Los Angeles Dodgers set for first trip to Yankee Stadium since 2024 World Series

When the Dodgers and Yankees last met at Yankee Stadium, the visiting clubhouse erupted in champagne celebrations after a World Series championship.

This upcoming series promises only post‑game handshakes; no champagne celebrations, as the Dodgers open a three‑game showdown against the Yankees Friday night.

Both clubs have kept their starting pitchers under wraps heading into the series.

Their first matchup since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series—where a five‑run outburst in the fifth inning sealed a 7‑6 victory—will see the Dodgers, fresh off a World Series win over Toronto, arrive in New York with an MLB‑best 61‑36 record.

Recent concerns have centered on Shohei Ohtani’s knee, which required drainage, and the team’s three‑game losing streak heading into the All‑Star break; whether he will pitch remains uncertain, though he is listed in the lineup.

The drainage was performed to ease irritation, forcing Ohtani to miss the All‑Star Game. He hit his 22nd home run on Sunday before the injury, a 5‑3 loss to Arizona, which prompted the team to omit him from his next scheduled start.

Los Angeles is now in its third three‑game losing streak of the season, following earlier slides in late April and mid‑May. The Dodgers have gone 2‑5 in their last seven contests, limited to three hits on Sunday while also committing two errors, yet they still head into the break with a 11½‑game advantage in the NL West.

“We’re still fighting for the top spot in the league, but more importantly, we’re striving to rediscover our own consistency on the field,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The division lead matters less than tightening up our play over the next few games.”

The Yankees entered the break on a positive note, having won four consecutive games to shrink their AL East deficit from five to three games. After a 3‑0 loss in Tampa Bay on July 8 that left them with 15 losses in 20 games, they rallied with a 12‑4 victory the next day and capped a three‑game sweep in Washington with a late‑inning outburst of ten runs.

A 5‑3 win on Sunday, highlighted by Ben Rice’s eighth‑inning two‑run triple that flipped a 3‑2 deficit into a 4‑3 lead, put the Yankees in a promising spot for the break. Rice is enjoying a hot June slash of .359 with six home runs and 14 RBIs, a stark contrast to his .196 average in 26 games the month prior, especially without Aaron Judge at the plate.

Aaron Judge, who has a fractured rib, is scheduled for imaging this week with the hope of showing improvement. The Yankees are 18‑19 in his absence and face a challenging stretch of 22 games against clubs that currently hold winning records.

“We know we’re up against the league’s top‑ranked team with the best overall record, so we must bring our A‑game,” outfielder Cody Bellinger noted. “Both clubs will be fully prepared when Friday arrives, and the competition will resume in full force.”

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