Overview
- The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the second half with a three-game series in the Bronx on Friday, July 17, their first trip to Yankee Stadium since they finished the 2024 World Series there.
- Los Angeles announced probable starters for the set with Roki Sasaki starting Friday, Emmet Sheehan Saturday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto Sunday.
- Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in the series because of a left knee issue but is in the Dodgers’ lineup as a hitter, a decision the club says is intended to protect his availability for a postseason run.
- The Yankees begin the series without Aaron Judge while starting Gerrit Cole on Friday and batting Cody Bellinger in the cleanup spot in the opener.
- The matchup matters for momentum: the Dodgers enter the second half with baseball’s best record but coming off a late slump, the Yankees finished hot before the break, and local wildfire smoke is a possible factor for game conditions and pitcher durability.