The Los Angeles Dodgers are tasked with starting the second half of the 2026 MLB season at Yankee Stadium.

While the New York Yankees don't lead their division, they sport a 54-42 record, which is among the best in the American League.

Manager Dave Roberts knows he can't mess around to start the second half, especially with how poorly the Dodgers played heading into the All-Star break.

Officially, it'll be Roki Sasaki taking the mound in game one against someone the Yankees have been thrilled to see back on the mound, Gerrit Cole.

The Dodgers never know exactly what they're going to get out of Roki Sasaki, and that's not a super comfortable feeling to have in their first game coming out of the All-Star break.

Sometimes the 24-year-old is able to settle in after a rough start, but sometimes he can't seem to recover and the last thing this team needs to do is go deep into their bullpen in their first game back.

Gerrit Cole is just 1-3 in his last four starts. He hasn't gone deeper than 6.2 innings this season, but it's worth noting he's only gone past 5.1 innings in two of his last seven starts.

Emmet Sheehan didn't record a decision in his start on Sunday, July 12, but prior to that he was just 1-5 in his last six starts. The Dodgers need the 26-year-old to be more reliable going forward, especially with what was just said about Sasaki. Together, they could be an extremely dangerous combo, or a massive liability.

Ryan Weathers has also struggled big time recently. He's coming off a solid start on Friday, July 10, but he was just 1-5 in his seven starts coming into that one, and that includes a dreadful 1.2-inning outing on Monday, June 29, that saw him allow five earned runs on seven hits.

The best pitching matchup of the series, by far, is in the finale. Shohei Ohtani is not pitching in this series, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been a true ace for the Dodgers in 2026.

Speaking of aces, look no further than the Yankees' 25-year-old All-Star. Cam Schlittler has truly been the team's biggest success story this season, and he'll look to keep the momentum rolling in the second half.

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