NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Flaherty was chased early for the second straight time when trying to clinch a postseason series for his hometown team, giving up four runs and getting just four outs as the New York Yankees burst to a quick lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in World Series Game 5 on Wednesday night.
With the Dodgers leading the Series 3-1, the 29-year-old right-hander walked Juan Soto with one out in the first. Aaron Judge lined a first-pitch fastball into the right-field seats for a two-run, opposite-field homer. Flaherty turned briefly, had a look of anguish, and looked away knowing the ball was gone.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed four pitches later by pulling a fastball into the right-field stands. Flaherty watched that one land.
Anthony Volpe doubled leading off the second and scored, and Anthony Banda relieved Flaherty after just nine batters.
Flaherty threw just 35 pitches, a day after the Dodgers strung together relievers Ben Casparius, Daniel Hudson, Landon Knack and Brent Honeywell in an 11-4 loss.
Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler are the only starting pitchers on the Dodgers’ World Series roster because of injuries to Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Dustin May and Emmet Sheehan.
Manager Dave Roberts deliberately saved his top relievers for Game 5, even though Los Angeles trailed 5-4 in the sixth inning of Game 4. Roberts said with a day of reflection, he wouldn’t have made different moves.
“Right now we’re in a good spot, a great spot,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
Flaherty allowed eight runs, eight hits and four walks over three innings during a 12-6 loss at the New York Mets in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series. Roberts said Flaherty was getting over an illness the day of that outing.
Flaherty rebounded to allow two runs over 5 1/3 innings in the World Series opener, a game the Dodgers won in 10 innings.
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