Dodgers and Yankees Face Off in Los Angeles

The historic Dodgers and Yankees franchises will meet again. They faced each other 11 times in the World Series between 1941 and 1981, but since then, they have only played 16 interleague games. During the last interleague game in August 2019, players wore alternative jerseys for the short-lived Players’ Weekend, but on this occasion, they will wear their iconic New York road grays and Los Angeles home whites.

Both teams have impressive season records, with the Yankees winning 19 of their last 29 games before Friday, and the Dodgers tied with Arizona for the best record in the National League (35-23) after beating the Yankees, 8-4, in Friday night’s series opener.

It is no surprise that these results come from teams that spend like the Yankees ($277 million) and the Dodgers ($226 million). However, the first two months of the season saw the two clubs tested the depth provided by those huge payrolls. Both teams have suffered a lot of injuries and their managers, Aaron Boone and Dave Roberts, have had to improvise and play mix-and-match a lot.

The Yankees, who are trailing Tampa Bay and Baltimore in the American League East, are hoping to make a comeback this weekend. Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson have returned to the team from the injured list. Getting them back can help the Yankees become less dependent on Aaron Judge, the team’s captain, who was announced as the A.L.’s player of the month for May. The returning sluggers played in the series-opening loss, but Luis Severino, the Yankees’ oft-injured right-handed starter, was torched for six runs in the first inning by the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have their own issues with a tattered starting rotation and injuries to key players. In the latest game against the Yankees, Clayton Kershaw pitched well, and Michael Grove and Bobby Miller, two rookie starters, are scheduled to pitch the games on Saturday and Sunday. The Dodgers lineup is also less sharp than in recent years as the team has trimmed their payroll, but they still manage to bully their way past opponents.

Nevertheless, both teams are preparing for October baseball, just like always, despite not looking quite right this season. A June series against one another proves to be an excellent test of their readiness. “There is something really cool about that in the grind of 162,” Boone said. Interleague weekend games in June between two historic franchises like the Dodgers and the Yankees have a good sound to them and are likely to provide a little extra juice.