The last time the Dodgers and Yankees met, it was in Yankee Stadium with the Dodgers mounting an epic comeback win in Game 5 of the World Series to win the whole thing.
These two teams are different iterations of what they were in October. Walker Buehler and Alex Verdugo, the two key players for the final out, departed for other teams. Juan Soto is on the cross-town Mets. Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery this spring. Chris Taylor, who didn't contribute on the field but who pissed off Yankees fans by rightly pointing out how the errors in Game 5 lead to their demise, is now with the Angels. Of the 10 players that started Game 5 for the Yankees, only three are currently on the active roster.
But a lot is the same. Both are atop their divisions. The Dodgers are still limping into the series with limited pitching. Freddie Freeman and Aaron Judge are hitting like the batting champs they are. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still shoving.
One big addition is a guy that the Dodgers will face right off the bat - Max Fried. Currently sporting a 7-0 record with a 1.29 ERA, Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million contract during the offseason that is immediately paying dividends.
Judge is having an outstanding season, even by Judge-ian standards. He is currently slashing .391/.488/.739 with 18 home runs, most in the American League. Not having Soto or Giancarlo Stanton (currently on the IL) near him in the lineup isn't hurting him at all.
The Yankees are also on a heater, going 9-1 in their last 10 games and are currently on a five-game winning streak. They also have the most homers as a team in the majors, and sport the highest OBP, SLG, and OPS in the majors. On the pitching side, they also have the lowest WHIP and batting average against.
So, another big test for the beleaguered Dodgers pitching staff. The Dodgers will send Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack, and Yamamoto to the mound as their starters for the series. After Fried, the Yankees will have Will Warren go on Saturday, and it is to be determined who will start Sunday.
As in the Mets series, all games will be nationally televised games - on Apple TV, Fox, and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.
As has been mentioned many a time, the Dodgers are in the middle of a really tough slog in their schedule. After the Yankees series, the Mets come into town for a four-game set. Then it's off to face St. Louis and San Diego. The Dodgers will just have to handle it the best they can with the pitching staff they have. Time for the offense to really step up and score like we all know they can.
Friday game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Yankees
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Start time: 7:10 p.m.
- TV: Apple TV+
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
