In their first meeting since a 2024 World Series that ended with the Dodgers raising a trophy and the Yankees swallowing instant infamy, both teams followed a similar script in an 8-5 Dodgers win. First came the Yankees runs, then the Dodgers comeback, aided and abetted by New York's miscues.

New York had won its last seven series until the Dodgers snapped that streak. Still, the Yankees came out of its West Coast road trip with a 6-3 record, with series wins over the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies to get back on track ahead of a six-game homestand against the Cleveland Guardians and the Boston Red Sox.

When Judge (who also made a terrific diving catch in the gap) and Ohtani exchanged blows in the first inning, it marked the first time in MLB history that both reigning MVPs homered in the first inning of the same game.