collapse. With their star hitter, Aaron Judge, held scoreless and the Dodgers poised for a sweep, no one saw a comeback coming. So, what flipped the script? It all came down to a bold pitching change, and the unexpected hero was none other than a former Dodger.
In front of the largest crowd of the season at Dodger Stadium, the Yankees defeated the Dodgers 7–3 on Sunday. And guess what? It marked the first time this season that the Dodgers’ top four hitters, Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith, went hitless. Where does the credit go? To Bronx Bombers’ starter Ryan Yarbrough, who was phenomenal in the series finale. He even outpitched ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and limited what many consider baseball’s best offense to just four hits over six innings. Yes, a real game-changer he was that night, and even Karl Ravech agrees.
While speaking on Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney, Ravech said Yarbrough made all the difference for the Yankees on Sunday, especially after the embarrassing 18–2 loss that followed Warren’s rough outing. “The difference tonight was Yarbrough. And Loaisiga comes in during a 6–1 game and gives up two bombs. Because everybody seems so accustomed to hitting velocity—and seeing a more traditional pitcher like Yarbrough throws them off.” That’s right. Yarbrough isn’t your typical pitcher.
The 6-foot-5 lefty held the Dodgers to just one run and struck out five in his fifth start of the season. The only damage he allowed was a solo homer by Tommy Edman. Yarbrough even generated 17 swings and misses, a rare stat against the Dodgers’ elite lineup. After that kind of six dominant innings, the Yankees didn’t have to do much. Even the two home runs from Andy Pages and Max Muncy off Jonathan Loáisiga in the seventh inning were too little, too late. Unlike an upsetting start from Warren, this one was a breath of fresh air. But now, the question is, what’s next for Yarbrough?
“I guess the question I would have for Coney or the Yankees front office is: What role does Yarbrough play? Like, can he start Game 3 of an LCS if they get there? How do you deal with somebody who is unconventional yet effective? Maybe that will be determined by the rest of the season,” Ravech added.
Yes, it would definitely be foolish for the Yankees not to leverage the expertise of this 33-year-old. Considering it’s only his fifth start of the season, Yarbrough is already making waves, but on Sunday, there might have been another reason behind his boosted performance. Something no one else in the Yankees clubhouse has: a 2024 championship ring.
Ryan Yarbrough receives a championship ring from the Dodgers
Yarbrough led the Yankees to a comeback win against the Dodgers, the very team that traded him away at the 2024 trade deadline. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series without him, while Yarbrough spent the rest of the season with the Toronto Blue Jays. But he had made 32 appearances for the Dodgers that year—a debt the team still had to repay. A chance to repay that debt presented itself when the Yankees faced the Dodgers for the first time since that World Series win, and the Dodgers made sure to thank him.
Credit: MLB.com
During batting practice on Friday, the Dodgers gave him his World Series championship ring and expressed their appreciation for his role in the title run. But it seems like he had no plans to flaunt it. He said he would “stash that thing away,” and judging by the electrifying innings, he did exactly that. He put that away and took the mound with something to prove. Asked about it, Yarbrough told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty: “It’s cool to be a part of that, but this [the ring] isn’t more important. Take a look at it real quick, and then put that thing away real fast.”
He did put it away, but not before turning that spirit into fuel for the Yankees’ much-needed victory. The irony? He helped defeat the very team that had just handed him a championship ring. The start in the series finale was a sweet revenge against the team that once let him go. Now, as he is tapping into the best form, the Dodgers can start counting their losses. But the Yankees have every reason to feel good. That $2 million investment? It’s looking more and more like money well spent.
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