Bronx, NY – Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, three RBI and two runs scored to pace the New York Yankees in a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Lyle Overbay contributed a two-run double and Mariano Rivera struck out a pair in the ninth to earn his 25th save and hand former teammate and current Dodgers manager, Don Mattingly, a loss in his return to Yankee Stadium.
Mattingly spent his entire 14-year career (1982-95) with New York and served as a bench coach to former Yankee manager Joe Torre before leaving the club following the 2007 season.
"It means a lot," said Mattingly, who received a warm ovation from the crowd. "I played my whole career here and so obviously its a good feeling."
It was also the first meeting in the Bronx between the Yankees and Dodgers since the 1981 World Series, won by Los Angeles.
Huroki Kuroda (7-5) ended a five-start winless streak with 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball. He allowed eight hits and two walks.
Hanley Ramirez went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Dodgers, who have lost seven of their last nine games. Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-3) was tagged for three runs on five hits over six innings.
The Yankees struck first, leading off the second with a pair of singles. An ensuing sacrifice bunt set the table for Overbay, who drove a ball to center over Andre Ethier for a double and a 2-0 lead.
Ryu worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, but served up a solo blast to start the sixth when Suzuki sent a fly ball into the short porch in right, pushing New York's lead to 3-0.
Ramirez's third hit of the day started the seventh, and when the Dodgers packed the bags soon after, he came home on A.J. Ellis' sac fly into right. That left runners at the corners for the pinch-hitting Jerry Hairston, who laced a run-scoring single past David Adams at third to reduce the margin to 3-2.
A pair of errors from Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario, however, opened the flood gates to a three-run home seventh for New York.
The right-hander fumbled a Vernon Wells bunt attempt, then threw wide left of second base while going for a force out. The second blunder allowed a run to come home and his day ended after plunking Thomas Neal to load the bases.
"We caught a big break," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "It really opened up the inning for us to get some more runs."
Paco Rodriguez took over on the mound and Suzuki greeted him with a bloop single into left. The hit scored a pair and supplied New York with a 6-2 edge.
Yasiel Puig began the eighth by stretching his ground ball off Preston Claiborne into a double, and two batters later, Ramirez sent a laser into the left-field stands to cut the Dodgers' deficit to 6-4.
Robertson came out of the bullpen and 10 of the first 11 pitches he threw were balls, but was able to retire Skip Schumaker and Ellis to avoid trouble. Rivera then sent the Dodgers down in order in the ninth.
Game Notes
The contest marked the beginning of a nine-game homestand for New York, which will send Phil Hughes to oppose Chris Capuano in the nightcap of the doubleheader ... Mattingly served as bench coach for four seasons (2004-07) with New York ... Puig went 2-for-5, his ninth multi-hit effort in 13 games this season ... Ryu had been undefeated in his previous six outings coming in.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.