The Yankees and Dodgers clashed in a thrilling three-game series in The Bronx from June 7-9. The Dodgers took the first two games, but the Yankees snatched victory in the finale. Here’s a rundown of the highlights and big plays:
Star Power Scuffles:
The anticipated matchup between Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani delivered, despite missing other key players. Juan Soto, dealing with a forearm strain, and Clarke Schmidt, on the injured list, were notably absent. Gerrit Cole was still days away from his season debut, and Carlos Rodon’s appearance missed the Dodgers by a day. Jack Flaherty, who was almost a Yankee acquisition, pitched for the Tigers instead.
Lineup Shuffles:
Notably, Mookie Betts had returned to right field after a brief stint at shortstop. His switch coincided with Miguel Rojas’ injury, paving the way for Tommy Edman to shine in the postseason, who hit .341 in October and won the NLCS MVP.
Stellar Performances:
Aaron Judge shined with a stellar .636 batting average and a 2.351 OPS against the Dodgers, smashing three homers in their series. Ohtani, on the other hand, struggled, managing just a .154 average.
Tough Opposition:
Giancarlo Stanton’s hot playoff streak will meet a Dodgers’ pitching staff he struggled against, going hitless (0-for-14) with seven strikeouts. Anthony Rizzo also went without a hit. Conversely, Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez could capitalize on Yankee pitching again after batting .500 and matching Judge’s three homers in the regular season series.
Pitching Dynamics:
The Dodgers saw varying results from their rotation. Gavin Stone and Tyler Glasnow started against the Yankees, with Stone now out for all of 2025 following shoulder surgery. Glasnow hasn’t pitched since mid-August due to an elbow injury. However, Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed dominant form, pitching seven scoreless innings and retiring 12 consecutive Yankees.
