Yankees’ struggles, Dodgers’ depth, and big homers: The World Series reunion had it all

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This time, the Yankees didn’t have to step on their own feet with shoddy defense to allow the Dodgers to come-from-behind. Los Angeles just didn’t miss mistakes. Shohei Ohtani homered twice against Fried, his second dinger sparking a four-run rally and forcing Fried out of the game after five innings. After Ohtani, the next seven Dodgers batters reached base, including more heroics from Freddie Freeman on an RBI double that went over Cody Bellinger’s head in left field. The Dodgers’ no-panic mindset leading to their 8-5 win in game one offered a reminder that the Yankees haven’t closed the gap against the reigning champions. 

It only got more lopsided the following day. We’re not expecting rookie right-hander Will Warren to get a start in meaningful games in the postseason, but his seven earned runs allowed over 1.1 innings on Saturday never even gave the Yankees a chance to battle back. The Dodgers outscored the Yankees 26-7 in the first two games of the series.

Just like last year’s Fall Classic, it’s fair to wonder how the series would’ve unfolded had the Yankees brought their A game. Fried, the Yankees’ de facto ace in place of the injured Gerrit Cole, had only allowed three home runs this year before he walked into Chavez Ravine on Friday, which was tied for the second-fewest home runs allowed among all big-league starting pitchers. Fried woke up the next day with a 1.92 ERA, despite the damage from Los Angeles’ lineup, which is indicative of how terrific his season has been one-third of the way through the baseball calendar. He was due for a mediocre outing, and for the Yankees, it was unfortunate that it happened against the Dodgers.

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2. Judge and Ohtani trading blows was special

Now, this was one thing both fan bases could agree on: the game’s best sluggers going mano-a-mano. Though the rest of the series overshadowed how the matchup began, watching Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani bring the fireworks in the first inning on Friday was what makes this sport special. 

Judge struck first, obliterating a Tony Gonsolin slider 446 feet to deep center field in the top of the first inning for his 19th home run of the season. Ohtani, leading off the bottom of the frame, responded with his 21st jack of year, clobbering the first pitch of the game from Fried. If it felt like a significant moment in MLB history, it was. It was the first time ever both reigning MVPs homered in the first inning of the same game. 

“I feel like he was copying me,” Judge said of Ohtani. “He’s impressive. He’s one of the best players in the game for a reason. What he can do in the box, on the basepaths, once he gets back on the mound —it’s special.”

“It was a really good start to the game,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It was a back-and-forth between two really good teams and I’m glad we came out at the top.”

Judge added on to his home-run pile on Saturday, enjoying a two-homer game that brought his season total to 21. Meanwhile, Ohtani took a cat nap in the Dodgers dugout, and he still found himself ahead of Judge by the time the series was over, with 22 homers. The Japanese two-way superstar has already scored 63 runs this season, becoming the fastest player to reach that milestone in MLB’s modern era. 

It sure seems like Ohtani and Judge bring out the best in each other, whether they’re playing 3,000 miles away on separate coasts, or bringing the heat in the same stadium. 

Aaron Judge’s first-inning homer in Friday’s game was one of the few high points from the Yankees in L.A. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

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3. Dodgers have depth that Yankees don’t

Even without Mookie Betts, the Dodgers still throttled the Yankees pitching staff by relying on lineup depth that the Yankees simply do not have. After Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith and Freeman, Los Angeles’ lineup was still a threat, with center fielder Andy Pages crushing two home runs in the series, Max Muncy coming alive and going 5-for-10 with three home runs against New York, and Tommy Edman once again rising to the occasion in the blockbuster series. 

From top to bottom, the Dodgers lineup isn’t just tricky to navigate; it’s a living, breathing monster ready to slaughter opponents in broad daylight. Los Angeles’ 18-2 thrashing on Saturday was a statement that they’re the better team competing on another planet, even as the Yankees tried to remind themselves that this was just like any other series, and they shouldn’t read too much into it. The Yankees weren’t at full strength, with postseason icon Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list alongside infielders Jazz Chisholm and Oswaldo Cabrera, all of whom were sorely missed. But the Dodgers are depleted too, with top starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki all injured. They’re still atop the NL West with a 36-23 record. 

Finally, Yankees starter Ryan Yarbrough had the answers in Sunday’s series finale, limiting the reigning champs to one run over six innings and helping the Yankees avoid getting swept. For now, Yarbrough has earned the opportunity to show the Yankees what he can do in the rotation, while Warren showed that he’s still young and not yet ready to make a major start in a meaningful game.

The Yankees should walk away from this World Series rematch knowing that they have work to do. Ahead of July’s trade deadline, they need a viable third baseman even after Chisholm returns from injury, because the combination of Oswald Peraza, Jorbit Vivas, and Pablo Reyes is just not cutting it. They need another starting pitcher, and no, the eventual return of Luis Gil shouldn’t be treated like it’s a midseason acquisition. Gil should help, but the Yankees need more rotation depth at the back end. And they need a power arm in the bullpen, a point that is only magnified after we learned closer Luke Weaver is dealing with a hamstring injury. 

The star-studded Dodgers gained confidence this weekend, which should terrify opponents. They learned they can outshine the American League’s best offense while they’re missing key pieces from a roster that will only look better after the All-Star break, when Ohtani is expected to complete his rehab from Tommy John surgery and take the mound again. 

Right now, the Dodgers are still a better team than the Yankees. There’s no guarantee these clubs will meet again this October, particularly with the dominant Tigers leading the AL and the number of highly competitive teams in the NL. But if we’re heading toward another October rematch, the Dodgers have to feel good about their chances. It’s not impossible for the Yankees to close the gap by the postseason, but it’s a real challenge that will stay on their minds whether they admit it or not.

Dodgers’ Landon Knack talks opportunity early in season & win vs. Yankees | King of the Diamond

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On this edition of John Smoltz’s “King of the Diamond”, Landon Knack discussed his early season opportunity for the Los Angeles Dodgers and getting a win vs. the New York Yankees.

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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