LOS ANGELES − The calendar says it’s May, but Friday night felt a whole lot like October at Dodger Stadium.
It was a heavyweight prize fight.
Power vs. power.
Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani.
The New York Yankees vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.
These two juggernauts went toe-to-toe for nine innings, and in the end, it was Ohtani and the Dodgers thrusting their arms into the air with a wild 8-5 victory in front of 53,276 screaming fans.
If this was a preview to this year’s World Series, an encore after their 2024 World Series, let’s flip the calendar to October now.
The game, with suites selling as high as $15,000, the clubhouses jammed with more than 100 reporters and Hollywood stars in attendance, was a May classic.
It began with a massive 446-foot Judge home run into the center-field pavilion in the top of the first inning.
Ohtani answered with a 417-foot home run in the bottom of the first.
“I thought he was copying me,’ Judge said. “He’s impressive. He’s one of the best players in the game for a reason.’’
It was the first time in baseball history, including the postseason, that two reigning MVP winners homered in the same inning of a game.
“If you’re a baseball fan it doesn’t get much better than that, right?’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “It was a great baseball atmosphere. It was good to be part of it.’’
There were five home runs hit in the first three innings, including four by the Yankees, but by the end of the night, it was Ohtani and the Dodgers beating Yankees ace Max Fried (season-high six earned runs) and their bullpen.
Fried, who entered the game with a 7-0 record and 1.29 ERA, was handed a 5-2 lead only for the Dodgers to score four runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh. It was reminiscent of the deciding Game 5 of the World Series last year when the Yankees coughed up a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning.
“Both teams started on a really good note,’’ Ohtani said, “and I really thought it was important to score in that situation knowing that momentum is really important in the game today.’’
Ohtani stole the show hitting his 21st and 22nd home runs of the season, giving him 15 homers in May, tying a franchise record last accomplished in 1985. He also set a team record by hitting 22 homers in the Dodgers’ first 57 games and is now on pace to hit 63 home runs and score 173 runs.
“Shohei would probably say it’s just like any other game,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “but when you see the other reigning MVP on the other side and going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei.’’
Judge was the best supporting actor in this drama by hitting his American League-leading 19th homer, 15th double, and is now hitting a major-league leading .392 with a 1.236 OPS.
“It’s fun, this is Yankee baseball,’’ Judge said, “and especially going against the Dodgers. They’re having a great start to the season. It was just a fun atmosphere out there.’’
It was just like the glory days when these two teams met 11 times in the World Series over a 40-year span, and again last season.
And, for a night in May with more than 100 regular-season games still to be played, it certainly lived up to its hype.
“You certainly marvel at some of the players on the field tonight,’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I mean, there’s a number of MVPs, All-Stars, and just great, great players. Judge had a great game with the homer and the double and an outstanding play in the game. So, some of the stars really showed up tonight.’’
Said Judge: “This is why I signed here, to play in big games, play in big moments, play for the best team.’’
Well, the best team on this night was the same team that was spraying champagne on each other in October. The Dodgers didn’t taunt the Yankees as they did over the winter, but the Dodgers public address announcer reminded everyone an hour before the game that the Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, and showed videotape highlights of Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1.
“We love superstars, and to start the game off with Judge hitting a homer and Shohei answering in the bottom half,’’ Roberts said, “was pretty exciting for everyone. But it was a huge game for us to win. I think the intensity of the game, you can see the way that Aaron managed with urgency. I managed with urgency. It was a game that we both wanted.’
And, at the end of the night, it was the Dodgers coming out on top once again.
Thanks to you-know-who.
“Every time he comes to the plate,’ Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin said of Ohtani, “we’re expecting something awesome to happen. And he doesn’t let us down a lot of times. So it’s really cool to have someone like that on our team.’
The second round of the three-round fight is Saturday, and while it may be the Yankees against the Dodgers, the baseball world will be focused on the latest bout between Judge and Ohtani, the two greatest players in the game.
“I try not to think about it,’’ Judge said. “I got a job to do on the field. I try not to get too hyped into that. That’s for you guys to do.’’
Stay tuned.
The sequel awaits.
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