LOS ANGELES _ Not even the presence of "Brooklyn" against the Dodgers could help the Yankees on Saturday afternoon.
In a one-run game, Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino came on to finish the eighth inning. And on this Players Weekend around MLB, he was wearing the borough of his birth (and the Dodgers) on his back.
But after tallying 10 runs on Friday night, the Yankees had few answers against Dodgers pitching in a 2-1 Los Angeles win, knotting the three-game interleague series at two apiece.
With the bases loaded, Gary Sanchez struck out to end the game.
Domingo German will oppose Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Sunday's finale.
Before another sellout crowd of 53,803, CC Sabathia gave up a two-run homer to Justin Turner, then evaded further trouble in the third inning.
The Yankees responded in the fourth with Aaron Judge's leadoff home run off right-handed starter Tony Gonsolin, who lasted five innings in just his fourth career MLB start.
But after Judge's third home run in his last five games, the Yankees put only one runner in scoring position against Gonsolin and three Dodgers relievers.
Pedro Baez struck out the side in the eighth inning and Kenley Jansen flirted with danger but recorded the save.
Leading off the ninth, Didi Gregorius struck out bunting against the shift _ a good idea in a questionable spot.
With the count 3-and-1 in his favor, Gregorius slapped a pitch that went just foul to the left side, where he had a ton of wide-open real estate.
But in that count, Gregorius _ who hit two homers on Friday, including a grand slam _ could have hit one off or over the wall.
What happened next was even more questionable.
Gregorius shortened up and bunted foul to the left side on a 3-and-2 pitch, striking out.
But the entertaining ninth inning was just beginning.
Gleyber Torres grounded a single to center and Brett Gardner's infield single put runners at first and second, setting up a brief controversy.
On Gio Urshela's slow grounder to shortstop, Gardner _ on his 36th birthday _ was initially called out at second base on a force play where he made contact with second baseman Max Muncy.
Muncy went down in some pain but remained in the game.
But the Yankees successfully challenged the call and Gardner, who slid directly to the bag, was ruled to be safe, loading the bases for Mike Tauchman.
Tauchman struck out swinging for the second out before Sanchez struck out to end it.
Sabathia lasted just four innings, lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth.
But in his one at-bat, Sabathia � who has made no secrets about his desire to go deep � lined out hard to right field in the third inning.
Retiring at season's end, Sabathia belted one of his three career home runs at Dodger Stadium. Until now, "a lot of guys hadn't played at Dodger Stadium," Judge said after Friday's game, adding that Sabathia was ribbing a few teammates about having already hit one career home run at the ballpark, built in 1962.
