Eliezer Alfonzo Delivers Emotional First Hit In Dodgers' Loss To Yankees

NEW YORK — Eliezer Alfonzo jumped connected a first-pitch cutter, keeping his hands wrong to nonstop it into shallow halfway field.

Two weeks aft making his awesome convention debut nether tragic circumstances, Alfonzo recorded his first hit.

It was a heartwarming infinitesimal early successful nan Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to nan New York Yankees successful nan 2nd crippled of Sunday’s doubleheader. By dropping nan bid finale, nan Dodgers settled for a bid triumph alternatively of expanse astatine Yankee Stadium.

With starting catcher Will Smith sidelined indefinitely because of a cervix injury, Alfonzo has served arsenic nan backup to catcher Dalton Rushing for nan past 2 weeks.

The greeting of Alfonzo’s debut, his sister and stepmother, who had been missing since 2 powerful earthquakes devastated Venezuela past month, were recovered dead. Alfonzo still played, honoring them connected nan field.

Alfonzo’s familiarity pinch nan Dodgers pitching unit from nan clip he spent connected nan major-league broadside successful outpouring training this twelvemonth has helped supply immoderate measurement of stableness successful Smith’s absence. But he had yet to lend connected nan violative side, going 0 for 9.

Until nan 3rd inning of Game 2 Sunday.

Alfonzo rounded first base, kissed his closed correct manus and pointed to nan sky. Then he turned to nan visitors dugout, grinned and lifted some fists supra his head.

His teammates made judge to get nan shot back. And Teoscar Hernández held it up to show him.

Alfonzo’s two-out azygous didn’t commencement a rally. But successful nan bottommost of nan fourth, he helped squash one.

Dodgers right-hander Edgardo Henriquez’s bid was faltering, to nan tune of back-to-back walks and a chaotic pitch. Then pinch runners connected 2nd and third, he induced José Caballero to deed a grounder to 3rd baseman Max Muncy.

Anthony Volpe, nan Yankees’ baserunner connected third, took disconnected connected contact. Muncy threw connected nan tally to Alfonzo, who was group up connected nan wrong of nan basepath. Alfonzo made a diving tag connected Volpe to forestall a run.

Throwing a bullpen game, nan Dodgers (63-37) utilized 7 pitchers, who mixed to limit nan Yankees (55-44) to 2 runs done 8 innings. Brock Stewart had a standout performance, entering nan 5th pinch nary outs and nan bases loaded and retiring 3 consecutive batters. He past threw a cleanable sixth. Alex Vesia struck retired nan broadside successful nan seventh.

Utility man Tommy Edman’s pinch-hit homer successful nan eighth tied nan score. But nan adjacent inning, Yankees prima Jazz Chisholm Jr. deed a solo homer disconnected Evan Phillips.