Shohei Ohtani hits 2 HRs as Dodgers top Aaron Judge, Yankees - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The New York Yankees' return to Dodger Stadium, the site of a star-studded World Series and an improbable Game 1, was billed as one of this season's most anticipated matchups. It began in unprecedented fashion — with Aaron Judge homering in the top of the first and Shohei Ohtani answering in the bottom half, marking the first time two reigning MVPs have homered in the same inning of the same game.

In the end, Ohtani prevailed.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way phenomenon added another homer in the sixth, igniting a four-run rally against a previously dominant Max Fried and sparking an 8-5, come-from-behind victory on Friday night. Ohtani has now gone deep 15 times in May, tying a franchise record for the most home runs in a single month.

«He's impressive,» Judge said. «He's one of the best players in the game for a reason. What he can do in the box, on the basepath, once he gets back on the mound — it's special.»

Ohtani is expected to face hitters in a live-batting-practice session at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, his second in a span of six days. His pitching progression has been steady in recent weeks, but he is not expected to join the Dodgers' needy rotation until some time after the All-Star break. In the meantime, Ohtani continues to be a force offensively, slashing .294/.394/.670 with 11 stolen bases and a major league-leading 22 home runs — three more than the second-place Judge, whose batting average sits at .392.

«I heard the chants for MVP tonight,» Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said of Ohtani, «and he's really well on his way to doing that again.»

The Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five World Series games last fall, claiming their first full-season championship in 36 years. It was a