Clash of Titans: Dodgers and Yankees Face Off in an Epic Showdown
Baseball fans witnessed a high-caliber matchup on Friday night, as the [Los Angeles Dodgers](/mlb/team/_/name/lad/los-angeles-dodgers) and the [New York Yankees](/mlb/team/_/name/nyy/new-york-yankees) met at Dodger Stadium in a rematch of the 2024 World Series.
The meeting brought together two of the most prominent names in Major League Baseball: the current American League MVP, [Aaron Judge](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/33192/aaron-judge), and the current National League MVP, [Shohei Ohtani](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/39832/shohei-ohtani). It didn’t take long before the two superstars left their mark on the game.
True to their reputation, Ohtani and Judge exchanged home runs in the first inning, giving an electrifying start to the anticipated matchup.
Judge showed his power first, connecting his 19th home run of the season, a 446-foot hit over the center field fence.
Ohtani responded quickly in the bottom of the first inning, sending the first pitch he saw into the stands for his 21st home run of the year, leading the league.
Judge’s home run was the first of several for New York, which was looking to secure the victory in the first game of the series. [Austin Wells](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/4683349/austin-wells), [Trent Grisham](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/34995/trent-grisham) and [Paul Goldschmidt](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/31027/paul-goldschmidt) also hit home runs, helping the Yankees take a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning.
