With lefty Brent Headrick replacing Warren, Cora turned to Romy Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder, two of the best pinch-hitters on the roster, to bat in place of Mayer and David Hamilton. Gonzalez quickly plated two runs with a single, but Trevor Story and Refsnyder followed with a pair of foul-tip strikeouts to leave two men in scoring position.

The two-time All-Star missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and compiled a 5.38 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, but stepped up late in the team's ensuing postseason run that culminated in a World Series title.

The last time Walker Buehler was on the mound at Yankee Stadium prior to Friday night, he watched as Alex Verdugo swung through a knuckle curveball. That swing-and-miss clinched the World Series for Buehler’s Los Angeles Dodgers.