The Yankees threw Yabror on the left to suppress the Dodgers, and 17 swings in the six innings suppressed Yushin Yamamoto

Ryan Yarbrough walked briskly across the court during a batting practice at Dodger Stadium in the early hours of Saturday morning (Friday afternoon in Los Angeles) and made a low-key return to the visiting locker room. The left-handed pitcher carries a 2024 World Series ring for the Dodgers in recognition of his 67.1 innings pitched early last season.

Yabru quietly puts the ring in the locker without attracting the attention of his teammates. The Yankees value it more than anything else, and the tricky left-hander beat the Dodgers 7-3 at noon Monday (Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles) to beat ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a matchup of disparity on paper with a quality starter that was only knocked out by Tommy Edman in six innings.

"I had a well-thought-out plan ahead of the tournament and looked at their strong points in the series," Yabrü said, "and I focused on playing to my strengths and disrupting the beater's rhythm, which was the most crucial part. Yankees head coach Aaron Boone called Yabr "retro-school," while Ben Rice described him as "very ornamental." Both are fitting. The 33-year-old pitcher, who has a 3-0 record with a 2.08 starting ERA (six points conceded in 26 innings) in five games since entering the rotation, has a record of 3-0 through precise speed changes, multi-angle shots and corner control.

Against a full crowd of 54,031 on Monday morning, Yabrü made 17 swings (seven of them from sliding balls). The Pirates' Paul Skenes (18) is the only pitcher to make more swings against the Dodgers in a single game this season — and apparently no one would confuse Yabru's ball power with Skins.

"He's not very fast, but he's very pressing on all the balls," said DJ LeMahieu, who drew four runs in his first game since the Red Sox on July 26, 2021. He's a pitcher who really knows how to pitch. The assessment was also echoed by the Dodgers' Lounge, with Max Muncy noting that the shadows at dusk made Yabru's pitch unrecognizable.

"He may only throw about 85 miles, but he's faster," Manci analyzed, "The slender frame and arms give him excellent stretch, and the unique posture of the low post makes the ball speed perception far greater than it actually is." "

Rice's two-point shot (measured by Statcast over 425 feet) against Yamamoto in three innings at noon Monday was the turning point. The Yankees used up pitches through grappling, forcing Yamamoto to retire after 3.2 innings — the first time he had completed five innings this season. Jasson Domínguez hit a hitter in the first inning to send Yamamoto to 28 balls to complete the half (the Yankees were on full base). In the third inning, Rice hit a missed cross-kick that flew over the net. Yamamoto's overthrow in the game sent Anthony Volpe back to home plate to score. This version of Yamamoto is similar to last year's World Series second game with only 1 hit in the second game of the 6.1 game.

"He's a tough opponent with great ball control and ball quality," Rice said of Yamamoto, "Attacking the good ball and letting go of the fringe ball is the key strategy. Lematheeu and Oswald Peraza added a band in five innings to help the Yankees end their West Coast trip on a positive note, after the Dodgers had crushed the Yankees 26-7 in their previous two games.

"After the chaos of Saturday night [Friday night in Los Angeles], such a rebound is significant," Lematheu stressed. Andy Pages and Mancy hit a home run from Jonathan Loáisiga in seven innings at noon on Monday, but the Yankees Bullpen held the win — terminator Luke Weaver missed the board due to hamstring discomfort and needed to return to New York for further examination.

Boone acknowledged the "heat of the day" for the World Series replay, and while downplaying it as "three ordinary events in May," the Yankees clearly expected a different outcome. However, Boone is looking at the big picture and affirming the team's 6-3 road trip (including a series win in Denver and Anaheim).

"This team always bounces back from setbacks, as has been proven many times in the last two months," Boone concluded, "and they have set the stage for victory with great performances." "