Teoscar Hernández homered twice and drove in six runs, including a grand slam that helped power the Los Angeles Dodgers past the New York Yankees 11-3 on Saturday night for their second consecutive victory in this marquee matchup.
Kiké Hernández also went deep and Shohei Ohtani had an RBI single to back rookie Gavin Stone (7-2), who has won three straight starts and five of his last six.
After handing New York (45-21) just its third series loss this season, the Dodgers (41-25) will try to cap their first visit to the Bronx since 2016 with a three-game sweep Sunday night.
Aaron Judge hit two homers for the Yankees, giving him a major league-high 23, but they’ve managed only three runs in 23 innings at the plate since slugger Juan Soto exited Thursday night’s win over Minnesota with a forearm injury.
The frustration showed when Giancarlo Stanton slammed his bat after popping up to end the seventh.
In a highly anticipated meeting between first-place teams billed as a potential World Series preview, Teoscar Hernández has stolen the spotlight from the five MVPs on both sides of the field. His two-run double in the 11th inning Friday night broke a scoreless tie in Los Angeles’ 2-1 victory, and his solo homer in the second off Nestor Cortes (3-5) got the Dodgers going Saturday.
Two walks by reliever Tommy Kahnle and the 10th error this year by second baseman Gleyber Torres loaded the bases in the eighth, and Hernández connected on a 2-2 changeup for his fifth career slam and 18th two-homer game — his second this season.
It was his second drive of the night into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left-center and this one had teammates jumping around as the fired-up outfielder rounded the bases on his 15th home run of the season, opening an 8-2 cushion.
The six RBIs equaled a career high for Hernández, accomplished three times. Freddie Freeman added a two-run double in the ninth.
Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia replaced Stone with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth and retired Anthony Volpe to protect a 4-2 lead, much to the delight of the many Dodgers fans in the sellout crowd of 48,374 — the largest this season at Yankee Stadium.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: Manager Dave Roberts said the team didn’t know yet if RHP Bobby Miller (right shoulder inflammation) would make one more minor league rehab start or take his next turn in the big league rotation. Miller permitted two runs — one earned — and four hits over four innings Friday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, throwing 50 of 85 pitches for strikes. “I liked everything about it. Command was better,” Roberts said. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder surgery) felt “normal soreness” after throwing two innings Friday in a simulated game at Class A Rancho Cucamonga, according to Roberts. He said the three-time Cy Young Award winner will next throw a three-inning simulated game and then the plan is for him to begin a minor league rehab assignment.
Yankees: Soto (left forearm inflammation) missed his second consecutive game. … RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow nerve inflammation) is scheduled to throw about 55-60 pitches Sunday in his second rehab start for Double-A Somerset.
UP NEXT
Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (6-4, 2.93 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday night against rookie RHP Luis Gil (8-1, 1.82). Glasnow began the day leading the majors with 104 strikeouts, while Gil had the lowest ERA in the American League.
Gil is 7-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his last seven outings and is the first pitcher in Yankees history to throw at least six innings and allow no more than one run in seven straight starts.
Mike Fitzpatrick
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