By MATT PIKE
Recently recalled Hunter Dobbins gave up two solo home runs to the New York Yankees in his first start in just over a week, and the Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 at Yankee Stadium.
Jazz Chisolm hit a solo home run off Dobbins in the second inning to start the scoring. In the fifth inning George Lombard Jr., making his major league debut for the Yankees, hit his first major league home run, for all the runs New York would need to even up the series against the Redbirds in the Bronx. The Cardinals outhit New York 6-5, however St. Louis only pushed a runner past second base three times in the game.
The Cardinals first scoring opportunity in the sixth inning was squandered with runners on the corners. JJ Wetherholt walked with two outs and moved to third on a single by Iván Herrera, but a lineout by José Fermín ended the inning. In the seventh, Nelson Velázquez led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Masyn Winn. Velázquez was stranded at third after Blaze Jordan lined out and Nathan Church grounded out to end the threat.
The final opportunity in the eighth was the biggest for St. Louis. Pedro Pagés singled and Bryan Torres walked to start the inning. A groundout from Wetherholt moved both runners up a base, then in the next at bat Herrera struck out for the second out of the inning. Reliever David Bednar walked Alec Burleson, who homered three times in the series opener, to load the bases with two outs. Bednar struck out Velázquez to end another threat. In the ninth, Bednar forced Winn to line out before striking out Church and Jordan for his 25th save of the season.
Dobbins threw 6.1 innings, falling to 2-2, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out four and walking three. New Cardinals reliever Caleb Ferguson made his first relief appearance with the Redbirds, throwing the remaining 1.2 innings giving up one hit and striking out one. At the plate, six Cardinals had one hit each, with Herrera, Winn, Jordan, Church, and Velázquez each going 1-for-4, with Velázquez hitting a double. Pagés was 1-for-3.
St. Louis and New York wrap up their series tomorrow, before an off day Thursday for the Cardinals. Andre Pallante (11-6, 3.72 ERA, 86K's) starts for the Redbirds against Will Warren (8-5, 4.14 ERA, 109K's) for the Yankees. First pitch is at 6:05pm, coverage begins at 5:55 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
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