The New York Yankees faced the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday at Chavez Ravine, hoping to take World Series revenge, but the Dodgers overwhelmed them with an 18-2 victory to secure the series. Despite the dominant Dodgers performance, Aaron Judge stood out for the Yankees by hitting two home runs in the game.

The Dodgers, celebrating manager Dave Roberts’ 53rd birthday, quickly established control by scoring four runs in the first inning and six in the second. They kept the pressure on with four more runs in the fifth inning, followed by single runs in the seventh and three additional runs in the eighth inning. Aaron Judge’s two home runs in the fourth and eighth innings accounted for all of New York’s scoring.

Roberts, clearly pleased with his team’s effort, described the offensive momentum that carried them through the game.

“I think last night what we did offensively, we just took it into today, beat the starter,”

Roberts said.

“I thought we did a good job of getting to the fastball, just kind of kept the line moving, just taking really good at-bats — swinging at strikes, taking balls.”

He also acknowledged the intensity and excitement that came from facing a prestigious opponent like the Yankees. “It does. It does,” Roberts said.

“You know, the last couple of weeks have certainly been a grind with all the stuff we’ve been going through. But obviously, when you get the Yankees, and the fans get into it, it just kind of infuses some excitement into the clubhouse. And, you know, guys showed up and gave the fans what they wanted — and it’s been a fun series for us.”

The Dodgers’ potent offense not only fueled the victory but also wore down the Yankees’ bullpen, potentially impacting the pitching resources available for Sunday’s series finale. Victoriously managing his pitching staff, Roberts praised Dodgers ace Landon Knack for his strong outing, pitching six innings and allowing just one earned run while issuing three walks and striking out six batters.

“Then, you know, Landon getting through six and being able to pitch with the lead was also big to help us reset the pen,”

Roberts added, highlighting the strategic value of Knack’s durability in the game.

Manager Dave Roberts on the Dodgers’ Explosive Hitting and Intense Atmosphere

The charged environment at Dodger Stadium was amplified by the Dodgers’ impressive display of power hitting, launching five home runs in the game. Third baseman Max Muncy delivered a career night with two home runs and seven RBIs. Pinch hitter Dalton Rushing contributed with a home run, while Andy Pages and Hye-seong Kim each added one, further igniting the offense.

Reflecting on the energy in the dugout throughout the slugfest, Roberts said,

“It’s contagious. You know, people talk about things like hitting being contagious and losing and all that stuff. There are just guys that want to get up to bat, and the pitcher out there — I’m sure they feel it. It’s just that adrenaline, that emotion in the dugout. And the fans were in it from pitch one, so it was kind of like that playoff environment.”

With this commanding win, the Dodgers improved their record to 36-22, while the Yankees fell to 35-22. The dominant performance underlines the Dodgers’ status as defending champions and sends a clear message heading into the remainder of the postseason.