2024 World Series - New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Games One and Two @ Dodger Stadium

Here we go. For the first time since 1981, the Yankees and Dodgers will face off in the Fall Classic. It will be the twelfth matchup between these storied franchises, and the Yankees have certainly had the advantage in the past. The Bronx Bombers have taken eight of the previous eleven series, though the Dodgers have split the last six. On baseball’s biggest stage, we have the game’s biggest stars ready to shine.

The Dodgers have already walloped a New York team this postseason, dispatching the Mets in six games behind an historic offensive performance. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts were outstanding, but it was midseason pickup Tommy Edman who took home NLCS MVP. With star first baseman Freddie Freeman hobbled with an ankle injury, Edman stepped into the cleanup spot and boy, did he clean up against Mets pitching. With a few days off heading into the series, Freeman is expected to return to the lineup, though how he’ll be feeling is unknown. The Dodgers have been able to piece together effective innings with solid enough starting and nearly untouchable bullpen arms. LA kid Jack Flaherty (13-7 3.17 ERA 162 IP) will get the ball in game one. It has been a Jekyll and Hyde postseason for the righty, so who’s gonna show up? For game two, it will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-2 3.00 ERA 90 IP). The Japanese ace had an awful postseason debut, but has been pretty good since, albeit in limited innings. Things have gotten a little shorter in Dave Robert’s bullpen, as Evan Philips went down with an arm injury; however, he gets reliable lefty Alex Vesia back after he missed the NLCS. We’ll see how Roberts navigates the late innings without one of his key arms.

On the surface, the Yankees have been rolling this postseason, dropping just two games heading into the Fall Classic. Digging a little deeper, it has not been as dominant as their record has demonstrated. Every game against Kansas City was close, and it took incredible heroics from Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto to escape from Cleveland in just five games. The bullpen was dominant early, but it has struggled lately. And of greatest concern, Aaron Judge has looked completely lost at the plate, apart from a pair of home runs. The Yankees will need him to refine his MVP form to have a shot in this series. Ace Gerrit Cole (8-5 3.41 ERA 95 IP) will get the start in game one. The reigning AL Cy Young has had to labor through his playoff starts, but he’s found a way to be effective. In game two, lefty Carlos Rodón (16-9 3.96 ERA 175 IP) will get the ball once again. He’s had one brilliant start and two mediocre outings so far. Manager Aaron Boone will definitely be hoping for the former, as his options in the bullpen are certainly thinner than his LA counterpart’s. In the past, these two teams have delivered on tension and drama, and this series should be no different.

Audio clips from MLB.tv

LAD Radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday

NYY Radio WFAN - John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman

FOX broadcast - Joe Davis and John Smoltz

As always shout out to Baseball Reference for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more.

Catch you next time,

P.C.O.