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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Dodgers, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Dodgers, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have used their words to tell one story this weekend and their actions to spin a completely different yarn.
During a rousing 18-2 romp over the New York Yankees on Saturday on a season-best 21 hits, the Dodgers look as motivated as they have all season, during a campaign that has been riddled by injuries, especially to the pitching staff.
They felt little pain in the middle game of the three-game series, even with Mookie Betts out for a second consecutive game with a fracture at the tip of a toe on his left foot.
Others were left to kick the Yankees while they were down following their loss to the Dodgers in a five-game World Series in October. Max Muncy hit two home runs while tying a career high with seven RBIs, while Hyeseong Kim hit his own home run, as he started at shortstop for the first time with his new club.
Andy Pages went deep, and rookie Dalton Rushing added his first career home run.
“I think it was a good all-around game for us,” Muncy said. “You could say it was a statement. For us to do it without Mookie also, I think that’s huge for everyone trying to pick up the slack in the lineup. It’s just a really good day offensively all around. … It’s big for the boys.”
There was little to no sting even with Aaron Judge hitting his own pair of home runs, with three in the series so far.
The Dodgers merely countered with Kim, who moved to center field in the sixth inning and immediately made a mark there when he cut down Judge at second base while trying to extend a single into a double.
“Hyeseong, there’s just something about him,” said manager Dave Roberts, who plans to sit his rookie Sunday but have him start in the opener of a series against the New York Mets on Monday. “That youthful enthusiasm, that joy, he’s just happy to be out there, happy to be on the team, and guys feed off the energy.”
Even when delivering a come-from-behind victory Friday, in a game that was eerie in its resemblance to the deciding Game 5 last fall in New York, the Dodgers insisted they weren’t thinking about their life-altering night in the Bronx.
“Not for me. Not really,” Teoscar Hernandez said Friday when asked if he had any flashbacks. “I don’t know for the other guys. For me, the past is in the past.”
Said Freddie Freeman: “Actually, never thought about it. No.”
The Dodgers’ follow-up series win means revenge for New York will have to come differently.
The Dodgers turned the offense loose early against Yankees rookie right-hander Will Warren, getting RBI singles from Will Smith and Muncy in the first inning, while Michael Conforto had a run-scoring sacrifice fly and Tommy Edman had an RBI double.
The second inning included a three-run home run from Muncy that knocked Warren from the game, leaving him battered with a season-high seven runs allowed in 1⅓ innings. The offense continued on its way with another RBI double from Edman and a two-run homer from Kim.
Muncy’s first home run of the game gave him 200 for his career, with 196 of those in a Dodgers uniform.
“It was pretty cool,” Muncy said. “To hit as many as I’ve hit in a Dodger uniform, that’s kind of what this organization has meant to me. So it’s a blessing for sure. It’s a number that I’m definitely proud of. Hopefully, I still got a lot more in me. But we just need to keep racking up wins like today, and it’s gonna be a good season for us.”
The Dodgers scored double digits in runs for the eighth time and were one off their season high set May 15 against the Athletics.
Dodgers right-hander Landon Knack (3-2) was not at his best, yet still held the Yankees to one run over six innings. The lone run allowed was a no-doubt home run from Judge in the fourth inning. Judge added another in the sixth against Chris Stratton.
“I feel really good about where we are,” Knack said of his pitching arsenal moving forward. “I feel like we’re really close to having it locked in where we need to. Definitely feeling good.”
While Shohei Ohtani remained on 22 home runs to sit tied for the lead in the major leagues, Judge moved closer to the top with his 21st. Ohtani finished May with 15 home runs to tie for the most all-time in a single month in Dodgers history.
Even with Judge’s exploits, Muncy ended up stealing the power show, with a three-run home run off the right-field foul pole in the fifth inning. Muncy now has six home runs on the season with his first multi-homer game this year and the 16th of his career.
“Max, it’s been a tough one to start, but I just gave him a lot of credit,” Roberts said. “He hasn’t wavered from the work. He hasn’t run from the criticisms and he’s showing up every day to play, and help us with a ball game.
After aggravating his nagging right ankle injury in Friday’s game, Freeman returned to the lineup Saturday with two hits and a walk in four plate appearances. He finished May with a .410 batting average and has a .374 average overall.
Counting the World Series, the Dodgers are now 8-2 against the Yankees over the past two seasons and 4-0 at home. And the most recent of those four came Saturday on Roberts’ 53rd birthday.
“Yeah, just with the doctor ordered,” said Roberts, who has been all too familiar with team doctors this season. “That was a good one. Now I can enjoy some dinner.”
